Certificate of authenticity: why and how to create your own

01What a certificate of authenticity actually does

A certificate of authenticity is a document signed by the artist or by a competent authority (gallery, estate, expert) attesting that a work is indeed by the designated artist, that it is original, and that it has the described characteristics (title, date, dimensions, technique, materials). This document accompanies the work throughout its existence: during the first sale, during subsequent resales, during exhibition loans, during insurance valuations, during donations to institutions.

The absence of a certificate is a problem that worsens over time. As long as the artist is alive and accessible, one can always ask them to confirm a work's authenticity. But after the artist's death, without a certificate, the work enters a grey zone where authentication becomes costly, uncertain and sometimes impossible. The estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat faces a constant flow of authentication requests for undocumented works, and many remain in limbo for lack of sufficient proof. The Andy Warhol authentication committee was dissolved in 2011, partly due to the complexity and legal costs of authentication disputes. If artists of that stature encounter these difficulties, imagine what it means for an emerging artist with non-existent archives.

The art market unfortunately faces the problem of forgeries and erroneous attributions. Forgers do not only target famous artists: mid-career contemporary artists sometimes see copies of their works appear on online sales sites or international marketplaces. A certificate of authenticity, with a numbering system and rigorous archiving, is the first line of defence against this risk and the best protection you can offer your buyers. It is also a document that insurers increasingly require to cover a work of art, and that auction houses systematically request when a work is put up for sale on the secondary market.

02What a solid certificate should contain

An effective certificate of authenticity contains a set of precise and verifiable information. The artist's full name, the title of the work (or "untitled" with a description if applicable), the date of creation, the technique and materials used (oil on canvas, acrylic on wood, bronze, silver gelatin photograph, pigment print, etc.), the exact dimensions (height, width, depth if applicable), and a colour photograph of the work.

The certificate must bear a unique number that identifies it in your personal archive. This number can follow a simple system: the year of creation followed by a sequential number (2025-001, 2025-002, etc.) or any other coherent system that you maintain rigorously without exception. This number should correspond to an entry in your personal catalogue raisonne, a register where you document every work produced with all its information.

The certificate must be hand-signed by the artist and dated on the day of issue. It can also bear a dry stamp, an adhesive hologram or an ink stamp, but the handwritten signature is the legally essential element. Some artists add a small mark, code or label on the back of the work corresponding to the certificate number, creating a physical link between the document and the work itself. This practice is recommended as it makes the correspondence between work and certificate verifiable even if the two are separated.

Gerhard Richter has maintained an exhaustive catalogue raisonne of his works since the beginning of his career in the 1960s. Every piece is documented, photographed and registered with a unique number. This documentation work, begun when he was still a little-known artist, has become an invaluable tool for the market, for institutions and for researchers.

03How to create your certificate without sophisticated means

You do not need a graphic designer or a luxury printer to create a professional certificate of authenticity. A clear, well-structured document, printed on good quality paper, works perfectly. The background should be white or cream, the typography legible and sober, the layout airy.

The minimum content is as follows: at the top, your name or studio name, optionally your logo if you have one. Then the title "Certificate of authenticity" in clearly visible type, followed by the work information (title, date, technique, dimensions, inventory number). A photograph of the work, even at reduced size, is strongly recommended as it allows immediate visual identification. Then a statement along the lines of "I certify that the work described above is an original creation by my hand." Finally, your handwritten signature, the place and date of issue, and your contact details (email address or website) so the buyer or a future owner can reach you if needed.

You can create a template in a word processing or layout programme, print it on heavy paper (at least 120 gsm, ideally 160 or more), and complete it by hand for each work. Some artists use personalised letterhead printed in batches, others an ink stamp with their name and logo. The essentials are clarity of information, consistency of format from one work to the next, and the presence of a handwritten signature.

Louise Bourgeois numbered and documented each work with obsessive rigour. Her archives, now managed by the Easton Foundation, constitute a model of artistic documentation. You do not need to reach that level of sophistication to begin, but the habit of documenting every work should take root from the start of your career, when production volume is still manageable.

04The personal catalogue raisonne: your reference archive

The certificate of authenticity is the visible part of a broader documentation effort: the personal catalogue raisonne. This register, which you can maintain as a spreadsheet, database, specialist software or even a physical notebook, lists every work you produce with all its characteristics: inventory number, title, creation date, technique and materials, dimensions, front and back photograph, original sale price, buyer name (if the buyer agrees to be referenced), consignment location if in a gallery, exhibitions or publications where the work has been shown.

This catalogue is an indispensable daily management tool. It allows you to know at any time how many works you have produced, how many are sold and to whom, how many are on consignment in galleries and in which gallery, how many are in stock in your studio. It also allows you to respond instantly to a buyer, dealer or exhibition curator who asks for information about a specific work. This responsiveness is perceived as a sign of professionalism by the market.

In the long term, this catalogue becomes a historical document that contributes to the permanence of your oeuvre beyond your own lifetime. Artists whose work is best documented are those whose works sell best on the secondary market, because buyers have confidence in the provenance and authenticity of what they are purchasing. The documentation you create today is a legacy you leave to your works.

05Mistakes that destroy trust

The first mistake is only providing a certificate when the buyer asks. The certificate should be systematic, provided with every work sold, without the buyer having to request it. A buyer who must ask for a certificate wonders why it was not planned, and that question is bad for trust.

The second mistake is producing inconsistent certificates: one format for one work, another format for the next, information missing on some but not others, numbering that skips or repeats. Visual and informational consistency is what gives your documentation credibility. Adopt a single format and stick to it for your entire production.

The third mistake is not keeping a copy of each certificate. If a buyer loses their certificate (it happens more often than you might think, especially after a move or an inheritance), you must be able to provide a duplicate. Keep a digital copy (scan or high-resolution photo) of each certificate issued, associated with the work's inventory number in your catalogue.

The fourth mistake is not clearly indicating the nature of the work on the certificate: is it a unique original work, a numbered edition (and if so, what number out of what run), or a reproduction? The nature of the work must be explicit and unambiguous. A buyer who thinks they are acquiring an original and later discovers it is a reproduction, even a high-quality one, is a buyer lost forever and a reputational risk for you.

06The certificate in the context of editions and multiples

The certificate of authenticity is even more crucial for editions and multiples than for unique pieces. When you sell a screen print in a run of thirty copies, each copy must be accompanied by an individual certificate specifying not only the usual information (title, technique, dimensions) but also the copy number within the run (12/30 for example), the total run, the number of artist proofs and the printing technique used. Without this documentation, an edition copy loses a large part of its value on the secondary market, because the potential buyer cannot verify that the announced run is the actual run.

Editions by Banksy, Shepard Fairey and Kaws are accompanied by extremely detailed certificates that form an essential part of their resale value. A copy with a certificate and a copy without a certificate from the same run can have very different values on the secondary market, simply because the certificate provides the guarantee of authenticity and numbering that the buyer demands.

For digital editions and limited-run photographs, the certificate is the only element that differentiates an original print from a copy. A signed and numbered silver gelatin photograph with a certificate is a work of art. The same image without documentation is one image among thousands. The certificate creates scarcity, scarcity creates value.

Artedusa integrates certificate of authenticity management into the sales process. Every work sold on the platform can be accompanied by its certificate, and the digital documentation of the work is preserved to facilitate future transactions and provenance enquiries. If you want to professionalise the management of your works starting today, artedusa.com is the starting point. Discover artedusa.com.