There are a few questions I constantly receive, and one of the most common is how to label artworks in an exhibition. The truth is there is no single standard format, though most art labels include the same key elements. Below we dive into each element included on artwork labels. You can also skip ahead to see more examples of artwork labels.
Below, the components of artwork labels them are focused on wall labels. These are often hung next to artwork on a gallery wall. They are meant to inform the viewer about the work. However, art labels that are placed on the back of artworks are essentially the same format. If you are looking to label your artwork by affixing a label to it, the same information will be applicable to you. The main difference would be that usually, if you are attaching a label to the back of your art, you would not include the price.
The most standard information included on artwork labels is:
This one is pretty straightforward! In many museums and some galleries, the name may also be followed by birth and death dates.
For a living artist, you would see their year of birth.
Yoko Ono (b. )
For a deceased artist, you would see their year of birth and year of death.
Frida Kahlo (&#;)
Depending on your preference, the title of the artwork can be plain, in italics, or bolded. Italics are often used to differentiate the title from the rest of the information, as well referencing english grammar rules for titles. The title could also be in bold as a different method of differentiating it from the remainder of the information.
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Generally, the date of an artwork is the year that it was completed. Sometimes, if a work has been continued over a long span of time and the artist would like to acknowledge that, multiple years can be included (for example, -). If the date of the artwork is unknown (usually for historical works), &#;circa&#; is included: for example, c. .
The measurement of an artwork usually refers to the outer size of the canvas, paper, or other material that is the base of an artwork. Unless the frame is an integral part of the work itself, its measurements should not be considered the size of the artwork. The standard is to list the height, then the width. The depth, if applicable, would be listed third. For example, 57 x 46 x 3 inches. Sometimes, there is no specific dimensions for a work (for example, video work, or work which changes size depending on different installation circumstances). In the case of no specific dimensions, it is appropriate to list dimensions variable.
4.a The duration of the artwork
For durational artworks such as video or audio, this format is often used to list their duration: 00:00:00 (hours, minutes, seconds). You can also simply list 1 hour, two minutes, or however long your work is. It is not absolutely necessary to list the duration of work, however works of this nature are often catalogued in this manner.
This seems straightforward, although sometimes it can be difficult to decide what should be listed and what should be left out. It is really the artist&#;s choice how detailed they would like to be. For example, you can list your medium as simply as possible (for example, oil on linen). You can include more detail, if you feel it is integral to the work (for example, gel medium, tea, sand, dirt, grass on found canvas).
Should you be selling your work and you would like to include a price on your label, place it at the bottom. If the work is not for sale, you can leave this area blank. If the work is loaned, this is where you would credit the lender. For example, Courtesy of Cleopatra.
Museums or larger establishments showing artists of historical significance often list further information on their labels. This could be the museum&#;s own cataloguing number for the work, and/or a credit to the donor of the work if applicable.
Planning to sell your artwork over ? Presentation and professionalism matters! Check out our templates for managing and emailing your available artworks.
For a loaned artwork:
Roy Lichenstein
Whaam!
Acrylic and oil paint on canvas
68 x 160 inches
Courtesy of the Tate Museum
For an artwork for sale:
Paul Cézanne
The Card Players
-
Oil on canvas
38 x 51 inches
$259,000.00
For a durational artwork:
Joan Jonas
Double Lunar Dogs
24 minutes
Courtesy of MoMA
Bruce Nauman
Think
Two color video monitors, two laser disc players, two laser discs (color, sound), and metal table
Dimensions variable
Courtesy of MoMA
The original post on this subject How to Label Artworks in an Exhibition includes tips and ideas for physically creating your art labels.
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Learn how to create pretty, custom labels in Microsoft Word that can be printed in just about any shape, size, or color scheme!
This post contains affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosures here.
I must admit, I am just a teensy bit obsessed with labels. I put them on just about everything in our house. They&#;re perfect for getting organized, helping the boys find what they need, and adding a pretty touch to a basket or gift.
If I&#;m making labels with adhesive vinyl, I typically use my Cricut cutting machine. When it comes to creating pretty paper labels, though, I can&#;t help but head back to my old stand by, Microsoft Word, for all of my label-making needs.
Word is great because it&#;s super-simple to use. And almost everybody has it, so it&#;s really easy to and share projects. I&#;m sure there are about a million ways to create pretty labels in Microsoft Word, but here is my tried-and-true method.
Beginning with a blank document, click on the &#;Insert&#; tab, select &#;Shapes,&#; and choose the desired shape for your label. I picked the circle.
Once you&#;ve drawn your shape to your desired size (I chose 2.5&#; x 2.5&#;.), you&#;ll want to make it look pretty! I usually like to make the outline of my shape a little thicker so that it is well defined when I print it out.
To do that, go to the &#;Format&#; tab, and under the &#;Shape Outline&#; drop down, you will see &#;Weight.&#; I chose 3 pt; you can make yours thinner or thicker depending on your preference.
You can also change the color of your outline in the &#;Shape Outline&#; drop down. I picked dark red.
While we&#;re changing colors, let&#;s go ahead and change our fill color as well. Right above &#;Shape Outline,&#; you&#;ll see the &#;Shape Fill&#; option. You have a few choices here. You can fill your shape with a solid color.
Or you may want to put a design inside your shape. By choosing the &#;Picture&#; option from the &#;Shape Fill&#; drop down, you can use any picture file on your computer as your shape&#;s background.
You can also play with the &#;Gradient&#; and &#;Texture&#; options until you find the background of your choice.
I think it always looks nice to add a second layer to your label. You get to have a fun color or pattern in the background, but you also get a clean white surface for your wording. To add a layer, you&#;ll go through a similar process: choose your shape (&#;Insert&#; tab, &#;Shapes&#; button), and size it correctly. I did 2&#; x 2&#;.
Then adjust your outline width and outline and fill colors. I went with the 3 pt dark red outline again, and I chose to keep the fill color white, but you could always pick a color.
To do this, you&#;ll want to go to the &#;Insert&#; tab and select &#;Text Box.&#; Choose the &#;Draw Text Box&#; option at the bottom of the drop down menu.
Draw your text box over your existing shape. Then, so the text box doesn&#;t block the beautiful label you&#;ve made, you&#;ll want to make it transparent. With the text box selected, go to the &#;Text Box&#; tab, and under &#;Shape Fill&#; choose &#;No Fill.&#; You will also want to choose &#;No Fill&#; for the &#;Shape Outline.&#;
Once your text box is transparent, you&#;re ready to type. Add your words, and change the size, font, and alignment like you would in a regular Word document. You can also play with color! I used a 36 pt font called &#;Juice ITC&#; in dark blue.
The last thing I like to do when I get the label the way I want it is to group it together. This allows me to move it around the page as one unit rather than trying to move each piece individually.
To use the group feature, hold down the &#;Ctrl&#; key on a Windows computer or &#;Command&#; on Mac and click on each element of your label so they are all selected.
Next you&#;ll want to right click on your selection and under &#;Grouping&#; choose &#;Group.&#;
TA-DA! Your label is now one cohesive unit! You can move it around the page, copy and paste it, change the text, go crazy with it!
Now for all you overachievers out there&#;
Another fun thing to play with is the outline style. I&#;ll start out with the same white circle with a dark red outline, but instead of using a colored background, I&#;ll add interest with the second layer.
For the &#;Shape Outline&#; of the inner circle, go down to &#;Dashes.&#; You will be able to choose dots (as I did), squares, dashed lines, etc. Just another cute dimension to add to your labels!
Though fancy programs and machines can be really great, it is possible to make pretty labels just using Microsoft Word. In my opinion, it is the simplest program to navigate, and it still gives beautiful, fully-custom results.
After you&#;ve created your cute labels, what&#;s next? I typically print mine out (with my home ink jet printer) on white card stock so that they&#;re sturdy, and then cut them out by hand.
If my labels are going to be in a higher traffic area, I&#;ll laminate them to protect them a little bit more. Laminated or not, I typically just attach my labels with tape or velcro dots.
I have used this laminator for years, and it is always my go-to when I want to make my labels or other printables a little sturdier.
If you want to use a label that is more like a sticker, Avery has many templates for their stickers. You would simply head to their website, find the template that matches the stickers that you purchased (you can search by the number on the pack), download the template, and create your design within the guides they provide.
And just for fun, I&#;ve included a page of simple printable labels to get you started. Happy labeling!
Instead of making the labels from scratch, Microsoft Word also offers templates. In a new document, go to &#;Mailings&#; then click &#;Labels&#;. From here, click options to choose the paper size or material.
Using the mail merge tool is a great option when creating address labels.
Label stickers can be created using this same method. The only difference is that instead of using card stock, they will be printed on a sticker sheet.
When going with pre-cut sticker sheets such as Avery, use the template method so that everything lines up correctly when time to print.
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What is your favorite way to make labels?
This post contains affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosures here.
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