How to Make a Wall Label for Beginners and Experienced Artists

There is no universal standard for what a wall label should look like, or the information that it should contain. Art galleries and museums will have their own stylistic preferences. However, here is what a typical wall label may look like if you are making your own:

​Label dimensions: 3” horizontal by 2” vertical
Font: New Time Roman, or Arial, or Aptos
Font size: 11 point

Here are the items your wall label must contain:

Title:
Artist:
Dimensions:
Medium:
Price:
Contact info:

About the Title
If your painting is from your own reference photo, then you can title it whatever you wish.
However, if your painting is a copy of someone else's painting that was found online, then it is not an entirely original work of yours because you are copying somebody else's work. In that case, your title should say:
"This is a copy of a painting found online, artist unknown.”

If you do know who the original artist is, then for the title you would say:
"This is a  copy of a [Artist name here] painting"

Dimensions
Indicate the width first. The dimension is for the artwork only and does not include the frame.

Medium
Oil on canvas. Or Oil on board. Or whatever the medium is.

Price
You can have any price you want. There is no universal standard. But naturally, if you are new to painting you would price your work on the lower side. 

If your painting is a copy of another artist’s work, you must put ‘NFS’ for the price. Because it is unethical to sell a painting that is a copy of another artist work. NFS means Not For Sale.

Your Contact Information
If you would like to be contacted about questions or for a possible sale, you must put your email address on the label. However, if you do not want to make your email address public then do not put it on the wall label.

Printing Your Wall Label
After printing your wall labels, draw a 2" x 3" box around it, then carefully cut it out with a blade or scissors. Make sure the cut lines are straight and cut carefully. You want your label to look professional.

Back of Painting Information
All of the information on your wall label, except for price, must also be permanently applied to the back of your painting. That way, people hanging your artwork can associate the information on your wall label with its specific painting. Do not use a felt tip pen to write on the back of a canvas because, over time, it may leach through to the front of the painting. I typically use a soft lead pencil. Write legibly, clearly, and dark enough so no one has to struggle to read it. The price is never included on the back of your painting because it can change.