Free tool
Free certificate of authenticity generator
Fill in the work details below and print a clean certificate of authenticity. Everything runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded or stored. For editions, generate one certificate per numbered copy.
What a COA must contain
A useful certificate identifies the work beyond doubt: artist, exact title, year, medium, dimensions, and for multiples the edition number and run size. It then states who certifies it, with a dated signature. Vague certificates ("a painting by the artist") are worth the paper.
For editioned works the certificate should match the numbering scheme exactly; the edition calculator plans runs with proofs included.
Who signs, and when
The artist signs for primary-market works; the gallery or estate signs where it is the authorised issuer. Issue the certificate at the sale, not on request years later, and keep a copy with the work record. The cataloguing guide covers documentation standards more broadly.
Certificates that stay with the work
A printed COA in a drawer helps nobody in a resale. In Art.industries, certificate records attach to the work (and to the specific edition copy), so the document travels with provenance, condition history, and the eventual invoice.
FAQ
- Is the generator really private?
- Yes. The form renders the certificate in your browser and prints it locally. No field is sent to a server, stored, or logged.
- Does a COA prove authenticity?
- It documents a claim by its signer. Its value equals the signer's authority: the artist, the estate, or the authorised gallery. It complements provenance records; it does not replace them.
- What should I write for edition works?
- The copy number exactly as numbered, e.g. "4/20" or "AP 2/2", matching the work's edition plan. One certificate per copy.
- Can I add a logo or letterhead?
- Print onto your gallery letterhead, or print to PDF and place it in your stationery template. The layout leaves the top margin clear for it.
- How do galleries manage COAs at scale?
- As records attached to works rather than loose files: see art inventory software. Each certificate stays linked to the work, the copy, and the sale.
More free tools
Keep certificates on the work record
Catalogue the work on free Core and attach the certificate. Provenance, condition, and documents stay together for the life of the work.