Signing Photographs

I'm always at a loss on how to sign my photographs. Some photographers sign the actual picture while others sign on the mat. There's the fact that by signing the mat, the signature will be lost if the customer re-mats/frames. But how often does a buyer re-mat?

The guy who used to frame my drawings was adamant about NOT signing the mats! However, at a recent show, what caught my attention was that those pictures with the signatures on the mats stood out. The viewer immediately knew who the photographer was and the title of the piece if the photographer chose to put the title. If done tastefully, the signature does not take away from the pictures.

I actually liked how the mat signing looked. 

So, am I going to start signing on the mat? I don't know, maybe. Done in pencil, it could always be erased if the buyer didn't like it. I still have my information on the back. 

And that brings up another issue for the pictures matted, but not framed. I always put contact/photographer info on sticky address labels and attach them to the back along with a little bit about the photo itself. Customers enjoy reading what I write and it’s usually short. The problem comes when the buyer frames the photo. My info is then lost.  

I am considering printing a double set of labels; one to attach and one to put inside the envelope for when the buyer frames the picture. 

There are so many decisions to make!