Wide Format Imaging

At a time when counterfeiters can easily mass-reproduce a photographer's work, the ability to certify that a print is original and authentic-and will last a lifetime-is critical. But until recently, this was a time-consuming process for the artist, buyer and gallery owner, and the result wasn't always reliable.

To help give artists a better way to certify their fine art prints, Paris-based Galerie Vu turned to ARTtrust, a new self-certification system that puts inventory control back into the hands of artists. Developed jointly by Prooftag and HP and endorsed by Wilhelm Imaging Research, ARTtrust is a system of non-removable physical tags that are verifiable online.

By using ARTtrust tags on prints produced on HP Professional Photo Printers, Galerie Vu can easily provide art collectors with traceability and proof of authenticity, as well as certified information about print longevity.

"ARTtrust is easy and fast," said Xavier Soule, owner of Galerie Vu. "When you sell a product to a collector, you need to prove that it is what you say it is. An ARTtrust tag on an HP print is one of the easiest ways to do that."

The result is increased buyer confidence: Collectors can quickly get certified information about the identity and value of their prints. The ARTtrust system works with any pigment print produced on an HP Designjet printer with HP Vivera Pigment inks on compatible media.