The guides are practical texts for anyone who works with art: how to document an artwork, what to review before signing with a gallery, when an artwork ceases to be protected. They differ from the articles in the Public Notebook in their function. The Notebook analyses and interprets; the guides explain how to do something and which rules, data or documents each step relies on. That is why they are updated when what underpins them changes, and each one shows the date it was last checked.
Verified means that on that date I checked every fact, rule and link against its primary source. Reviewed means that I re-read and updated the text without repeating that full check. When only Updated appears, the date corresponds to the last edit.
The guides offer general information. They do not constitute individualised legal, tax or professional advice: for a specific case, consult a qualified professional.
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Featured resource
Master artwork record
An open-format template for keeping a consistent inventory of your work from the studio onwards. The ODS workbook brings together four sheets: master record, restricted data, gallery deposit and key. It includes validations, filters, frozen headers and an example row.
The gallery deposit sheet fills in the title automatically from the inventory number. It is a record of the works delivered, not a contract. Terms of custody, insurance, sale, commission and return must be agreed separately.
The restricted data sheet contains personal, financial and location information. It must not be published, nor shared together with the general record.
The ODS is the main resource. The CSV files let you import the master record, the restricted data and the gallery deposit record separately.
The guides are currently searched and indexed in Spanish.
35 guides
An image licence does not always cover the work depicted
Paying a stock image library for a photograph does not always authorise you to use what appears in it. The layers of rights in an image and what to check before publishing.
Reviewed on 1 October 2026
- copyright
- digital infrastructure
- art market
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Artist name, domain and trade mark
The name you sign with, the domain of your website and a registered trade mark are three different instruments. What each one protects and when it may make sense to register it.
Verified on 1 October 2026
- copyright
- digital infrastructure
- art market
Read the guide:Read the guide
Commissioning an artwork
Commissioning an artwork, or accepting a commission, works best with a written agreement. What it should say about the work, deadlines, price, changes and rights.
Verified on 1 October 2026
- art collecting
- copyright
- artwork documentation
Read the guide:Read the guide
My work has been copied: how to document it and the available avenues
What to do if you find a copy of your work: how to preserve evidence, check the rights involved and choose between direct contact, the platform, the administrative route or legal action.
Verified on 28 September 2026
- copyright
- cultural work
Read the guide:Read the guide
How to authorise the reproduction of a work
What an authorisation should specify when the image of a work is used in a catalogue, in the press, on a website, in advertising or on a product.
Verified on 28 September 2026
- copyright
- cultural work
Read the guide:Read the guide
Corrections and contributions
If you find an error, outdated information or a better source, please write to me via the contact page. I correct confirmed errors and update the date of the affected guide.