Here is my generic label:
  Artist's name, address, telephone number, and email address
  Title of the painting, year, size in cm and in.
  Substrate (brand name), ground (brand name), paint layers (brand name)
  Surface finish desired, surface coating (brand name)

Care:
  Keep out of direct sunlight.  Ideal environment is 70 F and 45%RH =/- 5%.
  Do not touch the surface; framing behind glass is recommended.
  Dust once a month when on display:  use a large SOFT brush, and work from the top down.
  Rotate off display every six months.
  Store in a cool, dark, dry space.  Do not seal into plastic wrapping.
  If shipping, crate heavily and tape glass (or replace with acrylic glazing).  Do not ship in cold weather.
  Technical problems?  Contact the artist first.  The artist warrants the work against defects in craftsmanship, but cannot guarantee the quality of the materials used.  Failed paintings, if due to the artist's faulty craftsmanship, will be replaced in kind.  Any other failures will require examination by a conservator to determine cause.

i do attach a small piece of paper with info about polishing the painting with a soft cloth to keep the suface free of the haze or dusty appearance, plus general care insturctions.  i also include my email address in case the buyer has questions.

I usually avoid glassing an encaustic piece as if it is mistakenly hung in direct sunlight, the space between painting and glass can heat up dramatically causing the painting to melt and shift. We have heard some terrible stories from a few of our customers who have had this happen. Because the paints have damar resin in the formula, the mix cures and hardens over time making the paint less vulnerable to damage. It's like varnishing the painting from within...so it doesn't need glass.

The care instruction should include: keep out of direct sun light and keep at normal  room temperatures. Avoid freezing and extremely hot temperatures. The wax paints melt and run at 162 F.

The other info can be as detailed as you like.

Another thing I like to tell people about is buffing. When the painting is "young" or recently finished, it has not yet had time to cure and harden. It will therefore go back to a matte looking surface after buffing the first few times. As time goes by and the mixture has had a chance to cure and harden, (could take up to 6 months) it will keep it's buffed polished look. At this point, it also sheds dust and dirt more readily.

Hope this helps too.

Cynth

Hello Angela,

I believe that buffing can help to hasten the hardening of the encaustic, but is does not actually protect the painting - it is still vulnerable to temperature change.  Buffing the surface is an option, not a requirement.  Many artists do not fuse their paintings to a smooth finish, and are not interested in having a shiny surface - some even prefer to scuff the encaustic so that it has a matte finish.  If your painting is textural you can use a soft brush quite effectively to keep dust from accumulating.

Hope this is helpful,
Laura