Inventory numbering is an optional way to tag each artwork with your own reference ID, the kind of code a gallery, studio or private collection uses on labels, invoices and shipping paperwork (e.g. PTG-007, SCULP-014, 2026-001).
Every inventory number has two parts, and both are optional:
- Prefix, a short label you define, such as
PTG, DRW, or 2026
- Number, digits only, padded to at least three digits when displayed, so
7 shows as 007 and 1500 stays 1500
You can leave both blank, use a number on its own, or use both together. The displayed result is eitherPTG-007or just 007. A prefix without a number isn’t shown anywhere.
Adding a number to an artwork
On the artwork create or edit form, look for the Inventory # section (with a small info tooltip). It has two side-by-side inputs:
- A Prefix dropdown
- A Number input
Once set, the number appears under the artist and title on artwork cards and rows, in the metadata on the artwork page, and as both a sort option and a filter in the Artworks list.
Working with prefixes
Click the Prefix field to see every prefix you have used in the current collection, listed alphabetically. To create a new one, start typing. If the name does not match anything you have used before, an option to create it appears at the bottom of the list. Selecting it saves the prefix and applies it to the artwork you are editing.
Matching ignores capitalisation, so typing drawing when Drawing already exists reuses the existing prefix rather than creating a near-duplicate.
Each prefix has a menu with Rename and Delete:
- Renaming updates the prefix on every artwork that uses it. You cannot rename a prefix to a name already in use.
- Deleting removes the prefix from any artworks that use it and takes it out of your suggestions. The numbers themselves are kept, only the prefix label goes.
To clear the prefix on a single artwork without deleting it everywhere, click the X inside the Prefix field.
Prefixes belong to the collection they were created in, so switching collections shows a different list.
The number field
The Number field accepts digits only. Anything else you type is ignored. When you leave the field, the value is padded to at least three digits (7 → 007, 12 → 012, 1500 → 1500).
Whenever you change the prefix, Artopia suggests the next available number for it: the highest number currently in use for that prefix, plus one. If the prefix is new, it starts at001 .
Changing the prefix on an artwork that already has a number replaces that number with a new suggestion, and clearing the prefix clears the number too. The suggestion is only a starting point, so you can always type your own.
“This inventory number is already in use.”
It is a reminder rather than a block. Artopia does not enforce unique numbers, and you can save either way.
Finding artworks by inventory number
In the Artworks list, sort by Inventory # to order works by prefix alphabetically, then by number. Artworks with no inventory number at all come last.
To filter, open Filter by and choose Inventory #. You can search your prefixes, select several at once, and use the No prefix option to find works without one. Active filters appear as chips at the top of the list. Filtering by a specific number or range is not supported, only by prefix.
Transfers
When you transfer an artwork to another Artopia user, their copy arrives with no prefix and no number, so they can apply their own scheme. Choosing a prefix in their collection triggers the usual suggestion. Your own artwork keeps its inventory number.
Tips
- Year-based prefixes (
2026-, 2027-) show at a glance when a work entered the collection.
- Medium-based prefixes (
PTG- for paintings, DRW- for drawings, SCULP- for sculpture) group similar works together when sorting.
- Padding keeps the sort order clean.
PTG-002 comes before PTG-010, which wouldn’t happen with 2 and 10.
- There is no dedicated “Inventory settings” page. Creating, renaming, and deleting prefixes all happen inline from the Prefix dropdown on any artwork form.
