Prints are how most people start collecting real art. They're original works of art, often made by artists whose paintings cost ten times as much, and they come with a vocabulary that can feel designed to confuse. Here's a field guide.
First, what counts as an original print?
An original print is an artwork conceived for the printmaking process: a woodcut, linocut, etching, lithograph, screenprint, monotype or collagraph. The artist (or a printer working closely with them) creates the matrix and pulls the impressions. Each print is an original, even though there are several.
A reproduction is a photographic copy of an artwork that exists in another form, typically a painting. Offset posters and most giclées are reproductions. They aren't bad, but they're a different thing at a different price.
The dos
- Do ask how it was made. Artists love this question. "Is this an etching or a reproduction of one?" is perfectly polite.
- Do look closely. Etchings have a plate mark, a bevelled dent in the paper around the image. Relief prints show ink sitting on the surface, sometimes with a slight emboss on the back. Under a loupe, inkjet and offset reproductions dissolve into tiny regular dots.
- Do read the margin. Hand-pulled prints are normally signed and numbered in pencil, not ink, below the image.
- Do buy what you'll live with. Investment value is unpredictable. Daily pleasure isn't.
- Do keep the paperwork. A receipt, a certificate or even an email describing the work and edition helps with insurance, resale and your own records.
The don'ts
- Don't pay original-print prices for a "limited edition" reproduction. A signature on a poster doesn't make it an etching.
- Don't fixate on low edition numbers. In a properly printed hand-pulled edition, 1/30 and 27/30 are equivalent.
- Don't frame with ordinary mat board or tape. Acidic board browns paper. Ask for acid-free or rag mats and hinges, and UV-filtering glazing.
- Don't hang works on paper in direct sun, above radiators or in bathrooms. Light fading is permanent.
- Don't trim margins. Wide paper margins are part of the work, and cutting them can halve a print's value.
Reading an edition
| Marking | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 7/25 | Seventh impression of an edition of 25 |
| A/P or E.A. | Artist's proof (épreuve d'artiste), outside the edition |
| T/P or trial proof | A working proof pulled while the image was still being developed, often unique |
| B.A.T. | Bon à tirer, "good to pull": the approved proof the edition is matched to |
| Monotype / 1/1 | A unique print; only one exists |
| V.E. | Variable edition: same matrix, deliberately different inking or color |
Where to start
Studio open days, art walks and university print sales are the best places to meet printmakers and see work in person. In southern Arizona, a Bisbee gallery walk is a fine introduction. Before you buy, read our notes on affordable originals vs. giclées, and when it comes home, hang it at the right height.
Questions
What does 12/50 mean on a print?
It is the twelfth impression of an edition limited to fifty. Lower numbers aren't inherently more valuable for hand-pulled prints, because every impression in a good edition should match.
What is an artist's proof (A/P)?
An impression set aside for the artist outside the numbered edition, usually no more than about 10% of the edition size. They're legitimate originals and often priced a little higher.
Is a giclée an original print?
A giclée is an inkjet reproduction. It can be a lovely object, but it reproduces an artwork made in another medium rather than being one in its own right. Collect it knowing that.