Artist Proof prints...A/P
Common practice is that 10 to 15 percent of an edition is reserved for the artist. These proofs are identical to impressions in the
edition in most instances. Print Marking example; A/P "1/35" is the first print of an edition of 35 Artist Proof impressions.
Acid Free
The print contains no harmful acid or alkaline that may affect the life of the paper or quality of the image printed.
Certificate of Authenticity
A document issued with limited edition prints, with the print published date, size of the image, original art media, number of the prints in the
edition, a statement about the work from the artist and the fact that the plates have been or will be destroyed to close the edition.
Certificate Examples
Etching
An image created by the artist on a metal plate by means of engraving tools and acid.
This produces the sunken line which will receive the ink. As the plate is inked, the ink settles in the sunken areas. The plate is then wiped clean.
The plate, in contact with damp paper is passed through a roller press, and the paper is forced into the sunken area to receive the ink.
Giclee
A fine art print that has become more precise with the advent of the revolutionary printing process Giclee (zhee-clay) a French term meaning "spray of ink."
In the Giclee process, a fine stream of ink (more than four millions droplets per second) is sprayed onto archival art paper or canvas. Each piece of paper
or canvas is carefully hand mounted onto a drum which rotates during printing. Exact calculation of hue, value and density direct the ink from four nozzles.
This produces a combination of 512 chromatic changes (with over three million colors possible) of highly saturated, non-toxic water-based ink. Since no screens
are used in Giclee printing, the prints have a higher resolution than lithographs and the dynamic color range is greater than serigraphs.
Hors de Commerce...H/C
Hors de Commerce (Not for trade) traditionally were the graphics pulled with the regular edition but marked by the artist for business use only. These graphics
were used for entering shows, exhibits, samples, etc. Today, however, since people began to acquire and collect them, these graphics now generally find their way
to the market place through regular channels and are sold. Example H/C 1/10
Limited Edition Prints...L/E
A fixed number of identical prints of an image, signed by the artist, sequentially numbered, and showing both the
print's number and the total edition size. Each print is referred to as a "limited edition print."
Lithograph
A print produced by a printing process in which the image to be printed is rendered on a flat sheet or metal plate or stone, and treated to retain ink while
the non-image areas are treated to repel ink.
Medium
Medium is the material or technical means of artistic expression. Examples include oils, watercolors, acrylics, ink, pencil and charcoal.
Technical examples include lithography, serigraphy and giclee. Mixed media is the use of two or more materials and/or technical means.
Open Edition
The quantity of prints reproduced is not limited. As long as the image is in demand, it will be reprinted.
Offset print
A reproduction printed on a machine press.
Printers Proof...P/P
Common practice by many printers is that a small number of impressions are made for their review. These proofs are marketed and are identical impressions
to the edition in most instances. Print Marking example; P/P "1/20" is the first print of an edition of 20 Printers Proof impressions.
Remarque...rem
A current practice by some artist is the addition of a small personalized drawing or painting on the graphic. A print of this type is called a Remarques.
Remarque Examples
Serigraph
A print made by the silk-screen process involving the use of stencils. Paint is applied to a fabric screen, penetrating areas not blocked by a stencil.
Several stencils are used to produce a multicolored print. As a commercial medium, silk-screen printing has been used by such modern artists as William Tolliver.
Signed and Numbered
Prints that are authenticated with the artists signature, the total number of impressions in the edition, and the order in which impression is signed.
Numbering example; L/E "5/350, indicates the fifth print of a limited edition of 350 impressions.
