What Is A Print

PRINTMAKING WHAT IS A PRINT? Printmaking is one of the most misunderstood of the art mediums. Prints, originals and reproductions are confusing terms for artists as well as for collectors and patrons of the arts. So, what is a print? Photographs, posters, etchings and multiple others are referred to as prints. In simple terms of printmaking we will... limit our definition of a print being a sheet of paper on which an image has been imprinted from a matrix created from some material like metal, wood, screen or stone. An original print is typically a piece of artwork made by an artist/printmaker who, 1) conceives an image, 2) creates the matrix (or directly oversees its creation) which will print that image, and 3) has orchestrated the process through to the final print. Original prints are then often editioned, signed, numbered, and may contain different types of labels and marks on each print. The artist decides the total number of prints that will be included in the full edition of that print. Each of the prints are numbered in relation to that total quantity (first of 50 total prints, second of 50 total, through to the fiftieth of 50 total and is written 1/50, 2/5050/50) There are many prints that are created during this entire process that are not destroyed and are kept by the artist, printer or are sold as part of the total edition. These include: color proofs, state proofs, artist proofs, printers proofs, hors commerce, bon à tirer, and many others. There are many stages (states, proofs) in the creation of an edition, but the print labeled bon à tirer (B.A.T) is the final version. The artist labels it B.A.T and this print becomes the standard against which the entire edition is matched. There is every attempt to make EACH print of the edition look exactly like the B.A.T., however, because this is a hand-made process, slight variations will occur. Fuller explanations may be found in the myriad of books, websites, and other abundant resources (see our resource list below). Reproductions were usually created ...Read More