Faq's

What is an offset reproduction?
An edition?
A limited edition?
What is meant by Signed and numbered?
What is meant by edition size?
What is meant by Open Edition?
What is an artist's proof ?
What is a publisher's proof
What is a lithograph ?
What is a serigraph ?
What is a giclee print ?
What is a poster print ?
What is a remarque ?
How about art for investment ?
How should I care for my art ?
Is one number of a print better than another?
What about canvas reproductions and transfers ?
What is conservation framing ?
What is the secondary market ?

An "Offset Reproduction" is the most common type of limited edition. The original painting is photographed and printing plates are made from the negative. The ink is transferred from the plate to the paper. Basically it is the same as what many people refer to as a "print". A print in artists terms is actually an original graphic. so it is a bit confusing. A "Lithograph"
is an offset reproduction.

What is an Offset Lithograph?
Offset Lithography is the process of taking an original piece of art and separating the colors using a scanner or digital camera which feeds the image directly into a computer. Using this information and utilizing the photo offset printing process the press recreates all the colors in the original artwork. Additional tints or touch plates may be added to produce a print that is an exact match to the original painting.

What is an edition?

An "Edition"refers to the actual number of prints made from the plate. The edition size may be determined by many things. The popularity of the artist, the appeal of the particular artwork. Some artists who are self published will ordinarily publish a certain number of each of his works.

What is a limited edition?

A limited edition is a picture that is one of a pre-determined number of prints of a particular original art.
after the printing of that number, the plates are destroyed and no more are produced in that format. each will have it's own number and a certificate of authenticity. from # 1 to the last one printed it is recognized by looking in the margin or corner of the picture area. you will see 25/500 if your picture is the 25th one in a series of 500 .

What is meant by "signed and numbered" ?

[A "Signed and numbered" print is a print from the edition that was published. It has the signature of the artist. Each print will have its own number. It reads like this 25/1500 .This means that out of 1500 prints that comprise the edition, you have the 25th one that was signed by the artist.

What is meant by Edition Size ?

An Ëdition Size is the actual number of prints that have been published of this
particular picture. The plates are destroyed. The number is then designated by
the number after a forward slash. for instance.. 22/100.

What is an "Open Edition"?

[Often, an artist and publisher will decide to make a picture available to as many who would like to have a copy. There is no predetermined edition size. Sometimes it is a smaller version of one that was previously published as a limited edition print. It may be a vignette, or just a section, often oval shaped, of the original. The format is usually changed, usually by cropping. Sometimes the art will not have been previously published. The paper quality is usually the same as a limited edition print depending on who actually does the printing. An open edition is less expensive. They are often hand signed by the artist and they sometimes eventually go out of print also. When this happens, the open edition may increase in value also.

. What is an "Artists Proof" ?

When the size of the printing has been established, (this may be confusing) actually more will be printed than the number stated on the print. This number varies but is usually small. These prints are given to the artist to do with as he wishes. Often they are sold by the publisher. The quality of the print is the same. If there were 50 prints set aside for the artists proofs, they will be numbered AP 1/50 up to AP 50/50.
An Artist's Proof is a smaller edition of an image that also has a regular edition size. It is usually no more than 10 percen t of the regular edition size. It will be consecutively numbered and be accompanied by a certificate of authenticity.

What is a "Publisher's Proof"?

.[It is about the same as an artist's proof except that the
# of prints designated for this is sold at the discretion of the publisher. ].

What is a lithograph?

This is the same as an offset reproduction. . ]

What is a serigraph?

This is more in the category of original art. There will usually be a significantly smaller edition size. It is done much like a silk screen. layer after layer of paint is applied until it is finished. There is more brilliant color and they have a more "original"
look about them. They are hand pulled. They demand a higher degree of work done by the artist than offset reproductions.W hat is a Serigraph?
Serigraphy utilizes the silk-screen printing process. For each desired color, a stencil is created indicating where the color will be applied. Then the stencil is adhered to a silk or nylon mesh screen, and paint of that color is forced through the screen on to the paper. This process creates a luxurious, vibrant and often-textured image.

More Explanation of this process . ]
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.What is a "Giclee" print?
The term "Iris Giclee" better defines the method used in limited edition reproduction. Giclee is a French term meaning "spraying of ink." Printing directly from information obtained from the original painting, Iris printers spray microscopic drops of color on to a fine art paper or canvas. Displaying the full color spectrum, these artworks have vibrant colors and a velvety texture. This is a sophisticated technique done with a computer and printed with special ink. Much has been said about this process in recent years and stability of inks have been a subject of interest in this type of work. research has been done and new inks have been developed that should make those who were skeptical of this new way of printing more sure of the stability of colors.

giclee (zhee-CLAY) is an individually produced, high-resolution, high-fidelity reproduction done on a
special large format printer. Giclees are produced from digital scans of existing artwork. Also,
since many artists now produce only digital art, there is no "original" that can be hung on a wall.
Giclees solve that problem, while creating a whole new vibrant medium for art.

Giclees can be printed on any number of media, from canvas to watercolor paper to transparent acetates .Giclees are superior to traditional lithography in several ways. The colors are brighter, last longer, and are so high-resolution that they are virtually continuous tone, rather than tiny dots. The range, or "gamut" of color for giclees is far beyond that of lithography.

Lithography uses tiny dots of four colors--cyan, magenta, yellow and black--to fool the eye into seeing various hues and shades. Giclees use inkjet technology, but far more sophisticated than your desktop printer, with lightfast inks and finer, more numerous, replaceable printheads, a wider color gamut, and the ability to use various media to print on.

They are priced midway between original art and regular limited edition lithographs. Limited edition litho prints are usually produced in editions of 500-1000 or more, but giclees rarely exceed 50-100 reproductions.

Handling, Stretching and Framing the Giclée on Canvas Your Giclée on canvas is delicate and intolerant to water and moisture. It should be handled as carefully as you would handle an original watercolor taking special care to avoid any contact with water or mist. Please make certain that your hands are clean, dry and oil-free before touching it. (Perspiration on your hands or fingers will damage the image.) Stretch it firmly keeping your fingers on the border as much as possible. Do not spray or mist the back of the canvas once it has been stretched. As with all fine art reproductions, please hang it in an area that is free from strong light and humidity. Handled properly, your Giclée will provide many years of pleasurable viewing.

.[What is a poster print ?

is a lithograph that is often done to commemorate an event or used as an advertisement.
Old movie posters fall into this category. They have much appeal and are used often in decorating.
The quality of paper used by the publisher varies from publishing house to publishing house. the same is true of the inks used in printing. They are an inexpensive way to decorate, the subject matter in limitless and it is not hard to find one that has particular appeal to nearly everyone. Many works by the "Old Masters" such as Monet, Manet, Renoir, Cassatt, O Keefe, and others are printed as "posters". They are an open edition, although sometimes you will find one that has gone "out of print". ].

.[What is a "remarque"?

A remarque is a small original sketch or painting that is done somewhere in the margin of a limited edition print. Usually an interesting detail from the picture is chosen and used in the remarque. ].

.[How about Art for Investment?

One cannot say that this does not sometimes prove exciting and fruitful. However, it is not unusual to find that a print does not appreciate in value. Buying art for investment is not usually recommended. If a person buys a work of art because he really likes it, it will never be a disappointment. if it is a picture that does indeed go up in value over the years, This is an added benefit.].

.[Care of art

The care of your art is important. In a few words, it should be kept out of direct sunlight and heat. away from dampness and carefully handled. If a print is bought with the idea of reselling it later it needs to be kept in perfect condition. Handling in such away as to avoid any creasing is necessary. When storing, they should be stored flat between acid free board. ].

.[Is one number in an edition better than another?

In original, or hand pulled lithography,
numbers are very important. The plates that reproduce the original art work start to wear down as the edition is printed., making the prints slightly less defined. The lower the number, the clearer the image on the print. Artists test the plates by running a few prints and then carefully them for mistakes. They reserve approximately the first 10 percent of the edition for Artists Proofs (AP's) which cost more than the other prints in the edition because of their sharper quality. It is different with offset lithography. Usually less than 10% of an edition size is set aside for AP's. so, they are more limited than the rest of the edition. An AP will have an "AP" written beside the print number. "artists proof is sometimes written out. the offset printing process, however, is such that print number one should be exactly the same as print number 1000, with absolutely no difference in quality. It is an interesting feature to have # 1 in an edition, or the last number, or to have the same numbers in a set or a series of pictures. it may or not add additional value to your collection. Back to Top

.[About Canvas reproductions and transfers.
Actually, prints on canvas have been around for some time. The technique has been
improved and adds exciting possibilities to those who love art and are involved in interior decorating. There are advantages. First, the resemblance to the original art. This is not to say it is like the original. just that it has many features of original art that makes it advantageous. Most impressionistic work, for instance, is done with oils and acrylics on canvas. stretched on stretcher bars or on masonite. No glass is used in the framing. In a canvas transfer or a picture directly printed on canvas, It is stretched onto a stretcher bar and framed similar to the way the particular art was intended
to be framed. Without Glass.

Not needing the glass means that you will not have the glare associated with a framed work under glass.You can get non glare glass and special glass that is very expensive (that may help).. Non glare glass in some instances is good, but it has its own problems. Mainly a frosty haze. The larger the picture, the better some art is on canvas.

Canvas is durable. and can be carefully cleaned. Most will have an ultraviolet filtering quality in the coating which helps prevent fading. Some artists enhance the canvas by painting over it, giving it highlights and making it a bit more special.

There are different techniques used for applying the picture to the canvas.. Some are printed directly onto the canvas. With some, the print is first removed from the paper and transferred to a canvas that has been coated with a substrate. Then a layer of an acrylic substance is applied and special effects like brush strokes or crackling can be used. Serigraphs are often done on canvas. these are a wonderful addition to the choices we have in selecting fine art.

There is some art that would not be as appropriate on canvas. This would include watercolors, pastels,
and pictures that the artist would originally frame under glass. ].

.[What is conservation framing
With time, you may notice changes in a picture after it has been framed. There may be a shift in color, a tendency toward brittleness and discoloration of a picture. If you have pictures from the past hanging on your wall. you may find that this is certainly true. In the past, the materials used in framing was much different than it is today. This may still be true today in some instances, where less expensive items aresold, and cost cutting is important.

Corrugated cardboard is acidic and is sometimes used in the backing of a picture.Paper matting is sometimes used .In the past few years it has been a buffered paper . This is much betterthan what was previously used, It still has not stood the test of time.

If you are concerned about maintaining the quality of the item you are framing. Conservation framing is definitely recommended.

In conservation framing, all acidic materials are not used. This includes matting, backing, adhesives and tapes. Scotch tapes and masking tapes are among the worst enemies of valuable paper items.

Museum, or conservation framing is done with lignin, alum, acids and other impurities. 100% rag matting is most generally used. Conservation glass filters 95% of light and is used to help prevent any fading.].

.[What is the Secondary Market?
Secondary Market is one source for obtaining prints or canvases after the edition is sold out from the publisher. The value and availability are based upon supply and demand. The secondary market can be extremely unpredictable as price is determined by the value of the print to the individual consumer and may differ from one geographic area to another.

Will Limited Editions Increase in Value?
The value of a limited edition print is unpredictable and based upon the public's demand for this image. Since it is a limited edition and only so many prints will be sold, when the print is sold out the value may increase if additional people desire to purchase it. Limited editions and all other art work should be purchased because you love it and want to enjoy it everyday. If a print increases in value, then you have an added bonus.].