Frequently Asked Questions about Prints and Posters

What Are Offset Reproductions?
An "Offset Reproduction" is the most common type of fine art print. Also known as "offset lithographs," the process begins with the original painting being either scanned directly on a flatbed scanner, or photographed. If photographed, the transparency is scanned. Both methods result in a digital file. The image file is separated into 4 negatives; red, blue, yellow, and black. A dot pattern is used to keep the colors separated (which is visible under a magnifying glass in the final print). From the negatives, special light sensitive plates are created or “burned” for each color. The plates are fastened to drums on a printing press and partially submerged in the corresponding ink color. The inks are rolled onto the sheets of paper as they’re fed through the press. The majority of printing is done this way and is what most people refer to as "prints." An offset lithograph is an entirely mechanical process.

What Is A Signed & Numbered Limited Edition Print?
A "signed and numbered limited edition print” is a print from an edition that was published and individually signed by the artist. The number of prints is determined by the artist and/or the publisher. Each print will have its own number. If you owned a print that was numbered 50/1200, this means that out of 1200 prints that comprise the edition, you have the 50th one that was signed by the artist. The quality of paper and inks used for a limited edition is usually quite high (as compared to a “poster”) – a semi-coated, cover weight stock is typical, and often a final varnish is added to the print as well.

What Is An Open Edition Print?
Often, an artist or publisher will decide to make an image available to the public in unlimited quantities. There is no predetermined edition size. Occasionally, it is a smaller sized version of one that was previously published as a limited edition print. Most often, the art will not have been previously published.
The paper and inks used are usually of lesser quality than those used for limited editions, and the artist neither signs nor numbers the prints. As a result open edition prints are far less expensive.

What Is A Poster?
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. 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 and the subject matter is limitless. Many works by the "Old Masters" such as Monet, Manet, Renoir, Cassatt, O Keefe, and others are often printed as "posters." They are open editions, although sometimes you will find one that has gone "out of print."

What is a Giclee print?

A Giclee (Pron: zhee–clay) is a new technology in print making. Giclees are made with large format high end professional inkjet printers. Giclee is a French word meaning “to spray”; Instead of being “pressed onto” the surface of the paper as in traditional offset printing, these inks are sprayed through fine nozzles that give the resulting prints a far richer look that more closely resembles an original painting. Thousands of dots are sprayed in a fine mist on the paper or canvas. Giclee prints from high end professional printers produce a fineness of detail and a richness of color that is unavailable in traditional prints. The image has all the tonalities and hues of the original painting.Much has been said about this process in recent years, particularly in regard to the longevity of the inks used. However, newly developed inks have been tested to show a “life” of 70 to 100 years eliminating much of the concern over this issue.

The inkjet printing process has the advantage over offset printing in that the printing surface can vary from water color paper to canvas. Canvas prints are becoming more and more common these days, and at first (and sometimes the last ) glance, they can rival an original painting. Each print may also be “hand-embellished” by the artist (brushing paint onto the print surface), making each print even more unique and valuable.

What is a Canvas Edition?
A Canvas Edition is a process which lifts a printed image off of a paper support so that it can be transferred to a canvas mount.  These prints are applied with heat and are very durable and lightfast.  They have a matte finish. 

What is an Artist Proof?

Artist's Proofs (APs) are a number of prints taken off of the press at the beginning of a print run. The total number of APs is an arbitrary quantity determined by the artist and/or the publisher. There is no difference in print size or quality between an AP and any other print from the actual edition. A typical number of APs might be 50, and would be signed with an "AP 1/50" and the artist's signature. APs are often the property of the artist and are often priced slightly higher than a print from the regular number edition. Some collectors prefer AP's because they consider them a separate, small edition, but in actuality, they’re not.