By Mandy Conidaris
What is an original print?
Printmaking is the only fine art medium that can create identical multiples of a single image. The work of the artist takes place on a matrix – etching or scratching a copper plate, drawing on a litho stone, cutting into a block of wood or slice of linoleum, or making up positives for a screenprint. The resulting matrix is inked and then printed multiple times on sheets of paper up to a predetermined number, which forms the fine art print edition.
To avoid confusion with the term ‘print’ being used interchangeably with the term ‘reproduction’, a fine art print may also be called an ‘impression’.
Why are fine art prints editioned?
Print editioning is a traditional printmaking principle to make sure that a series of original prints becomes and stays limited.
A formal edition shows a collector or a curator that the artist has deliberately limited the number of impressions taken from the matrix, which ensures a degree of exclusivity and protects their investment.
Why are some prints considered to be ‘in’ the edition or ‘out’ of the edition?
The working process in making a print goes through many stages.
At the end, once the edition is formally documented, the prints considered ‘in’ the edition are the formal full editioned set of prints, plus any Artist’s Proofs (A/Ps) that have been signed by the artist.
Prints considered ‘out’ of the edition are any others, such as working proofs and Printer’s Proofs, also all signed by the artist. These must be included in the documentation.
An explanation of the above terms follows.
How does editioning a print start off?
This is the exciting part, as it begins with the artist working on the matrix.
This is called the ‘origination process’ where the image to be printed starts to come to life.
At some point the artist will want to see how the image is coming along, and will want to pull a working proof – also called a State Proof or Stage Proof. I prefer to use ‘State’.
(Not all techniques allow for this.)
The State Proofs show work in progress.
Earlier, they reveal stages in the origination process.
Later, they may represent different inking experiments.
The artist may like them as individual pieces and may sign them to sell but they are ‘out’ of the edition.
The State Proof
The State Proofs must be recorded in the formal editioning documentation, and are usually numbered with Roman numerals, e.g. State Proof I/III, State Proof II/III … etc.
This example has two state proofs.
What is fascinating about the State Proofs is not only that they show the history of the plate origination but often have notations by the artist – instructions to the printmaker.
stage 1: State Proof I
stage 2: State Proof II
The B.A.T. is a ‘studio’ print signed by the artist.
It confirms that, often after several different printing attempts, the artist is satisfied with how it looks and wishes the entire edition to replicate that print.
The artist signs and labels this print so that the printmaker may edition it.
The B.A.T. print
a French term: bon à tirer meaning ‘good to pull’
The printmaker keeps the B.A.T. print beside him to ensure technical consistency between the editioned prints.
The B.A.T print may be sold as long as it is in immaculate condition. There should only be one B.A.T. in existence. It is considered ‘out’ of the edition but must be recorded.
B.A.T print
Train to Dublin, Dikgwele Paul Molete etching with aquatint, printed at Tim’s Print Studio
(printmaker: Tim Foulds)
Then the donkey work of printmaking comes in.
The matrix must be inked up and printed over and over to create the full edition. Since prints are hand-inked and handprinted, often some are rejected during the process as they don’t look close enough to the B.A.T. print.
B.A.T print
Train to Dublin, Dikgwele Paul Molete etching with aquatint, printed at Tim’s Print Studio
(printmaker: Tim Foulds)
The artist decides how many prints should be in the edition.
This is the formal number of prints in the edition that will enter into the art market,
The edition number
e.g. this print is number one from an edition of 10.
The A/Ps are prints made for the artist’s record. They should be identical to the B.A .T.
The Artist’s Proof (A/P)
There may be more than one A/P linked to an edition, and these are usually labelled with Roman numerals, e.g. I/III, II/III, etc. They are considered to be in the edition and must be documented. They can be sold.
How many Artist’s Proofs should there be per edition?
The A/Ps should be limited and the number printed should be documented at the end of the printing process.
A guideline: if the edition size is 1 – 5, one A/P is acceptable;
6 – 10, two A/Ps;
10 – 30, three A/Ps; and from 30 onwards, no more than 10% of the edition size.
The Printer’s Proof (P/P)
These are signed prints given to the printmaker by the artist. This is prenegotiated before the work starts.
They may form part-payment for printing services or kept for the printmaker’s own professional portfolio.
How many Printer’s Proofs should there be per edition?
Between one and three is acceptable, depending on the edition size.
If more than one is printed, again they should be labelled with Roman numerals. Although they are considered out of edition, they may be sold by the printmaker. They must be recorded in the documentation.
The H/C or H.C. proof is out of the edition but looks identical to the edition.
H/C or hors de commerce is a French term for ‘out of commerce’, i.e. not for sale.
the H/C print
It is sometimes known as the Publisher’s Print (not to be confused with the Printer’s Proof). or Publisher’s Proof
It’s printed for dealers to handle and show without fear of their damaging an editioned print. It usually has a hole punched into the paper and is not for sale. Depending on the number of regular dealers or gallerists an artist has, more than one may be printed and punched.
Another reason to create an H/C proof is if the artist wishes to donate a print to a public gallery or a museum – then it wouldn’t be punched, but this transaction should be recorded.
Other terms
The édition variable (E.V.)
This French term refers to a formal edition of prints where each image should be as similar as possible to the B.A.T. but the particular printing technique used does not allow for the production of completely identical images, e.g. when using collagelike elements such as chine collée.
The édition variable (E.V.)
This example is print number 2 of an E.V. edition of 5.
édition variable prints are numbered EV 1/10, EV 2/10, … etc. or 1/10 EV, 2/10 EV, … etc.
Editioned hand-coloured prints
This is a series of prints (usually a small edition size) that have been printed up identically then painted/coloured by hand by the artist.
The resulting prints should each be hand coloured in as identical a way as possible with no intended colour shifts or changes.
Ah, but the clouds _ edition number 3/10 _ Colin Richards hand-coloured lithograph _ printed at The Caversham Press
Any of the edition that remains uncoloured for any reason will still be part of the edition and stays in the art market. It usually would sell at a lower price
If even only a few are hand-coloured, the edition remains a single edition.
Ah, but the clouds _ edition number 10/10 _ Colin Richards lithograph _ printed at The Caversham Press
Monoprints and Monotypes
There is always much confusion around these two terms
The monoprint
This is different from an E.V. print, which is intended to look as close to the B.A.T. as the printing technique will allow.
The monoprint is more experimental, in that the same matrix is deliberately treated differently for each pull, either through using inks of different colours and/or densities, selectively wiping inks in different ways, or containing odd chine collée elements. The prints may be numbered as 1/1, but often the titles are the same with Roman numerals. The documentation will specify ‘monoprint’.
The monotype
This is a ‘one-off’ impression, closer to a drawing or painting.
The artist paints or works with inks directly onto a sheet of glass or Perspex and the image is directly transferred to the paper by hand rubbing or running through a press.
The image is non-reproducible, although one or more ‘ghost prints’ may be pulled if there is enough ink residue on the plate. These will become increasingly lighter and lighter.
The plate may be worked over again so that traces of the original image remain beneath a newer image.
The editioning documentation process
Ideally the print documentation should be available to dealers and purchasers.
Although professional printmakers are scrupulous in their documentation, individual artists aren’t always so!
An example of a comprehensive print documentation
Artist Jane Cornish
Title Moonrise
Date 2023
Medium etching/drypoint
Image size 850 x 500 mm (h x w)
Paper size Fabriano Rosapina 1000 x 700 mm (h x w)
Edition 20
Extra prints 3 x A/Ps; 1 x P/P; 1 x B.A.T.; 1 x H/C; 3 x State Proofs;
A collecting myth: “the first print (1/10) is the most valuable”
Sadly, the artist doesn’t sign the prints one by one as they come off the press!
After printing they are laid out individually, inspected for faults, some are rejected, some extra may need to be printed, then they are counted and gathered in a random pile to number and sign …
Copywriting and catalogue created by Mandy Conidaris
Enjoy collecting prints!