There are two basic types of art prints: multiple originals and reproductions. A reproduction is a copy of a work of art. Examples are a photo of an oil painting or a Xerox of an oil painting. A multiple original is a work of art. Examples are etchings, lithographs and block prints.

To further distinguish the two types of prints, look at how they are made. In the case of the lithograph, the artist makes a drawing on a very flat, smooth stone with a special drawing tool. Then paper is pressed against the stone resulting in a print (or an impression). The print is a multiple original because each impression is made from the original working surface. If you take that impression, lay it on the glass of a copier and make a print, that print is a reproduction.

The fine art prints I make are multiple originals. The working surface is the computer and the process is ink jet printing. Because I create on the computer and the resulting art work is stored as a computer file, it's possible for me to make endless prints of my work. I don't do that. I make really small editions. Then the file is archived in case it's needed for publicity or historical purposes.

The list that follows is summarized and quoted from Buchsbaum, Ann, Practical Guide to Print Collecting, Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., 1975.

EDITION
A set of prints made from one image. Numbering is a modern concept developed in the 1800s. With "old masters" prints we rarely, if ever, know what size an edition was or how many are still in existence. Modern methods have made editions more consistent overall with fewer variations in print quality between impressions. Generally, the larger the edition the less valuable the print. "... the first thing to consider is the size of the edition. The artist and/or the publisher make a commitment to print no more than the stated number of impressions. ... In addition to this number the artist receives a number of so-called artist's proofs." In some cases the total number is never reached.

EDITION SEQUENCE AND NUMBER
The value of a print is sometimes determined by its position in the sequence. For example, "1/7" means the first impression in an edition of 7. "Only the quality of the print itself is the decisive factor, though it is true that in some processes the first few impressions are sharper, richer, and therefore more desirable."

STATE
"... when an alteration or variation exists within the edition." For example, proofs, partial prints, changes to the image. "For scholars it is of great interest to study the changes made, especially those that show how the work progressed and developed."

ORIGINAL
Each impression is a multiple original. "There is no one original in the sense that we apply the meaning to an oil painting. The plate, stone or block [or computer] is the working surface from which the edition is pulled, and each sheet in this edition is an original." Each impression is signed by the artist, in the work itself, on the paper under the impression or on the back. When "imp" appears, this indicates that the artist printed it herself.

REPRODUCTIONS AND RESTRIKES
A reproduction is made from an impression, not the original working surface. This can be a simple copy or professional printer's publication. Occasionally there will be restrikes. These are impressions made later from the same working surface. They are labeled as such with their own system of numbering (roman numerals, letters, etc.) to distinguish them or they can be called "artist's edition".

DOCUMENTATION
A sheet documents the edition telling you about the signature, size of the edition, number of states, and lists the printing order. The list includes the date, title, size, medium and artist's name.

PROVENANCE
The history of ownership of a print is called its provenance. Sometimes provenance helps to establish the authenticity and value of a print. If the piece was in a museum or large private collection it will contain a collector's mark.

COMPUTER GRAPHICS
"The printmaker who decides to use the computer as his medium must understand its function and possibilities. ... The computer, without a doubt, has become an integral force in our lives, and it was probably unavoidable that the creative mind would feel its impact."

Compiled by Elaine Greywalker, 1999.