INTRODUCTORY GUIDE TO PRINT COLLECTING

Glossary of Common Terms

State Every time a substantive change is made to the master (plate, stone, block, etc.) used to produce a print, a new state is designated. There are two basic types of states: proof states and edition states.

Impression Each individual print pulled from the master is termed an impression.

Proof A proof is an impression pulled while the artist is still developing the image. Proofs therefore frequently show the image at varying stages of completion, and may contain hand-drawn corrections indicating how the artist intends to further modify the image. Such working proofs, typically done only for the artist's own use, are extremely rare (sometimes only one or two impressions will be pulled of each preliminary state). The rarity of working proofs usually ensures that they command premium prices, yet such prints are often of interest only to the most dedicated collectors. Since the image in a working proof can be incomplete, the average collector may well find an impression from the final state more satisfying. Proofs may also be pulled after the image has been finalized, but prior to printing an edition, in order to test various inks and papers. Sometimes an artist will reserve a small portion of an edition for his or her personal use, and designate the impressions as "artist's proofs" (routinely inscribed "a.p."); these are not truly proofs in the strictest sense of the term.

Edition After the image has been finalized, the artist will typically authorize one or more editions to be printed. Sometimes several editions are pulled simultaneously on different types of paper. Sometimes multiple editions are pulled over a period of many years. Editions may or may not be numbered. While numbering became fairly ubiquitous in the postwar period, it was not previously all that common. Furthermore, earlier, unnumbered editions may actually be rarer than more recent, numbered ones, since the art market in the earlier period was smaller than it is today. Collectors should be aware that there may be several editions of the same image available. In this case, the total quantity of extant impressions may number in the hundreds, even though the size of any single designated edition appears relatively small.

Catalogue Raisonné A catalogue raisonné is a complete catalogue documenting an artist's work in a particular medium or mediums. A good print catalogue raisonné gives a detailed history of each image, describing the characteristics (such as changes in the image, paper and/or ink color) that distinguish each proof state and each edition.

Rarity, Quality & Value

Since prints are multiples, comparisons of relative value are more easily made than is the case with unique works of art. The quality of a given impression and its condition have a significant influence on its worth, and prices for seemingly similar prints can vary widely. Unless you have seen numerous impressions of a particular image, it is a good idea to get advice from someone who has.

Rarity often enhances the value of a print, but collectors must determine whether they really want or need to pay the premium price exacted for rarity. Among the rarest prints are working proofs (as discussed above) and prints of which there were no editions pulled, or only a single, small edition. If an impression is extremely rare, the collector may have to make compromises in terms of condition that would be less acceptable with a more common print.

When several editions exist of a given print, the earlier editions will tend to be of higher quality than the later ones, because the master often deteriorates with repeated use. Sometimes an etching plate will be steel-faced (electroplated with a steel coating) prior to printing a larger edition; this prolongs the life of the plate, but can impair its delicacy of detail. The burr which characterizes early drypoint impressions and is highly prized by collectors also tends to wear down over time. However, quality within a single edition is usually fairly consistent; it should make little difference if an impression is numbered 1/100 or 100/100.

Most collectors prefer to buy prints that are hand-signed (almost invariably in pencil) by the artist. Not only does the signature have its own independent autograph value, but it implicitly certifies that the artist has approved the impression. It may, however, be difficult or impossible to find signed impressions of some images. Certain prints exist in only posthumous, unsigned editions.

Print values are extremely relative, and depend both on what is characteristic of a given artist, and on the history of the specific print in question. A good dealer and a good catalogue raisonné are the keys to understanding the print market.

Paper Types

Wove Paper with an even textured surface. Velin is a type of wove paper with an especially smooth surface.

Laid Laid paper is characterized by the ingrained pattern of parallel lines visible when held to light. Laid paper is often referred to as Bütten in German.

Japan A delicate handmade paper, sometimes including ingredients such as bamboo, rice and mulberry bark, Japan has a smooth surface and rough edges.

Acid-free All paper types may or may not contain wood-pulp, which produces acid as it breaks down over time. Acid can cause paper to become brittle and to discolor. Acid-free paper, which has 100% rag content, does not break down over time.

Chine collé In general, the thinner the paper, the more delicate the impression. Chine collé is a technique (used with both etching and lithography) in which a very fine China paper (too thin to print on by itself) is coated with glue and then laid, glue side up, on the inked plate or stone. A heavier sheet is then placed on top, and when the plate or stone is run through the press, the two sheets are laminated together.