" An artist's proof, an image made for the artist by the printer. There were two reasons for this: These reason may seem silly to you (because they are completely ridiculous, I know!) I have really lovely 4x6 photos which I want to use on limited editions of photo cards. I am still unsure as to what type of print I am creating, and how to sign it.I'm a watercolour artist.I use an artisan photographic inkjet printer to create prints of my work, which I sell.I print each one individually on a fine setting. Definitely bookmarking it. They are NOT numbered.Tear up test proofs? Also known as A/P Prints, they are outside the regular edition and are equal in quality to the edition and signed as Artist Proof or A/P by the artist. If it is a limited edition print, the number of the print is also included. A.P - Artist’s Proof - Prints from the edition kept by the artists and not signed or numbered with the rest of the edition. That is a really good point about the pen vs pencil signatures. It's done in pencil (not pen) close to the bottom edge of the print. Especially if you make limited editions. All spam blogs will be reported - WITHOUT NOTICE - to Google and their website host ISP for copyright infringement. A/P 1/4). I create digital artwork. Jack Vettriano signs his name to the bottom right hand side of the print, along the white border, in pencil.Artist's Proofs should always be clearly marked Artist's Proof or A/P. This post will review best practices for both forms of printing. The number sequence differs from the limited edition, as the number is preceded by the letter “AP”. Determining the value of your print. How uniform do the prints have to be? Signatures count for a lot at a print market since they add to the artwork's authenticity. I've taken to calling my prints archival pigment prints, as preferred by some photographers. Sign your full name in pencil on the print. He moved to Paris in the early 1920s and soon joined the Surrealist movement. If you're not an exhibiting photographer - or planning to be in the future - I really don't think you need to do limited edition prints or sign them. It is an original piece of unique art, yes? Google will use this information for the purpose of evaluating your use of the website, compiling reports on website activity for website operators and providing other services relating to website activity and internet usage. Is the first pull then 1/1 and the second is monotype/mixed media? New Books about Drawing and Sketching in 2011 (and... Henriette Simson wins Threadneedle Prize 2011. I did this to prevent others from duplicating the unique way I sign my prints. Other proofs may be made at an earlier stage, as the artist and printer develop an image or test different compositions. Prints are usually signed on the border of the print in pencil or ink. I'm also making a series of monotypes. your own Pins on Pinterest The value of the original painting will exceed that of a limited edition print.The prints are limited as the artist only releases a specific number of the prints. He has signed his piece in pencil which works well because the photograph was printed on mat textured finish artisan paper. Hand-pulled artist’s proofs are considered more valuable than the limited edition series, because they are of better quality and are the property of the artist. NEW two-stage digital pre-selection process for FB... 23rd October 2011 - Who's made a mark this week? Make sure you sign your print and not just the mat. All this is well established, for with fine art prints there is usually a concern that the prints be run off exactly as the artist wants them and that the number of impressions be limited. Sometimes printers also sign a print they produce, which is why certain pieces have two signatures. And when an artist like myself spends months on a particular painting, I'm not interested in waiting even longer for something that might not even represent the original integrity of the piece as expected. In fact labels destroy it IMHO. "Nofollow" means That Blogger automatically codes all links left in comments so that they don't count for the purposes of building links to websites or blogs. Of course. Prints must always be signed in pencil The artist name and date are to be signed on the bottom right side of a print just below the printed image. Interested to know how others feel about 'archival pigment print'.I don't sign my work on the digital artwork. I'm looking for help in adding titles to reproduction prints. Do they have to be printed on the same media? There are a few less common marks that can also be found on the bottom left side under a print such as, A/P which means artist proof, or T/P which means trial proof that are good to be aware of, but I would worry too much unless you are a serious printmaker. The funny things is, if you make a painting, you are only allowed to sell the original; no reproductions at all.But then you have the photographers. Since we have only printed the artist proof, how do we go about making these a limited edition, and should we remove the signature and copyright from the digital work before printing? They're all in a series under the one title, but each image (11 in total) is different, and there will be 7 editions, 1 AP and 1 TP. Sign the print at the bottom just below the image or on the back. Great post but I have a problem regarding the use of a pencil and not a pen. (Épreuve d'Artiste) or "H.C." (“Hors Commerce,” meaning outside the regular commercial run). It doesn't sound to me like you're creating a print so much as an original artwork.How do these prints on other media work? I wouldnt sign them either if I could get away with it but I realise its important and I want people to know its my work. I've noticed on some prints that there is text which can be framed in or matted out should the purchaser wish to do so. I've also seen these crossed through after they've been actioned so they can't be sold.I guess they could be made part of the edition if they "work" to the required standard and then signed in the normal way.I'm not sure what you mean by variable proofs - ones that didn't quite work? APs are usually produced in smaller numbers than the general edition, are marked as APs, and may be signed and numbered as well. Sometime this alone can settle copyright disputes. My brother and I collaborated on an art series a few years ago, consisting of five digital creations. ( Edition varied ) but do I still also put down the total number and write, for example if I've made a total number of 10 prints, write E.V. Please respect the copyright of all artists featured here. Anything else can fade over time. Artist's proofs are usually signed and are sometimes marked "A.P." So people understand why I'm charging more!My understanding is that any limited edition refers to the particular dimensions of the print. Is it?? 1 was here. Let me know in the comment section below! The only time I ever see signatures in relation to photos is when they are large format prints - often taken with expensive cameras or lenses.I think you need to tailor how you present your work to where you intend to market. A fine art print that is actually unique, vs a reproduction which a modern printer can make exact copies. I have noticed at some of the markets there are artists selling cheaply made "art blocks" that have been mounted by machine: I am hesitant to continue calling my wood-block-reproductions-enhancements-moslty-made-by-hand "art blocks" since they are not cheap reproductions, and take me a considerable amount of time to create.I must admit, I am confused by what to call my "reproduced" and "partially reproduced" work.I'd like to avoid suggesting that my "prints/reproductions" are something they are not, but at the same time I'd like to use the proper terminology to describe them for what they are, and be able to market them correctly. I'm not quite sure I'm understand what you mean by "I have really lovely 4x6 photos which I want to use on limited editions of photo cards"Are you making cards out of photos or cards out of artwork which has been digitally printed onto photo paper? Would a certificate help support that? The print is its own thing.My conundrum is about producing one-off prints, which I want to do for an exhibition. Or can you go out of order?4) What is to stop someone from buying a limited edition print, and reproducing it, essentially meaning there are more copies then you are stating? Here again, fractions may be used to indicate the total number of proofs, and the print number (e.g. The simple fact is that sites like the one you mention rarely bring any traffic. They might be allowed to truly sell unlimited reproductions. Most artists sign their prints at the bottom right corner of the piece. I am in the process of printing my work for sale and my question is... if I print an 11x14 and then a 5x7 (as requested) do they number 1/200 and then 2/200 even if the sizes differ? There are no crappy halftone issues. however they shaped how I sign my prints, and now I will continue to sign them this way til I no longer make em. For example, I have a few pieces where I've digitally removed the entire background and replaced it with wood grain. Thanks!Tam. I have been referring to these as "Art Blocks", since they are one of a kind (but based off of a reproduction). If you choose to sign the back, an artist label can be made to fill out all the appropriate information. Open Editions (there are no set limits to how many prints that are made) and Monoprints (a single printed image) would leave the bottom left side under a print blank because there are no editions to mark. Sign it at Back and say a reproduction or say a Print or just sign it or not? The information generated by the cookie about your use of the website (including your IP address) will be transmitted to and stored by Google on servers in the United States . I am BOTH a Graphic/Digital Artist AS WELL as a classically trained Artist & Painter. or something like E/P or E.P.. How the print was made will dictate the best practices for signing it. I know I can use the term E.V. Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment. to produce than the often hazardous, time intensive, toxic, expensive (because of all the other reasons) old school printing methods? Hi Tam - I'm sorry, I don't have any recommendations for you. Makes sense! It's an edition of one print--but it is a print-- ...how do you label that? Because they aren't considered "reproductions," because there is no original.That doesn't seem fair does it?But they might technically have to make them limited editions. Pro tip: Artist’s proofs should account for no more than 10% of the edition size. This website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. (“Google”). The convention to maintain the distinction between these two different sorts of prints is that, limited edition fine art prints are signed and, unlimited reproduction prints are NOT signed outside the image in a way which mimics the limited edition print. It is a common practice that an artist keeps 10-15% out of a limited print edition for his own use. Please do NOT pin images from this website on Pinterest. Sometimes the buyer will request that you sign your print in a … I have an o.h.p. It doesn't mean they're worse. I'm not sure.So what are the guidelines for those folks? However by creating a limited edition you are voluntarily saying there is a limit to the number produced. What are you printing from and how big is the edition? Do they have to be framed the same? My posts are often long with lots of images. You do nothing other than sign as you would any other unique piece of art. Super helpful! ...I'm really sorry, I don't know what that 'same way' is (unless you mean, just sign it, but I mean the edition number on the lower left of a print, opposite the signature, that can have additional letters designating if it's a proof or whatnot). You can have as many as you like anytime any size. Great post Katherine. Is is correct to say monotype, 1/2? Taking the time to learn more about the history of a particular printer studio or publisher can enhance one’s appreciation of the process and even provide inspiration for a collection’s direction.