Art Prints is a term used to describe a type of photographic print, usually on paper or cardboard. The Art Prints industry is in its infancy and therefore is not yet mature enough to define the term in any definitive way. Yet there are still some concrete characteristics of what would broadly be considered an Art Print:
1. Exhibition Quality
This can be either a characteristic of the print itself or of the fact that the print was presented in an exhibition setting. The exhibition quality of a print is usually a major determinant for its value and can add up to 30% or more to the overall value.
2. Artist Signed and Numbered
The art world has been using signed limited edition prints for many years, and there are very strict rules that define how these prints should be produced (see next section on Limited Editions). The whole industry, therefore, is geared towards this specific production method, which offers clear advantages over other methods:
3. Price
Art Prints must compete with the traditional fine art works on paper, and therefore they must be priced accordingly. A very high number of Art Prints are not yet presented in an exhibition setting, do not have artist signature or are displayed without a display certificate; all these factors can significantly reduce the value of these prints.
4. Limited Edition
The limited edition is a method used by the fine art world that is also used in the Art Print industry. It stems from the fact that there are only a limited amount of original prints produced. These prints can be sold individually or in sets (usually numbered).
5. Artist Signed and Numbered
A limited edition print is normally signed and has a number of an artist that is very similar to the numbering on a limited edition print that also has the signature of an artist. This is because these prints almost always require high volumes for production and therefore need to be very large in order to produce enough sets. The same applies when the artist wants to issue a series of prints, even if it is not limited in quantity, they will most likely all have the same numbering.