Basic Terminology of Printmaking

Print and Printmaking Terms - The Bare Basics
Printmaking terminology is a vast subject upon which books are written. Here, however, we want to provide you with the bare basics for getting started, whether in printmaking or collecting. Printmakers, print dealers, and print collectors use six terms that are necessary for the comprehension of prints: Edition, Numbering, Artist's Proofs, Restrike, States, and Catalogue Raisonné.

Edition
The number of images printed from the plate, stone, block, or the like is called an edition. These identical images are pulled either by the artist or, under the artists supervision, by the printer. The body of the edition is numbered (for example, 1/100 through 10/100) directly on the print, usually in pencil. Additional proofs, such as artist's proofs, are also part of the edition.

Numbering
Numbering indicates the size of the edition and the number of each particular print. Therefore, 25/75 means that the print is the 25th impression from an edition of 75. Beware of numbering which comes in other forms, such as Roman numerals, as this would tend to indicate a restrike.

Artist's Proofs
Artist's proofs are those impressions from an edition that are specifically intended for the artist's own use. These impressions are in addition to the numbered edition and are so noted in pencil as artist proof or A/P. The legitimate number of artist's proofs for a given edition us usually around 10% of the total.

Restrike
A subsequent printing from an original plate, stone, or block is called a restrike. Restrikes are usually printed posthumously or without the artist's authorization.

States
Once the artist has drawn an image, he or she may pull several prints. If the artist subsequently changes the image, the first prints are called first state, and the subsequent prints with the change, second state. The artist can continue to make changes, with the number of states going as high as ten or more. These state proofs are, for demanding collectors, objects of desire.

Catalogue Raisonné
A scholarly reference text in which each print known to have been executed by a particular artist is completely documented and described. The information given may include title, alternate titles, date, medium, size of the edition, image size, paper used, and other pertinent facts. The term is also used for similar catalogs of paintings, sculptures, drawings, watercolors, or other works by a single artist or workshop.

The catalogue raisonné is the principal resource in the fight against big-time print fraud. All of the most famous, most expensive printmakers have their catalogue raisonné, and any print which does not figure there is necessarily of dubious legitimacy.