A Guide to Fine Art
Many people are confused when they enter an art gallery for the first time and are confronted with different art pieces with such a varied range of prices. Learning the terms that identify art works and relating those terms to the pricing of the art pieces should contribute to a better understanding of the different offerings available in most art galleries. This short guide will attempt to identify some of the differences in the quality and value of works of art on paper.
	Print
	A print is a reproduction of an original work of art done through various processes using light fast permanent inks to reproduce the color, hue, and intensity of the original art. Offset lithographs, serigraphs, hand pulled lithographs, and giclee's are examples of the processes used to make a print.
	Poster
	Poster are reproductions done on relatively inexpensive paper which are usually not signed or numbered by the artist and are mass produced in unlimited quantities. The cost for a poster is low and most posters are prone to fading because of the lesser quality of the inks used to print them.
	Open Edition Print
	These prints are not numbered (unlimited edition size) and they can be signed by the artist or unsigned. The paper used in the printing of open edition prints is usually a better quality stock than is used for posters. They sell for less money than limited edition prints and seldom show any significant increase in value on the secondary art market.
	Limited Edition Print
	These prints are a result of very meticulous planning and labor of both the artist and the printer. The number of prints produced are limited by the artist and each print is inspected for flaws prior to being assigned a number and receiving the signature of the artist. Further discussion of limited edition prints can be found later in this guide.
	Artist Proof
	Artist proofs were originally hand picked by the artist during the printing process and after the presses were re-inked. These images were usually of a higher quality and much more vibrant and clear than those found later during the print run. The artist was allocated about 10% of the total printing for his/her own use and these hand picked prints were signed and numbered differently than the regular edition. Today, with the quality of offset lithography being much better and more consistent, artist proofs do not afford the buyer any better quality print than those of a regular edition. Tradition is still carried on though and the artist proof edition is generally about 10% in size compared to the regular edition.
	Remarque
	Many artists will add in the bottom margin of a limited edition print a small vignette or personal piece of artwork. These embellishments are done in pencil, pen, or paint and are one-of-a-kind images of original artwork. This gives the buyer the opportunity to own some original art done by a favorite artist. Remarques add considerably to the overall value of the print as very few of the total edition are remarqued.
	Sold out print
	A print is considered "Sold Out" and on the secondary art market when it is no longer available from the primary source of supply, ie. the artist or the publisher who distributed the print. Many times the art dealer will still have sold out prints in inventory depending on the quantity purchased and the speed in which the print became sold out.
	Secondary Market Value
	The Secondary Market Value of a limited edition art print is that value that is established on the Secondary Art Market after the print becomes sold out. The primary motivation of art value on the Secondary Art Market is simply supply and demand. The popularity of the artist, the rarity of the print, the interest of the consumer in owning the print all are factors that help determine the value of a limited edition print on the Secondary Art Market.
More about Limited Edition Art Prints
When an artist decides to print a limited edition of a piece of original art and edition size is set and only that number of prints will be made available to the buying public. For example, if a limited edition of 780 prints were going to be made of an original, there would be 780 copies of the print plus 78 artist proofs (10% of the edition) signed and numbered by the artist. All of the rejected prints plus negatives and printing plates are then destroyed. This, there would be a total of 858 prints available for sale throughout the entire world for that edition! This ensures that only those prints signed and numbered by the artist will be on the market for purchase and trading on the secondary art market. The prints are made on top quality paper stock, usually 100% cotton rag paper that is acid free and of archival quality. Only the highest quality permanent non-fading light fast inks are used in the printing process. This provides the purchaser with the very finest and most permanent materials which, when properly mounted and framed , will minimize the effects of deterioration from moisture, insects, acid migration, and light over a long period of time.