Your Conclusive Guide to Understanding Photograph and Prints

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ORIGINAL VS. REPRODUCTION

When discussing a work of art it’s a common understanding that an original painting with its texture, translucency, application colour and scale of the canvas, cannot be compared to a reproduction. It outweighs it both as an investment and as a viewing experience. 

However on that note, a reproduction is a great way to support an artist when one cannot buy the original. But there are ways around this, which we will explore later on.

When discussing photography and prints, the terms ‘original and reproduction’ change. When the term ‘original print’ is indicated, it means that ‘a series of prints was approved by the artist for production’. 

To determine the market value or to understand what you have bought, you need to know the difference between open edition, limited editions, and artist proof/ AP prints.

OPEN EDITION, LIMITED EDITION AND ARTIST PROOF/ AP PRINTS

Open Edition means that the artist has not indicated how many was printed, and usually these are unsigned; this is seen as less valuable compared to limited editions at auction. Despite this, it’s an ideal place to start for a new collector with a budget. 

Limited editions are a set number of prints at a certain size where the artist generally declares how many there are in that group and where that particular prints sits within it. Example 5/45 Edition indicates that this particular print was the 5th to be printed out of the 45 in total.

Limited edition prints come in two types:

  1. Signed by the artist or estate representative and comes with a Certificate of Authenticity (COA)

  2. Unsigned by the artist but authenticated by the estate and comes with a Certificate of Authenticity (COA)  

During the process of creating limited editions prints it’s common for a few images that need adjusting in contrast or exposure. To be added to the series, these are named 'artist proofs or AP’. 

Artist proofs or AP are not sold until the whole limited editions are all sold, and are actually seen as more valuable than any of the prints in the edition. The amount of AP varies between artists but normally they range from one to five.

Note: When looking at the value of editions in the primary and secondary market, the golden rule is that the first, last editions and AP’s are seen as the most valuable, for example 1/45, 45/45 and AP edition.

MODERN VS. VINTAGE PRINTS

Another important point to understand is the difference between modern and vintage photographs.

A modern print refers to an image edition that was produced later on, from when the shot was taken. This was approved by the artist, where they could have personally developed it themselves or handed it over to their estate. These printing techniques are done digitally with superior master printers. 

Vintage prints are originally created/printed in the period it was taken. A lot of vintage images are not editioned due to the fact that this is a concept virtually unknown in the late 1900s, and was only used in the art market by art dealers in the 1960’s and 70’s. 

Vintage prints are generally one-off prints generally taken from negatives or transparencies and produced in dark rooms.

AUTHENTICATION TERMS

 Limited edition and open edition prints can be authenticated in two ways: 

  1. Estate stamped. The Estate Stamp is a unique embossed stamp that is either imprinted on the back or the front of the artwork. This represents the artist approval of this production. 

  2. Hand-signed by the artist

Usually a certificate of authenticity or COA comes with the print for both signed and stamped, to prove the authenticity or provenance.

 

TERMS USED WHEN DESCRIBING THE PROCESS OR MEDIUM USED FOR THE PRINT

Archival Pigment Ink: This is a modern day printing process that uses high-end inkjet printers using specialised pigment inks that are designed specifically to be long lasting and fade free.

Archival paper: Generally means that its paper that is used to be long lasting where terms like conservative grade or archival grade are used. Is important that the ink sitting on a paramount paper to ensure that the artwork won't change/ fade and last more than a lifetime.

THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF ARTISTS

Since you now understand what type of artwork you are looking for, it’s important to know the terminology used to categorise an artist.  From a collector’s perspective, this means to know where the artist sits within the eyes of the galleries and as an investment.

Note: It is common to think these categories are used to label that artist based on age such as Mid-career or Established to be someone in the middle-aged or older. This is not the case.

Emerging Artist

An Emerging artist is someone who is in the early stage of their career. They have either just finished their training at an art school or more loosely understood as someone who hasn’t caught the eye of an art critic or gallery yet, and is still building their reputation in these groups.

Mid-career Artist

This is someone who has been creating an independent body of work over a number of years and has received recognition through publication or public presentation. This artist has had a significant number of solo exhibitions at various galleries, located nationally or internationally. 

Established Artist 

Established artists are considered at a mature state in their career and have created an extensive body of work independently. They have reached an advanced level of achievement with great representation both nationally and internationally.

Blue Chip Artist

A Blue Chip artist is exactly like an established artist however, they have hit the auction houses or so-called ‘ Investment grade’ art. Please note that many artists and art dealers don’t want to risk an auction sale if they believe the artist is ready, as it could be at risk of declining the value of the artist work. Therefore artists that fall under this category are often household names, with an amazing track record of high achievements.