Introduction
First, we must understand the medium of a print. A print is any work of art made in multiple iterations, created through a transfer process. There are many different types of prints, and the process is constantly evolving, but the best-known technique in contemporary art is a screensprint.
WHAT IS A SCREENPRINT?
A screenprint is an image is cut into a sheet of paper or plastic film, creating a stencil. This stencil is then placed in a frame, which has a layer of fine mesh stretched across it, forming a 'screen'. A sheet of paper is placed below the screen, and ink is pushed through the stencil from above, using a rubber blade or squeegee. Only cut-out portions of the stencil print. In addition to stencils, a photographic image can be reproduced on the screen using light-sensitive gelatins. This was a hugely important innovation for Andy Warhol and other members of the Pop generation, who would appropriate commercial photographs and popular images in tandem with the technique.
IS A SCREENPRINT AN 'ORIGINAL'?
A print is more than just a copy of an original, a question that often arises among new collectors. Although printmaking involves reproducing an image, a print is more than just a copy of an original. Fine art prints are something else entirely, resulting from a close collaboration between the artist and the print studio. Printers - the people who work with the artist to produce an edition - are highly skilled technicians, and are often artists in their own right.
Prints are not made in large production runs intended solely for commercial sale. A limited number (known as an edition) are produced, with prescribed routes for initial sale - either through the artist, a commercial gallery, privated dealer or a publisher. As a result they are true works of art, and as important to the artist as drawings or other works on paper.
Sooo, why do artists make prints?
Artists make prints for a variety of reasons. They might be drawn to the collaborative nature of the print studio, or the potential for innovation the medium offers, or for a print's potential to document each stage of a creative process. Prints can offer a completely different creative outlet to the artist's primary working method.
Originals vs editions and multiples
An 'original' print is technically a unique work given it is generally produced as a limited number of impressions (collectively known as an edition), and each print is given an edition number, typically written as a fraction - for example, 5/30. The number to the right of the slash indicates the edition size (in this example, 30"), while the figure to the left is the individual print's number.
When the image is perfected, a proof is made and signed B.A.T. (an abbreviation of the French bon à tirer, or 'ready to print'). The rest of the edition is matched to this image, which is unique and traditionally kept by the printer. For example, Christie's auction house defines an 'original print' as a limited-edition print by an artist that conforms to other prints in their catalogue raisonné, or matches other confirmed examples of the print by the artist. Our catalogue entries will always explain how we have reached the conclusion that a print is an authentic original. We give the artist's name, the title of the work, what type of print it is (e.g. a lithograph, etching or screenprint), and the year it was made. Finally, we indicate how the work is numbered, and whether it is from the standard edition or a proof. We also list where applicable in the literature field the appropriate catalogue raisonné numbers for the piece.
SO WHAT ABOUT THE PAPER?
How important are the different types of papers used in a prints? A sign of a true print specialist is not only their interest in technique but also their obsession with paper. Our cataloguing information will describe what type of paper a print is on, and will describe a watermark if it's present.
The choice of paper is an important part of the printmaking process because it can directly influence the nature of what the printed image looks like. Johns is famous for having pushed for higher quality, heavier paper for his prints, while Warhol loved cheaper, thinner paper for his Soup Can prints from the 1960s to emphasise that they were meant to be enjoyed by the masses.
Do different printmaking studios make a difference in terms of price and quality?
Gallery and auction house cataloguing also indicates where a work was published - namely the studio where a print was made. These workshops can be huge production studios with large-scale equipment or small-scale operations with only a few employees. Some really famous names to pay attention to for Post-War and Contemporary prints are ULAE in West Islip, Long Island Tyler Graphics in Mount Kisco, Gemini G.E.L. in L.A., and Paragon Press in London. That's just a small selection, however, and we are always finding out about new studios.
There are studios that have been historically important both for the technical development of printmaking and for the work that was produced there - Tyler Graphics is a famous example. As a result, many collectors follow a particular studio and collect many of the publications that have been produced there.
Some printers and publishers use a blindstamp which is an embossed, inked or stamped mark in the paper to mark that an edition was printed at their studio.
DOES SIGNATURE MATER?
The majority of the prints sold at reputable galleries and auction houses are signed - though not all prints are issued with a signature. Warhol and Picasso both stamp-signed some of their prints, and some larger portfolio editions were only signed on the title page. Don't be alarmed if a print is only initialled. It doesn't mean that it is worth less - indeed, some artists only initial their prints, such as Richard Diebenkorn and Lucian Freud.
HOW DO I KNOW WHIC ARTISTS TO FOLLOW - AND COLLECT?
A history of the greatest printmakers in art history would include some of the most significant artists of the past 500 years - from Albrecht Dürer to Rembrandt, Toulouse-Lautrec, Picasso, Warhol and Johns. These artists were not only interested in using printmaking to create iconic images, but advanced the medium through innovation. Picasso invented totally new ways of printing; Warhol pushed the printers he worked with throughout his career; and Johns continues to create new and exciting prints in his 80s. As a result, the history of printmaking is also a timeline of technological change and reinvention - from the emergence of basic engraving techniques in the 15th century to digital printing in the 21st.
HOW DO PRINTS WORK WITHIN A BROADER COLLECTION?
Prints can also present the opportunity to own an authentic and iconic subject without a seven-figure price tag attached to it. Prints can also be a great way to get started - a way to acquaint yourself with styles and artists in the same mode as other mediums but at a different price point.
HOW DO I LIVE, ARCHIVE AND CARE FOR MY PRINTS?
How you frame your print is the most important long-term decision you make when it comes to caring for and keeping the piece. Make sure you go to a reputable framer: it's worth paying for a print to be properly mounted using the right materials, and many are not as expensive as you might think.
Three key tips: if a print has bright colours, don't hang it in direct sunlight; ensure a print is kept away from any source of moisture; don't trim the sheet to try to fit it in a smaller frame. Framing is something our team is happy to discuss with you - we're very used to being asked these questions.
ADVICE FROM AN EXPERT?
Editions are sold throughout the year at auction, online and private galleries. Dedicated prints sales online and through galleries and auction houses are rare opportunities to view the broadest range of works in the market. A print specialist can discuss condition in front of the object itself, and elaborate on the nature of that particular edition, willing to share his/her passion to colllect others.
