Buying Art Prints: What the Terminology Actually Means
Buying a print is one of the most accessible ways into owning original-adjacent art, and the vocabulary around it is unusually slippery. The same word can describe a hand-pulled screenprint made in a workshop or an inkjet copy produced on demand.
Understanding a handful of terms is enough to tell which one you are being offered and whether the price makes sense.
Original prints versus reproductions
An original print — a screenprint, etching, lithograph, linocut, or woodcut — is made through a process the artist used as the medium itself. The print is the artwork rather than a copy of one.
A reproduction is a photographic copy of an existing painting or drawing. It can be beautiful and well made, but it occupies a different category and should be priced accordingly.
What giclée means and does not mean
Giclée simply denotes a high-quality inkjet print, typically using pigment inks on archival paper. It says something about the printing method and nothing about whether the image is original work or a reproduction.
The relevant quality questions are the inks, the paper, and the colour management. Pigment inks on acid-free cotton rag paper will outlast dye inks on coated stock by a wide margin.
Reading an edition number
A pencil notation such as 12/50 means the twelfth print in an edition of fifty. Smaller editions generally command higher prices, and the artist's signature in pencil is the usual mark of authorisation.
Artist's proofs, marked AP or EA, sit outside the numbered edition and are traditionally a small number of prints retained by the artist. An edition with a very large number of proofs is worth asking about.
Open editions are fine, at the right price
An open edition has no fixed limit and can be reprinted indefinitely. There is nothing wrong with that for something you want on your wall, but it should not be priced as though scarcity applies.
Be wary of vague scarcity language — limited time, exclusive release — attached to prints with no stated edition size. That phrasing is doing marketing work rather than describing the object.
Framing costs more than people budget for
Framing frequently costs as much as the print or more. UV-filtering glazing and acid-free mounting materially extend the life of a work on paper, particularly in a bright room.
Standard sizes are far cheaper to frame than unusual ones, which is worth knowing before buying. Hanging away from direct sunlight and radiators does more for longevity than any framing upgrade.
Where to buy
Degree shows, print fairs, open studio events, and artist-run print workshops sell work by living artists at accessible prices, often directly from the person who made it.
Buying directly also means the money reaches the artist. If provenance matters for a more expensive purchase, ask for a certificate of authenticity and keep the receipt.
Print terminology and pricing conventions vary between markets and sellers. Ask the seller for specifics before any significant purchase.
AI Assistance Used — AI assistance was used in researching and drafting this article. It was reviewed, edited, and fact-checked by Leah Fornier before publication.