There is an old art saying that recommends you “buy only what you like and pay only what the enjoyment of owning the work is worth to you”.
Those who stick to this recommendation when purchasing fine art prints can build a collection that will bring many years of enjoyment.
It’s a given that art tastes differ widely and, in general, we choose artwork that evokes pleasant memories or experiences. Therefore it’s logical that, unless you’re collecting art as an investment, you should buy what appeals to you and here you can’t go far wrong with art prints.
Art prints not only come in a huge range of choices, but they’re also the most affordable. Here we’re referring to art prints as reproductions of original artwork.
With an art reproduction, the original is scanned at very high resolution. From the scan, copies are produced using a variety of different printing methods such as off-set printing or high quality inkjet printing.
An “original print” on the other hand is not a copy of an existing work. Instead, the artist begins the creative process by planning a work that can be created a number of times from an image made initially on a printing surface such as a metal plate, wood, or stone.
Because each print is usually hand-made by the artist, the number produced is typically quite small. Each print is then signed by the artist and given a number to indicate the size of the edition. This is the origin of “limited edition” prints and these can take the form of etchings, lithographs, woodcuts, and linocuts.
The net result is that an original print will cost a lot more than an art reproduction. Although modern artworks are also sometimes produced as limited edition prints, the size of the editions is much bigger, often numbering in the hundreds, as the prints can be machine produced.
In most cases though art reproductions are “open edition” – in other words, there’s no limit on the number that can be printed and more can always be made to meet demand.
For the buyer, the advantage of open edition prints is that prices can be kept low, while the artwork is also available in a variety of sizes and a choice of surfaces.
Those who stick to this recommendation when purchasing fine art prints can build a collection that will bring many years of enjoyment.
It’s a given that art tastes differ widely and, in general, we choose artwork that evokes pleasant memories or experiences. Therefore it’s logical that, unless you’re collecting art as an investment, you should buy what appeals to you and here you can’t go far wrong with art prints.
Art prints not only come in a huge range of choices, but they’re also the most affordable. Here we’re referring to art prints as reproductions of original artwork.
With an art reproduction, the original is scanned at very high resolution. From the scan, copies are produced using a variety of different printing methods such as off-set printing or high quality inkjet printing.
An “original print” on the other hand is not a copy of an existing work. Instead, the artist begins the creative process by planning a work that can be created a number of times from an image made initially on a printing surface such as a metal plate, wood, or stone.
Because each print is usually hand-made by the artist, the number produced is typically quite small. Each print is then signed by the artist and given a number to indicate the size of the edition. This is the origin of “limited edition” prints and these can take the form of etchings, lithographs, woodcuts, and linocuts.
The net result is that an original print will cost a lot more than an art reproduction. Although modern artworks are also sometimes produced as limited edition prints, the size of the editions is much bigger, often numbering in the hundreds, as the prints can be machine produced.
In most cases though art reproductions are “open edition” – in other words, there’s no limit on the number that can be printed and more can always be made to meet demand.
For the buyer, the advantage of open edition prints is that prices can be kept low, while the artwork is also available in a variety of sizes and a choice of surfaces.
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