Art prints and reproductions: know what you're buying (or selling!)

Photo: Pineapple Supply co.

If you buy art prints you will notice that there is often quite a difference in cost for what may seem (on the surface) to be the same type of print. Reproductions of artwork can vary from a few pounds to hundreds, so why is there such a difference when it comes to work that is not the original? Hopefully this post will help you to understand the value of different types of art prints (whether you’re buying or selling)

Method of reproduction

Some methods of reproductions are more expensive than others. Below are a list of the different ways prints are produced:

CMYK Digital prints
Four colour digital printing is the cheapest method and the most popular with artists who produce high quantities. This ensures prints are affordable but may lack the quality of other method of reproduction. If you buy this kind of print, look for ones that print on high quality papers. Make sure you do not position these prints near sunlight as it will likely the ink will fade in time.

Screenprints
Screenprints are produced by creating blocking stencils for each colour and pressing ink through. This can be a costly method if only a small run of prints are created, and unlike digital prints, prints need to be created in one batch rather than printed on demand. Some artists create these prints themselves and others hire professional screen printers to produce for them. The more colours in a print, the higher the cost because of the time involved in creating a new stencil for each layer.

Riso prints
Riso prints are like a cross between screen printing and photocopying – produced one colour at a time in vibrant colours. This method of printing is usually used for zines and comics but can give a unique look to prints with layers slightly offset and giving them a retro feel.

Giclée prints
Giclée prints are a form of digital printing but use colour-fast fade proof inks that are much more vibrant. These are high quality prints and can be expensive to produce but the benefit for many artists is that they can be printed to order so can avoid paying for large print runs.

Lino and Block printing
These methods involve carving images into materials, applying ink and pressing them onto paper. This can be a very time consuming method, not only because of the carving time, but because of the process of adapting the carving for each new layer of colour. For this reason, prints are often made in one go and are sold as limited editions.

Other considerations

Paper quality
Some prints may be produced on standard papers, others on higher quality fine art paper. The latter is obviously more costly and would be reflected in the price. The highest quality papers will be around 300gsm.

Size
It goes without saying, the larger the size, the higher the cost.

Number of colours
This may not affect the cost when it comes to digital prints but may do so when it comes to prints that are produced in layers, such as screen prints or Lino prints.

Number in an edition
Some artists sell open edition prints (these are unlimited in number of reproductions), others sell limited edition prints (which means, um, they’re limited). The lower the number in the edition, the higher the cost. This is because the artist can’t make more money out of reproductions of their work. Limited editions are usually signed and numbered and may come with a certificate of authenticity.

Popularity of an artist
Obviously a very well known artist can charge far more than a relatively inexperienced artist. The more in demand, the higher the cost.

Understanding digital art

A common misunderstanding is that digital art is not as valuable as work that is created by other methods. If a digital print has only one in its series, this is as much an original piece of art as any other. Many digital pieces of work are created by painstaking methods or may use drawing techniques in the same way any other piece of art is created. The reason many artists produce work digitally is that it can result in brighter colours and facilitate a different process, allowing editing methods that are unachievable by traditional methods. The issue with digital is obviously the fact that a reproduction could be created, so it’s important that you have a certificate of authenticity from the artist and that the work is signed and dated.

Summary

In short, the type of print you are likely to invest in depends on your budget and tastes. If you are a fan of an artist you may be willing to pay far more than something that suits the decor of a room. If you’re simply looking for a little bit of fun decor, there are plenty of low cost prints available, but understanding why these prints are lower in price may help you to make more informed decisions about what you are buying.