Frequently asked questions

This page is intended as an overview of the processes and has some observations on frequently asked questions. If you have specific technical queries, either about individual prints or aspects of the printing processes, please email us.

What is an original print?

This is a tricky question. There have been many attempts to arrive at a concrete definition, many of which bear little relation to current artists' practice or the varied methods employed in printing studios. Various countries have import regulations in place which offer a definition. The unified commodity code provided by the U.S.A. is supported in this way. Artists often approach the making of prints in an experimental manner and (rightly) resist any imposed restriction. Consider this, would any artist accept restrictions defining what is or is not an 'original' painting?

Our working definition is that the image has been made through and for printing and that it has involved the artist directly in all stages of the image formation. A key requirement is that the image could not be formed in any other way and that it realizes the artist's vision for the piece. The artist is in the driving seat and their freedom of choice is sacrosanct.

Traditionally, original prints have been viewed as objects formed totally by the artist in which every mark appearing in the finished print has been made by the artist's hand alone. More recently it has become accepted that the involvement of skilled collaborators should be allowed within the definition. This is in keeping with the division of labour typical in the making of Japanese woodblock prints. It has parallels with the role of foundry artisans in cast sculpture.

Many original prints are a team effort involving papermakers, plate or stencil makers, digital originators or photographic technicians and printers. All these people are working strictly to the artist's instructions but they may make a contribution on a variety of levels to the finished work. The relationship between the artist and the printer is a complex one and has virtually limitless variations.

Original prints are usually made by hand using very high quality materials but these are not essential elements. Similarly, original prints are usually published in limited editions but the limitation of the print run does not, in any way, condition the image. An unlimited edition of original prints is quite acceptable, the only significant effect of the limitation is that it increases the price by virtue of scarcity.

An original print is an original print if the artist says so. We will support them with whatever media they want to use and the people and processes that they may require to bring it into existence. The resulting work will not be a reproduction of a pre-existing image. It will stand alone without a point of reference.

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What is a limited edition?

It is a run of prints in which the number of copies is finite. Usually all the sheets are identical but sometimes variables will be built into the edition. With all original prints each sheet is a performance. Sometimes the performance follows the basic script with bravura touches. The length of the run may have been restricted by the break-down of the printing matrix or more usually by the conscious destruction of the matrix. Normally the prints in such a run are numbered to show how many copies have been made. (See What do the numbers and marks on the bottom of the print mean?).

Many factors lead to the limitation of an edition, these include:

• A marketing decision in which the publisher believes that only a certain number of copies will sell, or a belief that rarity will make the work more collectable.
• A practical factor intervenes, such as a limited supply of a rare paper.
• Technical complexity prohibits the making of many copies.
• The printing matrix is very fragile and will only deliver a few copies.
• A financial restriction applies. So, whilst the unit cost goes down on a larger run, the total cost increases. Some prints are very expensive to make.

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What do the numbers and marks on the bottom of the print mean?

The edition number

Usually expressed as 1/30, 2/30 (and so on), shows that the print is from an edition of 30 copies. 1/30 does not necessarily mean that this was the first to be printed. It also means that there will only ever be 30 edition copies in existence.

The artist's proof

Sometimes only marked A.P., more usually marked A.P. 1/4 to show that this is one of four (or however many) proofs. These are the property of the artist and may be sold by them. The artist's proofs are in addition to the limited edition and are usually restricted to 10% of the edition number. So, on an edition of 30 copies, there would be 3 artist's proofs. Sometimes marked E.A. as in Epreuve d'Artiste.

Hors Commerce

A display copy (literally 'outside trade'). Typically marked H.C. 1/2, etc.

B.A.T.

The final preparatory proof. It stands for Bon A Tirer, ‘good to pull’. Sometimes marked ‘right to print’. The edition run is matched to this proof.

P.P.

A printer's proof. The artist usually gives each collaborating printer a copy of the finished work. These are often dedicated to the person.

Archive Copies

It is common for studios to keep one or two copies of each image for their records.

Roman Numbered Copies

These are usually a sub-division of the edition. For instance, part of the edition may be printed on Japanese paper or on vellum, these might be distinguished by Roman numbering as in 1/X, 11/X, etc.

The artist's signature

This is a sign of authorship and of approval.

The date

This shows when the work was made.

Watermarks

Some papermakers include a watermark in the sheet. These range from the discreet to the more flamboyant. Some, like Fabriano, run down the whole length of the paper. They are another sign of authenticity and a mark of quality.

Chop mark/Blind stamp

These can be the mark of the printer, the studio or the publisher. All are useful because they reveal who has been involved in the creation of the piece. Our blind stamp is an image of an embossing press used to make the blind stamp or chopmark.

A typical declaration of an edition might run like this:

1. Artist's name
2. Title
3. Published by The Print Studio, Date of Publication
   In an edition of XXX impressions
   with X artist's proofs, X printers' proofs, X hors commerce copies and X archive copies
   Proofed and printed by XXXX XXXXXX
   on X Paper, X weight

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What is a monoprint, and what is a monotype?

There is a degree of confusion here. Usage of these terms varies from place to place. Sometimes unique prints are both monotyped and monoprinted. Artists often make unique printed images from a blank surface (without a printing matrix). For instance, it could be an image painted in ink, wax or oil paint on a blank metal plate which is then printed onto paper. It could also be created by painting an image onto a blank silk screen. This type of print may pass through the press many times and have a particular physicality. Because there is no matrix to retain the image and because the pressure of the press strips most of the ink from the painted surface, only one copy may be made. Sometimes a ’ghost image’ remains on the plate or screen allowing a similar performance to be made; it would be similar but by no means identical . In the U.S.A. this would be called a monotype. The American definition is gradually becoming the international standard, so let’s go with it.

A monoprint is a unique variation of an image made from a matrix or a group of matrices. A good instance of this is Eduardo Paolozzi's Monotype 9 Heads of 1995 printed in 42 colours. Each print in the edition of 40 has a unique colour combination; the marks are identical in each instance. Monoprints are sometimes used as part of an experimental process, sometimes as an end in themselves. They have a very special quality, bringing together the integrated surface of a print with the spontaneity of a painting. There is a wonderful perversity in using a technology capable of producing many copies to make a unique object.

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Why do original prints cost so much?

Relatively speaking, they represent remarkable value for money. Much time, skill and wide range of specialized materials and equipment go into their making. This means that a considerable investment has to be made. The artists and printers have specific skills which result only from years of dedicated practice and experimentation. It sometimes seems a miracle that complex prints can be made at all. They are frequently printed in 25 colours, or more. Each colour is a separate operation, requiring set-up, running and drying. The fact that all the elements integrate and work as a whole can easily disguise all this input. The nature of collaborative printmaking is such that the final image results from a lot of time in the studio. Getting the piece to work takes as long as it takes so there is sometimes a long lead time and a significant amount of wastage.

The investment that must be made to bring the piece into being is diluted by the size of the edition. If the edition is small then the cost factor in each sheet can be great. On top of this the artist and publisher need to make a living! The real question is why do they cost so little.

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How long does an edition take to print?

How long is a piece of string? All printmaking projects are different. The process of making a print tends to follow a well trodden path: an initial discussion, drawing together the necessary resources, a period of proofing during which the image is developed and made stable, running the edition and lastly the finishing and signing.

The proofing can take two days or up to a month, the running of the edition might take a few days or a several weeks. A large format colour etching or carborundum print is a totally different proposition to a small screen print. However, we can make a good estimate given sight of a preparatory artwork or a clear description of the piece envisaged.

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Can I copy the images on the website?

The short answer is no. All the images printed and published by The Print Studio, Cambridge are protected by copyright. It is possible, with written permission, to use the images to promote sales, for example to advertise an exhibition that contains the work.

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Are there any good books on printmaking?

There are many. Unfortunately they tend to go out of print quite quickly. A. & C. Black are currently producing a really useful series of Printmaking Handbooks.

• Printmaking for Beginners, Jane Stobart
• Relief Printmaking, Ann Westley
• Water-based Screen Printing, Steve Hoskins
• Japanese Woodblock Printing, Rebecca Salter
• Stone Lithography, Paul Croft

All of the above published by A & C Black, 37 Soho Square, London, W1D 3QZ

• The Tamarind Book of Lithography, pub. Abrams
• Printmaking, Don Saff and Deli Sacilotto, pub. Holt Rinehart Winston
• Screenprinting, Tim Mara, pub. Thames and Hudson

'Printmaking Today' is a very useful journal: 'On Paper', the American equivalent, is superb. 'Print Quarterly' is very authoritative.

There are also a number of books on collecting prints. Among these Rosemary Simmons' book is excellent.

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