You've found a print you love. Then you read the description and stumble on a string of words: limited edition, 12/50, signed, giclée, AP, hand-finished. What do they actually mean, and do they matter?
Here's a gentle guide, so you can buy with confidence.
Signed
The artist has signed the print by hand, usually in pencil, often in the lower margin. A hand signature shows that the artist has approved this particular print. A signature printed as part of the image is not the same thing.
Numbered and limited edition
A limited edition means only a fixed number of prints will be made. The number is written as a fraction, often next to the signature: 12/50 means this is the twelfth print of an edition of fifty. Once the edition is sold out, no more will be printed. Smaller editions tend to be rarer.
Artist's proof (AP)
Sometimes marked "AP" or "E.A." (épreuve d'artiste in French). These are a small number of prints set aside outside the numbered edition, traditionally for the artist. Collectors sometimes prize them.
Open edition
Prints that can be reproduced without a limit. They're often more affordable, and perfectly lovely to live with, but they aren't rare.
Giclée
A term often used for high-quality inkjet prints made with archival inks on fine paper. Good giclée prints can be very long-lasting when properly framed and kept away from strong sunlight.
Hand-finished
The artist has added something by hand to each print: brushstrokes, color, details, gold leaf. Each piece becomes a little different, somewhere between a print and an original.
Does it matter?
It depends on what you're looking for. If you're buying for love, choose the piece that moves you. If you also care about rarity and connection to the artist, a signed, numbered or hand-finished print offers something more.
A print that's never quite the same twice
My print Anthropos, whose title is the Greek word for human being, was originally a watercolor. Each print is revived by hand with fresh brushstrokes, so no two are alike, signed, and comes with a meditation letter. Somewhere between a print and an original, like many of the most personal things we own.
Remember to take as much time as you need, and meet me at the next one.
Love, Evi