There is some confusion about prints versus original artworks. Some people mistakenly think that prints are always worth less than original works. There are plenty of situations where a print can be worth more then an original.

First, it’s important to understand that’s not all prints are the same. Mass produced prints are at the bottom of the list. These are the common half tone prints. Under magnification, it looks like a dot inside of a circle. If anything is “just a print”, it is this specific type of print. This type of mass produced print is also often found on cheap thin paper. The quality of the paper and the quality of the inks play a large part in the value of a piece.

There are some higher quality mass produced prints that are made with digital printers such as giclée prints, or others digital prints made with large format printers. Because these can be mass produced that also plays into the value, but just because a piece was printed with a digital printer, it doesn’t mean I can’t resell it. If it’s desirable subject matter, then somebody will buy it at the right price.

Then there are engravings and etchings. These are generally more rare then the other types of prints described above. Rare doesn’t always mean valuable. Even a mass produced print can be more valuable than an engraving or an etching if the subject matter is desirable. A nice image is a nice image and if you want it on your wall, then it’s valuable!

Another type of print process is the lithographic proces. Lithographs are often found as numbered prints, but they can also be open editions with no limit to the amount of copies. To identify a lithograph, you’ll need a magnifying device such as a loupe. What you’re looking for are ink patterns that reflect this particular printing process. You can also spot the edges of the printing plate. Sometimes this is visible if you remove the print from the frame.

Serigraphs, also known as screen prints are a method of applying paint in layers onto paper or canvas. The paint is poured through templates to create layers. Under magnification, serigraphs don’t have any type of pixels. They are solid paint. Screen prints are often more interesting visually because the paint pigment is richer. Compared to a half tone print, a serigraph stands out.

When it comes to lithographs and screen prints, there is a human element involved in the printing process. The lithographic plates have to be prepared by the artist, and are often destroyed afterwards. Lithographs are often numbered and signed by the artist, increasing the value. But remember just because you see a signature, and a number that doesn’t mean it’s a lithograph or a screen print. You need to look with a magnifying device. With screen printing, there is even more labor behind each piece since each layer of paint has to be applied one at a time for each copy.

Most resellers ignore prints and are only interested in original acrylic and oil paintings. I learned from Doctor Lori that prints are often quite valuable and should not be overlooked. My first experience buying prints from an auction was quite eye opening. The auction house simply listed everything as “Limited Edition Prints”. With a simple google search of the artist’s name, I was able to see that these artists did often produce lithographs and serigraphs. I think a lot of buyers didn’t bother bidding on these prints. Hopefully, I’ll sell them all but truthfully, a lot of them are really amazing pieces of art, and I don’t mind keeping them!