Useful Information

 

Art as an Investment
People generally buy art because they love the picture, however it is becoming more and more collectable with the growing reputations of artists such as Alexander Millar, Doug Hyde, Charlotte Atkinson, David Shepherd, Beryl Cook, Mackenzie Thorpe, Kaye Boyce to name but a few. Limited editions are now highly sought after by art collectors worldwide. Their images often change hands at ever increasing prices, making the collecting of art even more exciting.

To guarantee your art, Limited Edition prints purchased from Yarm Gallery come with a certificate of Authenticity. Many collectors follow and acquire the works of a number of our artists. By joining our mailing list you will receive information of forthcoming releases by post or email.

Printing Methods
A number of different printing methods are employed in the reproduction of fine art. Below is a brief description of the main methods used to reproduce the limited edition prints in our collection.

Giclée is a relatively new method of producing high quality usually, limited edition prints and is often used for short print runs. The artist’s original is scanned and converted to a digital format, then printed on to fine art papers utilising specialist printers. The Giclée process is now used by many of the major publishers of fine art and prints using this process are exhibited in museums and art galleries throughout the world.

Giclée is a French term, roughly translated as ‘little squirt’ – ink is sprayed onto the substrate (fine art paper) in variable sized dots depending upon the amount of colour required using lightfast pigment-based inks.

Fine art papers (the substrates) used for Giclée are produced by paper mills that also produce similar acid-free papers for artists. Suppliers of these fine art papers include Hahnemüle of Germany and St Cuthbert’s Mill in the UK. The use of archival quality inks and papers ensures the long-term stability of the artwork produced by the Giclée process.

For those of you interested in trivia, fine art photographer Graham Nash (ex Hollies/Crosby, Stills and Nash), played a large part in the development of Giclée.

Lithograph – using a planographic process: prints are pulled on a special press from a flat stone or metal surface. The surface has been chemically sensitised so that ink sticks only to the design areas and is repelled by the non-image areas. Lithography was invented in Solnhofen, in Germany by Alois Senefelder in 1798. This method of reproduction was favoured by great French artists such as Daumier and Delacroix and later by Degas, Toulouse- Lautrec, Picasso Braque and Miro

Offset Lithographs – A Special photo-mechanical technique in which the image to be printed is transferred to the negative plates and printed onto paper. Offset lithography is very well adapted to colour printing. In the process of producing limited editions the finest reprographic techniques are used to split the colours. High quality mechanical printing then enables the translation of this image onto paper. The plates are destroyed in order that the authenticity and integrity of the limited edition print is maintained.

Silk-screens – this is one of the oldest methods of printing believed to have been developed in Japan from stenciling methods used by early cave dwellers. Nowadays the original is photographed and saved digitally on computer where the colours are separated in preparation for the silkscreen process. Screens are traditionally made using fine weave silk, although more frequently polyester is used over aluminum. One screen is required for each colour/shade. The process is lengthy as each colour is applied separately through the screen and must dry before the next is applied. The artist works closely with the printer and approves each stage, sometimes making changes to ensure the originality of the piece.

Hand Embellished – these are limited edition prints that have been hand finished by the artist who may apply additional paint, silver or gold leaf and/other material to each piece making it unique.

Artist’s Proof – Occasionally you may come across an Artist’s Proof. Commonly up to 10% of an edition may be reserved and are intended for the Artist’s personal use. When an Artists Proof is available it will normally be numbered as such and will indicate the number of artist’s proofs for example AP 6/25 means the sixth print in a set of 25 authorised proofs.

The prints are also signed by the artist and although sold in the same way as limited edition prints, they do often attract a slightly higher price.

Limited Edition Prints
High quality Limited Edition prints, such as those reproduced using lithography, silkscreen and giclee printing methods have enabled an artist’s work to be enjoyed by more collectors. It is vital however, that all limited edition prints are be signed and numbered by the artist as a guarantee of the authenticity of the edition and that the print has been made to their satisfaction.

Print Quality
The Fine Art Trade Guild Standard requires paper to be at least 250gsm thick, with an acidity level of between pH7 and pH10 to minimise discolouring. Colours should be relatively light-fast, scoring 6 or more on the Blue Wool Scale, the industry standard measurement in the UK, or its equivalent. Reproductions should normally be close facsimiles of the original work. Printing should be clear with a good depth of colour. An artist’s signature endorses the visible quality of the print quality.

Certificates of Authenticity
Whilst not essential, many publishers do now provide Certificates of Authenticity as further proof of the edition and quality of the print. Certificates may be signed by the Artist, Publisher or both and should show the title, artist, edition size, and year of printing. The Certificates will also show the print number.

Open Edition Prints
An open edition reproduction print can be produced in any quantity and the image may also be used in other ways such as on tableware. Open editions tend to cost less than limited editions and are much less likely to increase in value.

Box Canvas – is a canvas that has been stretched over a deep wooden frame so that the image is around the edge of the frame. Box canvases do not normally have a frame added and can be hung straight onto the wall.