Unfortunately, scams abound for prints on artists' web sites, dealers' web sites, auction sites (unscrupulous sellers, not the sites) and also off line through frame shops, art fairs, shows and galleries that sell prints. Some of these prints may be for works of well known artists who may have beyond doubt no idea about the scam.
Basically, there are two print markets.
Collecting true fine art signed and numbered diminutive edition prints are a less high-priced way to derive venture ability fine art. Many population can afford it and if one selects prints by good and reputable artists one has the chance to have one's venture grow along with the artist's prestige and market.
Printer Inkjet
Beware artists who paint religious subjects or who claim to be Christians or Jews who issue prints. Some of the most wonderful population are authentic religious artists who offer good work and product, but a few, just a few are wolves in sheep's clothing. Corollary all the data given here and you will not fall prey to them.
Legally, any artist or publisher who has gained the privilege of using an image can call any edition a diminutive edition by setting a obvious number of prints within that edition. So, a diminutive edition of prints can be ten in number or 20,000. Scarcity creates value. An open edition print can end up being any number of works that the printer and artist can administrate to sell and thanks to contemporary technology, this can go on for many years duration.
Some publishers and artists figured out a clever way to get nearby the normal concept that a diminutive edition has a rather small and finite number. They issue a diminutive edition in one size, and later they issue the same print in another size - or even repeat a old size (especially if it sold well) by specially naming the edition. I have seen this kind of edition named, "the Jubilee edition," the "Celebration series" the master edition", and so forth. Pretty much looks like a scam to me.
Reputable, good artists and publishers do offer prints in distinct sizes and even media. For instance a true diminutive edition work may be offered on canvas and paper at the buyer's choice. Similarly, reputable artists and printers are known to offer the same image in discrete sizes, all signed and numbered. They may even call these distinct sized or media offerings by names that are similar to the ones mentioned previously. However, these reputable honest folks offer one big difference.
From the onset the printer and more importantly the artist clearly indicate the exact number of prints signed and numbered prints that will ever be available of the image. Most will even set out how many prints will exist in each edition according to size and media. The collector should be able to know how many signed and numbered prints will ever be made available. Period.
For example, let's use Andy Warhol:
The market and price for his silkscreen prints continues to soar. Most of his work was signed, commonly on the back sometimes on the front and provenance (the record of who has owned the work, and for how long and then who owned it next) is commonly available. Warhol often published him prints in editions of about 300, depending of the image. He might later reuse the image, especially with portraits, such as Marilyn Monroe, but the colors and arrangement of images would turn significantly.
Today one can also purchase unsigned unnumbered Warhol prints, commonly litho or posters of the most iconic works at market where attractive prints are sold. These are neither produced to be archival or signed and numbered, although they may be accounted as authentic by the foundation, meaning the traditional image is beyond doubt a Warhol. The Warhol foundation owns and licenses out the rights, which produces revenues for the non-profit foundation. This type of printing falls within my comprehension of the attractive market, and although it can be well done, these prints are not investments.
There are living artists who also have their works reproduced as prints both for the attractive market and also as diminutive edition fine art prints. Distinguishing in the middle of the two types of prints is easy when dealing with a reputable artist. Although reputable artists will sign posters made of there work to publicize exhibits and events, those posters will not be numbered. Fine art prints are always in diminutive editions and the total of signed and numbered prints for any images should never exceed 1000, and that is the absolute limit by a few hundred!
A Certificate of Authenticity should accompany every venture ability fine art print, signed by either the artist and or the publisher. It should contain the name of the print, the dimensions of the print, the media, and the number of the print over the number of the edition, plus, the number of total signed and numbered prints that will be published of that image, ever. If the print is new, the Coa should be dated. At the time of sale the collector should be given data as to where and how to modernize provenance records if the work leaves his hands. If a work is truly fine art, provenance is being kept on the artist's traditional and diminutive edition works.
Having a reproductive print on canvas does not make it a better print. In fact, an artist's work may be more important for being published on paper than on canvas although for beyond doubt traditional same-sized works this is commonly not the case. A reproductive diminutive edition print is always based on an original. Works created on paper, together with watercolors often look more like an traditional and make better prints when printed on the best archival papers that have texture.
Furthermore, the ability of the inks, paper or canvas, and printing equipment count. An artist running off an edition on his inkjet printer on cheap canvas is creating a goods that will beyond doubt fade into obscurity in only a few years. I have witnessed artists selling what they termed diminutive edition, signed and numbered prints, which were made on the color copier at the local print shop. These prints are guaranteed to fade in only a few years, but legally an artist can do this. Buyer beware.
Most artists prefer not to frame prints but to leave that to the collector and a reputable framer who will thought about use archival materials to surround the work. Many collectors keep their prints unframed in archival boxes, away from light and humid conditions. Sometimes collectors have a folio of prints, all numbered the same from an artist's series. Recently one of Warhol's work was on the market and the fact that the seller had a complete signed set all numbered with the same number made the works more valuable.
An artist who truly cares about his or her prestige is going to take care that all the data is made known about their prints. All of the data mentioned above will be on the Coa and/or in catalogues and other materials. Artists will not be trying to also do framing, offering discrete suggestions online - although print dealers may.
A print that was owned by person previously may be already framed. Ask questions! Ask about provenance and where you go to record it when the print changes hands. If the print is for a living or well known artist and you do not receive an immediate talk of person or gallery to contact, together with their address, you are probably better off not purchasing the print except as only a decoration.
If the work is being offered by a third party, caress the artist directly yourself and make inquiries. Reputable artists will not try to cut their dealers out of a sale, but will be glad to support with a sale. Reputable artists want to maintain provenance, so if you have questions about provenance for a work, the artist, or the gallery that represents them will be helpful. Developing a strong secondary market for an artist's work is important to the artist and their traditional dealer(s). You should enjoy an above board and satisfying connection with all parties when you make inquiries about an traditional print you wish to purchase. However, an artist who attempts to undercut a legitimate dealer (not a incommunicable party who may be seeking an unrealistic price) is probably giving you good hypothesize to back away from collecting their art.
Prints are a great way for an informed collector to enjoy the delight and venture rewards that can come from collecting art. Collecting good art is an venture you can show and share with pride.
Beware of Art Print Scams
