GLOSSARY

At Eames Fine Art we represent a diverse selection of contemporary, modern and historic artists that all have their roots in printmaking. There is a vast range of printmaking techniques available to artists including wood cut, lithography, etching and screenprinting. But whatever the medium used, it is essential to emphasise that the goal of the artist in every case is to create an original print as opposed to a reproduction. That is to say that the artist has worked out his or her designs directly onto the printing surface (matrix) or silk screen as the first stage of a printing process that will produce the final original print. These prints are inspected and approved by the artist, then numbered and signed either individually or on the front piece of the book or portfolio of the series. The editions are strictly limited, with usual edition sizes ranging from 10 to 250 prints. Once the edition has been completed the plate is destroyed to ensure that no more may ever be produced. 

Fundamentally, the artist conceives the image as a print, not as a painting or a drawing, and they work directly on the printing surface. Often the artist is assisted by a skilled printmaker but is involved at every stage of the printing process personally and gives final approval of the finished print. 

Making original fine art prints is highly labour-intensive and demands skill, creativity, dedication and absolute standards from everyone involved in the process. Each series of prints may occupy an artist for months or even years. Please enjoy the beautiful selection of different mediums we have to offer. If you would like to know more about these technical processes, please do get in touch with our team; they would be happy to help.