Difference Between a Painting & a Print; Best Ways to Find Out

At first, the art of purchasing might be intimidating. There are numerous words to learn, and anybody interested in collecting art should spend some time learning them. Understanding the world of art prints, in particular, is important.

Buyers are attracted to fine art prints because of their growing quality and low cost. These artwork replicas are less costly while still being beautiful. Still, your fine art print can improve in value over time if you know what to look for them.

Unfortunately, some people mistakenly believe that they are purchasing an original painting and receive a print instead. It’s critical to understand the difference between a print and an original artwork to avoid misunderstanding. For removing the confusion, there is a distinction to be made between original paintings and original prints.

Difference Between Painting and Print

Here are the most undeviating differences between a print and a painting.

Attributes	Print	Painting
Texture	A print is often flat with a dot matrix pattern, similar to that found in magazine or book pictures.	Brushstrokes in an original painting are textured. Original watercolor or gouache paintings are done usually on rough paper with a unique texture.
EdgesThe margins of a stretched canvas in an Original Painting are irregular and unevenly painted.	The edges of a print are usually crisp, even, and neat, and here is where the customer normally does not check.
Identification Marks/ Copyright	Under a bright light, an Original Painting may reveal pencil lines from the artist’s original sketch as well as alterations made by the artist throughout the painting process.	Many identifications and copyright marks are placed typically in tiny characters on a print.
Quality Over Time	This lasts for a short time as the ink may fade away over time.	A painting will last long due to its natural coating.

As new technologies for producing art prints have developed, distinguishing them from genuine items has become more challenging. These guidelines can help you distinguish a print from an original painting before you approach a museum curator, art collector, appraiser, or other art experts.

Other Important Terms

You could consider acquiring prints for yourself now that you understand the differences between art prints, original prints, and original paintings. However, you will come across a few additional phrases that are crucial to remember.

These phrases indicate the print’s worth in general. This is useful if you want your prints to hold their value or get appreciation over time. They can be just useful if you don’t want to resell and just want a great piece of art at the best price.

Limited Edition Prints are reproductions or originals with a limited number of copies available. The number of prints produced in the “edition” is thus “limited”. After that, the artist signs and numbers each print by hand (if it’s numbered “1/100,” it’s the first of 100 in the edition). As a result, we have the value of the print preserved. We will use the same highly polished method for each print in the collection.

Open Edition Prints are reproductions of original prints that are not limited in quantity, allowing the artist to produce as many as they like in the same edition. This implies that the customer will never know how many copies will be available in the future. That implies reduced pricing but at the risk of a lesser resale value.

An Artist Proof is a print created by the artist for personal use during the printing of a limited edition. Artist proofs were used to evaluate the colors and details in previous printing processes. After that, the artist would modify things to make the prints seem better. That means errors in the artist proofs were not reproductions for visible in the limited-edition prints. Usually, they are taken after everything gets finalized nowadays. Artist proofs are labeled AP on the back and frequently numbered by the painters. Artist proofs are extremely expensive since they are considerably rarer than even limited-edition prints.

A Galley Proof is a print created by an artist to be sent to gallies. These are usually produced with the best materials and the most sophisticated techniques that an artist is capable of applying. GP (galley proof) or HC (Hors D‘ Commerce, which means “out of trade” in French) the labels on these print proofs, like artist proofs, are extremely valuable owing to their scarcity.

The terms listed above might assist you in determining a potential worth of a print. However, if you look into buying prints, especially online, you’ll discover that there are a plethora of options. The materials and techniques used to make a print can have an impact on its worth, but more significantly, they can alter the product’s feel or quality.

Fine Art Prints or Original Paintings: How to Decide

Original paintings are a fantastic thing to have whenever you can afford them. However, you should not be discouraged from purchasing prints. You can still find elements of breathtaking beauty that are valuable.

You can trust yourself to make the proper selection as long as you know what you’re buying. We are in the midst of a golden era of art purchasing, with more than ever work available to more individuals. Art prints play a significant role in this.

Finally, whether you buy a print or an original artwork, what counts the most is what you like and how much you’re willing to spend. What does a painting communicate to you in such a manner that you feel a connection to it and that it seems like it brings beauty and harmony to your space?

Final Verdict

While purchasing art, it’s critical to be certain of what you’re obtaining. This tutorial will teach you all you need to know about art prints, including how to recognize them and tell them, apart from original paintings. That isn’t to argue that art prints can’t be extremely expensive. In reality, many purchasers may discover that fine art prints are an excellent method to acquire artwork. We hope this tutorial will leave you decisive on what type of artwork you need.