Signing and numbering of original prints

Original prints differ from reproductions in that each individual impression in an edition is part of the original artwork. To document the authenticity of the work, the edition size, and the artist’s approval, an established practice of signing, numbering, and providing additional information below the image is used.

The information written below a print provides details about the identity of the work, the edition, and the artist’s confirmation of the work. Although practices vary between artists and traditions, a standardized placement and a number of established abbreviations are often used.

The information below a print is usually written in pencil directly on the paper. Pencil has traditionally been preferred because it is stable over time, does not penetrate the paper in the same way as ink, and can be distinguished from the printed image as a separate documentary element of the artwork.

Writing instruments or materials that are not archival should not be used. Ink, felt-tip pens, or other pigments that may fade, discolor, or deteriorate over time can reduce the documentary value of the work and, in the worst case, damage the paper. For original prints, which are often intended to be preserved for many generations, the choice of stable materials is an important part of professional handling and preservation.

On traditional graphic prints, the information below the image is often arranged according to an established convention.

The edition number, and any additional information such as the printing technique or other notes, are usually placed to the left below the image. The title of the work is often centered, while the artist’s signature is placed on the right. If a year is included, it is usually placed together with the signature, often after the signature or immediately beside it.

This arrangement is not an absolute rule, and artists may choose other solutions. Nevertheless, this format is widely used and makes the information easy to read: edition and technical information on the left, the title of the work in the center, and the artist’s authentication on the right.

Original prints are usually produced in limited editions. The numbering indicates both which impression the individual print represents and the total number of impressions produced.

An example is 17/42, which means that this is impression number 17 in an edition of 42 prints. Once the edition has been completed, no additional impressions should be produced in the same edition.

Instead of traditional numbering, some artists may indicate the edition size with text, for example “one of forty-two”. This means that the work is one of a total of 42 impressions in the edition. The text normally appears on all prints in the edition and indicates the total size of the edition, not the number of the individual impression.

An open edition means that no fixed upper limit has been established for the number of impressions that may be produced. Such prints may still be considered original prints if they are created as independent graphic artworks through the artist’s own process.

Open editions generally have significantly lower value than limited editions because the number of impressions is not controlled. The absence of a fixed edition size reduces rarity and therefore usually also reduces collector value.

The title is an important part of the identification of a graphic work. It represents the artist’s designation of the work and distinguishes it from other works within the same artistic practice or series.

Some graphic works have a specific title that applies to the entire edition, while others may be untitled. In such cases, designations such as “Untitled” are often used. Some artists also use descriptive titles, working titles, or numbered titles as part of the identity of the work.

For graphic works that are part of series, the title may be connected to an overall series designation, while each individual print may have its own variations or references. The title therefore helps document the relationship between the work and its place within the artist’s production.

Together with the artist’s signature, technique, and edition information, the title forms part of the complete documentation of the graphic work. It is therefore not merely a descriptive text, but a part of the work’s identity and authentication.

The signature confirms that the artist approves the work and the edition. An original print should be signed by the artist directly on the sheet, usually as part of the handwritten documentation below the image.

The signature is part of the authentication of the work and shows that the artist takes responsibility for the final edition. It documents the connection between the artist, the work, and the specific edition.

It is common to indicate which graphic technique has been used, particularly for traditional printing methods. This provides information about how the work was produced and forms an important part of its documentation.

Examples of technique designations include:

• woodcut
• linocut
• etching
• drypoint
• lithography
• serigraphy
• digital original print / Digital Graphic Art (DGA)

The technique designation may also be more specific and describe combinations of methods or particular working processes.

In addition to ordinary edition numbering, certain abbreviations are used for special impressions outside the main edition.

EA – Épreuve d’artiste (Artist’s proof)
The artist’s own impressions from an edition, usually produced in addition to the numbered main edition.

HC – Hors commerce (Not for sale)
Impressions originally intended for the artist, printer, galleries, or other purposes, and not for ordinary sale.

PP – Printer’s Proof
Impressions belonging to the printer or workshop that produced the edition.

BAT – Bon à tirer (Approved for printing)
The approved proof used as a reference for the production of the rest of the edition.

V.E. – Variable Edition
An edition in which each impression varies significantly within the same series.

TplA – Tiré par l’artiste (Printed by the artist)
Indicates that the artist has personally carried out the printing of the work. The designation is particularly used in French and European printmaking traditions and refers to the artist’s direct involvement in the printing process.

E.T. – Eget trykk (Printed by the artist)
A Norwegian designation used when the artist has printed the work personally. It corresponds in practice to the French designation TplA.

There is no absolute international standard for how many impressions may be produced as EA, HC, PP, or similar additional impressions beyond the main edition. A common guideline is nevertheless that such additional impressions together should generally not exceed approximately 10% of the main edition.

Sometimes these additional impressions are also numbered separately, for example HC 1/3 – HC 3/3. In such cases, they form a separate limited series outside the main edition.

The principles of signing, numbering, and documentation apply to original prints regardless of the technique used – from traditional printing methods to digital graphic processes.

Reproductions of existing artworks should not, however, be signed and numbered as original prints. A reproduction may be of high technical quality and produced in a limited number of copies, but it reproduces an already existing work and is not a new original graphic artwork.

Nevertheless, reproductions are sometimes presented as “graphics” or “prints” and supplied with signatures and edition numbers. A signature and limited edition alone are therefore not sufficient to define a work as an original print.

The decisive factor is whether the graphic process is part of the creation of the artwork, or whether the printing process is only used to reproduce a work that already exists. Original printmaking is therefore not only about how an image is produced, but about the relationship between the artist’s creative process, the graphic method, and the finished work.