Art print glossary

Giclée print

Also: Giclée · Inkjet fine-art print · Archival pigment print

A giclée is a fine-art print made on a high-resolution inkjet press, using archival pigment inks on heavyweight cotton or alpha-cellulose paper.

Archival print

Also: Archival fine-art print · Museum-grade print

An archival print is one made with materials chosen for long-term stability — pigment inks, acid-free paper — and is rated to resist fading for a century or more.

Bleed

Also: Full bleed · Edge to edge · Borderless

A print where the image extends to the edge of the paper, with no white border. Common in posters and contemporary photographic prints; less common in fine-art editions where a signature margin is needed.

ICC profile

Also: Colour profile · Print profile

A standardised colour-translation file describing how a specific printer + paper + ink combination reproduces colour. Used to keep colours accurate from the artist's screen to the finished print.

Pigment vs dye inks

Also: Pigment ink · Dye ink · Archival ink

Two ink chemistries used in inkjet printing. Pigment inks bond colour to paper as particles and last decades; dye inks dissolve colour chemically and fade within years.

Embossment (chop mark)

Also: Chop mark · Blind stamp · Dry stamp

A small inkless impression pressed into the paper — usually in a corner — identifying the printmaker, publisher, or gallery. A traditional mark of authenticity alongside the signature.

Limited edition

Also: Limited edition print · Numbered edition

A limited edition is a print run with a fixed maximum number of impressions, usually signed and numbered, after which the edition is closed and no more are made.

Open edition

Also: Open edition print · Print on demand

An open edition is a print with no cap — it can be reprinted on demand for as long as the gallery offers it. Lower priced than a limited edition, with no scarcity claim.

Certificate of authenticity

Also: COA · Authenticity certificate

A signed document — physical or digital — that records an artwork’s provenance, edition number, and key details, issued by the gallery or artist as a guarantee of authenticity.

Edition size

The total number of impressions in a print edition. The smaller the edition size, the more scarce — and usually the more expensive — each impression becomes.

Artist’s proof

Also: A.P. · AP · Épreuve d’artiste · E.A.

A small number of impressions outside the main numbered edition, traditionally kept by the artist. Marked “A.P.” on the lower margin instead of a fraction.

Signed and numbered

Also: Hand-signed and numbered

A limited-edition convention where the artist signs and numbers each impression in pencil, recording the print’s position in the edition.

Limited edition vs open print

Also: Limited vs open edition · Edition print vs open print

Limited editions cap the impression count and carry scarcity-driven value; open editions print on demand with no cap and trade scarcity for affordability. Same paper + inks, different commercial structure.

Hors commerce (H.C.)

Also: H.C. · HC

French for "not for commercial sale". A small number of impressions outside both the main edition and the artist's proofs, kept by the publisher rather than sold through the gallery.

Bon à tirer (B.A.T.)

Also: B.A.T. · BAT · Ready to print · Right to print

French for "good to print". The single approved proof — signed by the artist before the edition is pulled — that the printer matches every subsequent impression against.

Deckle edge

Also: Torn edge

The naturally uneven, feathery edge of handmade or mould-made paper, left untrimmed. A visual signal that the paper is fine art rather than industrial cut sheet.

Cotton rag paper

Also: Cotton paper · Rag paper · 100% cotton

Paper made from 100% cotton fibre rather than wood pulp. Acid-free, dimensionally stable, and the most archival paper substrate available.

GSM (paper weight)

Also: Grams per square metre · Paper weight

Grams per square metre — the international measure of paper weight. Higher GSM means heavier, thicker, more substantial paper. Fine-art papers are typically 200gsm and above.

Paper finishes (matt, lustre, satin)

Also: Matt paper · Lustre paper · Satin paper · Paper surface · Print finish

The surface texture of a print paper — matt, satin, or lustre. Affects glare, perceived saturation, and the print's tactile character without changing colour accuracy.

Hahnemühle

Also: Hahnemühle paper · Hahnemühle FineArt

A German fine-art paper manufacturer founded in 1584. Supplies museum-quality archival papers used by galleries and printmakers worldwide.

Float framing

Also: Float mount · Float frame

A framing style where the print is mounted on top of a backing board rather than behind a window mount, so the full sheet — including any deckle edges — stays visible.

Mount

Also: Mat · Mat board · Window mount

A border of stiff acid-free card cut to surround a print and sit between it and the glass. Provides visual separation, protects the print from contact with glass, and increases the framed size.

Glazing (glass + acrylic)

Also: Frame glass · Picture glass · Acrylic glazing · UV-filtering glass · Museum glass

The transparent material in front of a framed print — usually glass or acrylic. UV-filtering grades protect the print from fading; anti-reflective grades reduce glare.

Mount vs frame

Also: Mat vs frame · Mounted vs framed

Two different parts of a finished print's presentation. The frame is the outer moulding; the mount is the layer of acid-free card between the print and the glass. A framed print can have a mount or no mount.

Foxing

Small reddish-brown spots that appear on aged paper, caused by humidity, oxidation, and trace iron impurities. Common on older prints; preventable on modern archival paper.

Lightfastness

Also: Fade rating · Lightfastness rating · Wilhelm rating

How resistant a print's inks are to fading under light exposure. Independently tested by Wilhelm Imaging Research; fine-art pigment prints typically rate 100+ years under glass.