Artist’s proof
Also known as: 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.
An artist’s proof is an impression of a print made outside the main numbered edition. The proof goes to the artist personally — to keep, gift, or sell privately rather than through the gallery. Traditionally proofs were the first impressions pulled from a plate, used to check colour and registration before the formal edition began; today the distinction is conventional rather than technical.
The convention is usually that artist’s proofs make up around 10% of the headline edition size. An edition of 100 might have 10 artist’s proofs; an edition of 50 might have 5. These aren’t part of the “100” the gallery sells — they’re a separate, smaller run with their own identifier.
Proofs are marked differently from the main edition. Instead of a fraction like “12 / 100” the lower margin reads “A.P.” (Anglo-American convention), “AP”, or “E.A.” / “Épreuve d’artiste” (French convention). Some artists also number their proofs (“A.P. 3 / 10”), others don’t.
Why collectors care about artist’s proofs. Two reasons. First, they’re scarcer than the main edition — an A.P. from an edition of 100 is one of about 10 prints, not one of 110, so the per-print scarcity is higher. Second, they have a closer connection to the artist: proofs are typically the ones the artist holds onto longest, and may have personal annotations or be signed differently.
In secondary-market sales an artist’s proof often carries a premium over the regular edition for those two reasons. In primary sales (buying from the gallery), pricing varies — some galleries hold proofs back for their best collectors, others price them identically to the main edition. Where artist’s proofs are available at Clark & Darcey, we list them separately and identify them clearly on the certificate of authenticity.