Glossary of Art Terms

Glossary of Art Terms

Artist Proofs	Artist proofs, or AP's as they are called in the industry are prints created in addition to the limited, signed-and-numbered edition. It used to be that these prints were the first off the press, and were clearer and sharper than the rest of the run. Today, with printing being so good, there is no real visual difference. The AP's are sought after by collectors for their rarity, as they typically only make up 10% of an edition. Sometimes they are only accessible through the artist. They tend to go up in value quicker when the edition sells out due to the fact their are less of them available.
Canvas Transfers	A canvas transfer is defined as a paper print that has had it's ink transferred to canvas. Special chemicals are used to separate the ink from a paper print. This ink is re-banded (put down in layers) to canvas. The canvas is then seal coated with a UV protective varnish to keep the colors from running when they come into contact with water. Canvas Transfers are desired because they look so close to an original painting for a fraction of the cost. Charles Wysocki also designs the frames for most of his canvas transfers, so they are ready to hang when purchased. They also do not have glare because no glass is used, and you can dust them off with a damp cotton rag, so maintenance is very simple.
Certificate of Authenticity	This is a document that comes with a limited edition print, or canvas transfer that verifies its title, edition size, number in the edition and other pertinent information ,such as the date of release, size, and artist information.
Hors De Commerce	Hors De Commerce prints, or HC's as they are called in the industry, are very similar to Artist Proofs except they are only available through the artist directly. Usually there are only 25 made per edition. The artist gives these away as gifts or sells them. They are valued as Artist Proofs, or higher since they are even more rare. The term "Hors De Commerce" means "Out of Trade" in English. The artist receives these as a gift for allowing the publisher to print his/her images. Charles did not start making these until he started publishing with Hadley House in 1999.
Lithographs	Lithographs, or offset reproductions, is a photomechanical reproduction created when an image is transferred to a plate photographically, transferred in reverse to a roller, and then printed positively on paper. All of Charles Wysocki's limited edition prints, and open edition prints are made this way.

Open Edition	Open edition prints are reproductions with edition sizes not limited to a specific number. They are sometimes signed by the artist, and are often printed on more expensive paper and with better quality inks than posters
Posters	Posters are reproductions with an unlimited edition size that is produced using less expensive inks and papers than lithographs, and open editions. Posters are not signed by the artist, as open editions often are, and they usually contain promotional verbiage that is meant to be exposed when framed.
Secondary Market & Sold Out Prints	This term describes the network of dealers, artists, and collectors where one must go to find images that are sold out at the publisher. The images found in this market are more expensive in most cases because these prints tend to be popular ones that are in demand, and in some cases very hard to find. A good example would be "Frederick the Literate" by Charles Wysocki.
Signed and Numbered	This describes a limited edition lithograph or canvas transfer that has been hand signed and sequentially numbered by the artist, usually in one of the lower corners of the image. The numbering takes the form of a fraction, with the top number indicating the number of the image, and the bottom number signifying the total number of images in the edition.