Are Art Prints Worth Anything? Or Are You Wasting Your Money (2023)

FAQs

Are picture prints worth anything? ›

Prints can in fact be very valuable, especially those by renowned artists, rare prints or old prints in good condition. Prints are a bit of a minefield when it comes to the value, which is often based on the production process and the artist's involvement in the creation of the print.

For art aficionados, amateur enthusiasts and everything in between, a contemporary print can be a great investment, both emotionally and financially. For anyone looking to start their own art collection, investing in contemporary art prints is a great way to begin (whilst experiencing utter joy along the way!).

The majority of reproductions of famous paintings have little value. For example, John Constable's painting The Haywain is a priceless masterpiece, but prints which are copies of this painting are of no real value and are not expected to increase in value over time.

While buying art may not be exactly described as a great investment, it is not a waste of money either. Art can appreciate, and people do make money by buying and selling art. While the chance of earning significantly from an art investment is small, it is not zero, and art does qualify as an asset.

Consider finding an appraiser to determine the value of your artwork. Appraisers are trained specialists who work for a fee. They evaluate your piece and give you a written statement of its value.

The original is not the same as a print. Original art will sell for much more and holds a much higher value than a print. Prints in no way devalue the original artwork because there is only one original no matter what!

A/P stands for 'Artist's proof' and is a small number of prints that are the first ones printed deemed good enough by the artist. Usually the number of A/Ps is about 10% of the size of the main edition, and this mini-edition can be numbered or not.

If the quality of your unwanted paintings is really good, you may be able to offer them to local women's shelters, ministries or child care organizations. If those organizations don't have use for artwork, give your old paintings away to a Goodwill or Purple Heart before chucking them.

Very large prints, especially those greater than 24 by 40 inches (60.96 by 101.60 centimeters), are especially difficult to produce, requiring elaborate techniques, one-of-a-kind printing presses, and the hands of a master printmaker. For these reasons, the biggest prints are often the most expensive.

How do you tell if it is a print or original? ›

Prints have a clean straight edge, often created by the plate used to create the work. Looking at the surface of a painting with a magnifying glass is one of the best ways to spot a print. Often a high quality cell phone can take photos which reveal a great deal, especially when using different “filters”.

Artist Proofs are generally valued higher than other prints in the edition, due to the rarity and small quantity of them. Oftentimes the Artist Proof are altered from the final edition, creating a uniqueness to them that is very desirable.

An original piece of artwork by a famous artist is expensive. A lithograph print is more affordable but still carries a tag of exclusivity, quality and value as there is almost certainly not going to be many copies.

In the essay “Is Art a Waste of Time?” by Ryhs Southan he discusses the purpose of art and explains the group, Effective Altruism. The main argument is that Effective Altruism do not agree with using resources and time on artwork.

Creativity and arts integration are not just about education though, they're about who we become as people. These things allow us to connect with others over common interests and emotions. They help us to express things that promote understanding and empathy.

Limited edition prints are usually original artworks that an artist develops in a specific print medium, like photography. There is always a limited number of prints available of this particular artwork for purchase. On the other hand, open edition prints are a selection of artworks that can be repeatedly reproduced.

With original prints, the original artwork IS THE PRINT ITSELF. The image may have been created in a variety of ways, by being etched into a plate, or drawn onto a lithographic stone, or engraved out of a block of wood for example.

Paper prints, and the back of canvas prints, should be signed with pencil. Pens, sharpies, and other markers can bleed and cause your paper prints to yellow over time.

Contact a reputable gallery or art broker for information about new and established artists. Some artists do not offer their work as limited edition prints. Make a list of potential artists and their agent contact information. Make notes about the medium used for the original piece, the style of work and the subjects.

A common way to tell if a print is a hand lithograph or an offset lithograph is to look at the print under magnification. Marks from a hand lithograph will show a random dot pattern created by the tooth of the surface drawn on. Inks may lay directly on top of others and it will have a very rich look.

How do I find the value of a picture? ›

Attract more customers by offering art at a lower price point than originals. As mentioned in the previous point, prints can be a great way to hook new customers, and then follow up down the road once you've got them on your list.

It is illegal to sell, publicize and publish a copy of an artwork unless you have prior permission from the copyright owner. It is also illegal to publish and sell an artwork that's substantially similar to another original work of art.

Yes, once you buy the art, it is yours to resell or keep. The copyright belongs to the artist unless you have purchased the rights to reproduce the work. Buying from emerging artists and then warehousing the art for resale when the artist has made a name for themselves is the way the mega-priced modern art world works.

Prints are often seen as mass-produced copies of famous artworks that are just not that valuable or worth investing in. But nothing can be further from the truth. Prints can be just as valuable as any other artwork and certain prints are known to reach seven or eight-figure prices at auctions.

H.C. (Hors Commerce) - French for “For Commercial Use”, these prints are sometimes unsigned by the artist and used to promote the edition and are supposedly not to be sold.

Edition Variable–the exception to the above rule is the Edition Variable, usually denoted by EV but artists also sometimes put Ed. Var, Var. Ed. or VE. This goes next to editions where the prints may not be.

Donate Them. This is one of the best ways to dispose of old and unwanted canvas paintings. There are different charity homes, shelters for the homeless, ministries, and child care organizations that would appreciate canvas paintings.

How to Reuse Old Canvas | Acrylic Art Tips for Beginners - YouTube

How much should you charge for prints? ›

For a simple answer, a good rule of thumb is to charge customers approximately four times what your total costs equated to. So if you've calculated that it cost you $13 to print an 8×10 (taking into account all the factors we've covered above), then you could charge customers around $52.

It would be best to aim for at least 25% profit on each print, but you may want to increase this margin depending on your expenses and other factors.

The average cost to print a page on a laser printer is around 5- to 8-cents for black and white, and between 12- and 15-cents for color laser prints. However, the cost of color print can rise as high as 60-cents per page for photos and heavy graphics.

A Print is usually flat and has a dot matrix pattern, the same pattern you find in magazines or book images. An Original Painting has irregular and uneven paint on the edges of the stretched canvas. A Print usually has sharp, even and clean edges; where the buyer typically does not look.

Artists typically now number their prints so that collectors will know that this print edition is limited and that their print is part of the official edition. The numbering of a print does not in itself make that print any more or less valuable, but it does give collectors some important facts about the print.

First-time buyers should ensure that an authenticity certificate is issued along with the artwork. The certificate should list details of the art piece such as the title, name of the artist, medium and size, an image of the artwork and be appropriately signed by the gallery representative or the artist.

While there is no difference between the quality of a numbered edition and an Artist's Proof, we have some collectors who prefer to purchase an Artist's Proof and others that prefer to collect the lowest possible numbered edition.

Instead of stating the number of the sheet within the edition, the printer's proofs contain the note PP and possibly a numbering with Roman or Arabic numerals. The number of PPs in addition to the regular edition is up to the artist. Usually there are one or two PPs.

Every Artwork in the Edition Is Identical

A common misconception is that editions are numbered in the order that they are printed. This is rarely the case, as artists will often number their works at random when they are signing and dating them.

Giclee is a French term meaning “to spray”, referring to how an inkjet printer works and how giclee prints are usually produced. These large format inkjet printers use small spraying devices that can both match color and apply ink precisely, giving artists a high-quality print of their original art explains ThoughtCo.

How do you know if a lithograph is worth money? ›

The value or price of a lithograph depends on the quality of the art work, the quality of the paper and how successfully the print was made. The reputation of the artist who produced the print sometimes has a bearing on the price and so does the reason the print was made.

The definition of lithography is a method of printing from a flat surface where unnecessary ink is turned away from the surface, generally by grease. An example of lithography is printing a message on a stone using grease to repel unwanted ink.

This book highlights the lost history of Black comic book artists who drew –- mostly in secret –- superhero, horror and romance comics in the 1930s and 1940s. It tells some of the stories of their lives and struggles in what was a relatively new American medium.

Prints are often seen as mass-produced copies of famous artworks that are just not that valuable or worth investing in. But nothing can be further from the truth. Prints can be just as valuable as any other artwork and certain prints are known to reach seven or eight-figure prices at auctions.

The most definitive method of determining whether a print is an original or a reproduction is by examination of its production process. All reproductions are made by a different process than originals; reproductions are photomechanically produced and originals are not.

Some old pictures and prints are incredibly rare and valuable, but age is no guarantee of value. There are thousands of 19th century prints on the market, many of which are small decorative bookplates (pages torn out of books) that may be worth a small amount if their subject has commercial appeal.

If the quality of your unwanted paintings is really good, you may be able to offer them to local women's shelters, ministries or child care organizations. If those organizations don't have use for artwork, give your old paintings away to a Goodwill or Purple Heart before chucking them.

A/P stands for 'Artist's proof' and is a small number of prints that are the first ones printed deemed good enough by the artist. Usually the number of A/Ps is about 10% of the size of the main edition, and this mini-edition can be numbered or not.

Artist Proofs are generally valued higher than other prints in the edition, due to the rarity and small quantity of them. Oftentimes the Artist Proof are altered from the final edition, creating a uniqueness to them that is very desirable.

Is there an app to take a picture of something to find its value? ›

Google Lens is a free app for iOS and Android devices.

The ambrotype (from Ancient Greek: ἀμβροτός — “immortal”, and τύπος — “impression”) also known as a collodion positive in the UK, is a positive photograph on glass made by a variant of the wet plate collodion process. Like a print on paper, it is viewed by reflected light.

When editions are small, the individual artworks in the edition are more rare—and, as a result, more expensive. Prints from large editions (often, 200 or above) are less valuable, as it's unlikely that the artist was directly involved in the production of each print.

A common way to tell if a print is a hand lithograph or an offset lithograph is to look at the print under magnification. Marks from a hand lithograph will show a random dot pattern created by the tooth of the surface drawn on. Inks may lay directly on top of others and it will have a very rich look.

Distinguishing a Print from a Painting

A clear difference between a print and a painting is the texture of the surface. Paintings typically have raised brushstrokes. The dots of ink on the print are flat. You can also find signs of the artist's work on original paintings.

If you make pictures that inspire awe and wonder in your viewer, and you can sell those pictures for a lot of money, the pictures are “valuable” in an economic/monetary sense.

From old historic photos in an antique shop to art prints in a museum, sepia photography is instantly recognizable. “Sepia photography is similar to black-and-white photography in that it's monochromatic, meaning one tone or one color. But it's more brown or tan,” says photographer Ellen Fisch.

1. Daguerreotype (1840's – early 1860) Daguerreotypes were popular from the 1840's -1860's. They are typically small with the most common size being 2 3/4 x 3 1/2 inches and housed in a case.