Artist Proofs Explained: What AP Means on a Screenprint

People ask me what AP means on a print.

Artist's proof. It sounds like something special. Like a secret version only the artist keeps.

That's half true. But the story's more interesting than most galleries tell you.

What an Artist's Proof Actually Is

When I'm pulling an edition, I don't go straight from the first test print to number one of fifty. There's a gap. A messy, technical gap where I'm checking everything works.

I print trials. I adjust registration between layers. I test how the ink sits on the paper after it's dried overnight. I compare colour against my original artwork under daylight.

Some of those tests are rubbish. Misregistered. Patchy ink coverage. They go in the bin.

But a few come out right. Properly right. They're the artist's proofs.

Traditionally, you'd keep ten percent of your edition size as APs. A fifty-print edition might have five APs. A hundred-print edition might have ten. They're marked AP or A/P instead of a number, and they sit outside the numbered sequence.

They're not better than the edition. They're just earlier.

Why APs Can Look Different

Here's what matters if you're collecting. An AP might not be identical to the numbered edition.

I pulled an AP last month on Somerset Satin 300gsm because I'd run out of my usual Velvet stock. The ink sat flatter. Less tooth on the surface. Same image, different feel under your hand.

Another time I adjusted the blue layer between pulling the APs and starting the main edition. Moved it half a millimetre to the left. Tiny shift. But if you put an AP next to number twelve, you'd see it.

Sometimes an AP uses a different ink batch. Water-based inks vary slightly between tubs, even from the same supplier. The batch I mixed in January isn't quite the same as the one I'm using in May. Close, but not identical.

Collectors who understand this don't mind. They see it as documentation. A record of how the print evolved.

Collectors who don't understand it feel cheated. They wanted an exact copy of the numbered edition, and they didn't get it.

What I Do With My APs

I keep two or three. One goes in my flat file as an archive. One might go to a gallery that's hosting a show. The rest I sell.

I price them the same as the numbered edition. Some artists charge more for APs because they're rarer. Some charge less because collectors prefer numbers. I think it's the same print, same labour, same paper. So same price.

Other printmakers I know keep all their APs. Never sell them. It's a personal choice. There's no rule.

How to Know What You're Buying

If you're looking at an AP in a gallery or online, ask these questions:

How many APs exist for this edition? If it's a fifty-print edition with twenty APs, something's off. That's not standard practice.

Is the AP signed by the artist? It should be. Mine always are. Pencil signature, bottom right, same as the numbered prints.

Does the AP match the main edition exactly, or are there differences? A good gallery will tell you upfront if the paper stock changed or the colour shifted. If they don't know, walk away.

Where did this AP come from? Artist's studio, original gallery, or resale? APs from the artist are straightforward. APs on the secondary market need provenance.

When APs Are Worth More

Occasionally, an AP does become more valuable than the edition. Not because it's better, but because of the story attached.

I've seen APs that were given to the printer who helped produce the edition. Hand-inscribed with a dedication. Those carry weight. They're not just outside the edition, they're personal.

I've seen APs from the first print run of an artist who later became well-known. The edition sold out years ago. The APs are the only way to own that image now. Scarcity drives price.

But for most working printmakers, APs and numbered prints sit at the same level. The number on the print matters less than the quality of the pull, the paper, and the signature.

What Doesn't Matter

The actual number on a print. Some collectors obsess over owning 1/50. They think it's more valuable. It isn't. Print one and print fifty came off the same screen with the same ink. The only difference is when I pulled them.

Whether an AP is marked AP or A/P. I use AP. Some artists use A/P. Some write "artist's proof" in full. It's style, not substance.

How many other APs are in private hands versus the artist's archive. You're buying the print in front of you, not the theoretical scarcity of the other four.

Final Thought

If you're standing in a gallery choosing between an AP and a numbered print, pick the one that looks better. Look at the ink coverage. Check the registration. Run your finger along the edge of the paper. Feel the deckle.

The letters and numbers are just admin. The print is the thing.

If you'd like to see the prints I'm currently making, visit olifowler.com. Every edition is strictly limited and hand-pulled. Once they're gone, they're gone.