What Artist's Proofs Really Mean When You Buy a Print

You'll see prints marked AP beside the signature. Artist's proof. It sits outside the numbered edition but it's the same image, same ink, same paper. So what is it?

I pull artist's proofs for myself. Not for sale originally. These are the prints I keep back to see how an edition looks six months later, or to photograph properly in daylight, or to loan for an exhibition. Usually five or six per edition depending on the run size.

They're identical to the numbered prints. Same screens, same paper stock, pulled during the same session. The only difference is the marking. Where a standard print reads 12/50, an AP reads AP 2/5. Some artists don't number their APs at all, just write AP and sign.

The confusion comes when artists sell them. I do occasionally. If someone asks about an edition that's sold out, I might release an AP. They're not lesser prints. They're just outside the count I announced when I launched the edition.

Why Artist's Proofs Exist in Screenprinting

The history goes back to commercial printmaking. Artists needed copies to check colour and registration before committing to a full run. In a traditional atelier setup with a master printer, those early proofs stayed with the artist while the printer kept separate printer's proofs marked PP.

I work alone so that distinction doesn't apply. But I still pull APs because I need working copies. One goes in my flat file for record keeping. One gets photographed for the website. Another might go to a gallery for their files if we're doing a show together.

When you're pulling fifty prints by hand, you need a buffer. Paper shifts. Ink dries on the screen. The first three pulls of the day often look different to the last three. I'm not selling proofs that didn't meet the standard. I'm keeping back finished prints for practical reasons.

Printer's Proofs and Bon à Tirer

Printer's proofs marked PP belong to the printer in a studio collaboration. If I printed someone else's design, I'd keep a PP. It's my record of the job and a piece for my own archive. These rarely come to market unless a printer's estate is sold.

Bon à tirer means good to pull in French. It's the proof the artist and printer both sign off on before printing the edition. This is the master reference. Every print in the edition should match the BAT. In my studio it's pinned above the bench while I'm working.

I don't usually sell the BAT. It stays in the archive with my notes about ink mixes, screen mesh count, paper batch numbers. It's the proof of what I approved. If a collector asks about a print from five years ago, I pull the BAT to check what it should look like.

Do Artist's Proofs Cost More?

Sometimes galleries price them higher because they're rarer. Five APs versus fifty in the edition. Other sellers price them the same. A few price them lower because collectors want the "real" numbered edition.

I price mine the same. It's the same print. Same time at the bench, same materials, same result. The marking is administrative, not creative.

Some collectors specifically want APs because they like the connection to the artist. That marking means I kept this one back. It was in my drawer. There's a story there that a numbered print doesn't have.

Other collectors avoid APs entirely. They want the edition number because it feels more official. Both approaches are valid. You're buying the image either way.

What to Check Before You Buy an AP

Ask how many artist's proofs exist. If it's an edition of twenty with fifteen APs, something's off. Standard practice is roughly ten per cent of the edition size. For a run of fifty I'd pull five or six APs. For a run of one hundred maybe ten.

Check the signature and marking. AP should be in pencil, bottom left usually, with the title and signature to the right. If it's stamped or printed into the image, that's not a proof marking. That's decoration.

Condition matters more than proof status. An AP with foxing or a crease is worth less than a pristine numbered print. The marking adds context but the paper and ink are what you're living with on the wall.

Look for documentation if you're spending serious money. A receipt, an invoice, a certificate that states the edition structure. I include a slip with every print I sell listing the edition size, AP count, paper stock, and year pulled. Not every artist does this but the information should be available.

My Working Copies

I've got artist's proofs stacked in my drawers from the last eight years. They're the prints I pull out when someone asks for a commission based on an old design. Or when a magazine wants an image for a feature. Or when I'm testing a new frame supplier and need a print I don't mind handling roughly.

Some never leave the studio. Others I've gifted to friends or traded with other printmakers. A few I've sold when the edition ran out faster than expected. They're working prints with the same care as anything numbered, just kept back for practical reasons.

If you see an AP for sale from an artist you like, don't hesitate because of the marking. It's not a second. It's just outside the edition count. Same screen, same ink, same moment at the press.

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.