How to Collect Prints

Prints are one of art's most affordable collecting categories. We spoke to Michele Senecal, Executive Director of the International Fine Print Dealers Association (IFPDA), who shared her expert tips with buyers.

There’s a type of print for everyone

The number of techniques that come under the prints umbrella can be dizzying. Each creates a unique look and feel and, while some artists explored many, others have become renowned as specialists in one type. Woodcut is one of the oldest forms, created by applying ink to an image carved into a wooden surface. Other techniques include etching, favored by artists including Rembrandt, and lithography, which was regularly used by Picasso. Senecal explains: “I’ve seen so many interesting ways in which artists have used the medium, and am endlessly fascinated by their invention.”

Left: Mickalene Thomas, Interior: Fireplace with Blackbird, 2016. Mixed Media Collage: Screenprint, Woodblock, Digital Print, Etching, Gold Leaf, Wood Veneer, and Flocking, 42 3/8 x 34 1/4 inches(107.6 x 87 cm). Edition of 26, $17,000. Courtesy of Durham Press. Right: Mickalene Thomas, Interior: Blue Couch and Green Owl, 2016. Mixed Media Collage: Screenprint, Woodblock, Digital Print and Flocking 42 3/8 x 34 1/4 inches(107.6 x 87 cm). Edition of 26, $17,000. Courtesy of Durham Press.

Look for museum-quality work

For Senecal, the joy of prints lies, not just in the enormous variety of techniques used to create an image, but in the opportunity to collect works from editions featured in leading institutions. “The mulitiplicity of prints allows me to own a work from the same edition that a museum may have purchase for their collection. There’s a thrill to feeling that you’ve chosen well.”

… and don’t shy away from big names

While a painting by the latest big-name contemporary artist might be out of reach at auction, smaller prints by the same name can sell for considerably less — allowing buyers to add the world’s top names to their collection for a fraction of the price. “At this year’s fair, Brigitta Laube has a very small, very rare wood cut by Gauguin,” says Senecal. “I am also a great fan of Lucien Freud and Mary Ryan has a very intimate and delicate early etching that is considered to be his most important. There are also scores of new editions I’ve been waiting to see. Mel Bochner, Leonardo Drew, Swoon, Etel Adnan, Peter Doig, Michalene Thomas, Alex Katz are just a few artists who have new works at the Fair.”

Lucian Freud, Ill in Paris, 1948. Etching, 5 x 7 inches. Courtesy of Mary Ryan Gallery, New York

No signature? Don’t disregard the work

If you’ve fallen in love with a ㅓㅂprint but can’t spot a signature, don’t disregard it or automatically assume it’s fake. Some of the most renowned artists in history chose to leave prints unsigned, explains Senecal: “Picasso was famously idiosyncratic about when and whether he would sign his prints.” Speak to an expert to confirm why the work doesn’t have a signature, and whether there’s an impact on value. “This is one of the instances where it’s essential to talk to an expert dealer,” she continues, “they have studied the artists they represent in depth and know exactly what they did in practice.”

Visit fairs and museums to discover new prints

Seeking inspiration but unsure where to begin? An increasing number of art fairs across the world offer sections dedicated to prints, or focus solely on the genre. Leading examples include the London Original Print Fair, held annually at the Royal Academy of Arts, as well as the Affordable Art Fair, which features prints prominently in its iterations globally.

Senecal agrees: "The most important thing one can do to learn about prints is encounter works directly in a fair, gallery or museum. The Museum of Modern Art, for example, currently has an exhibition dedicated to the prints of Louise Bourgeois, while an art fair like the Fine Art Print Fair presents a comprehensive overview of the genre spanning nearly five centuries. In these settings, one really grasps the size and texture of these works in a way you can never duplicate by simply viewing something online." 

Seek out affordable gems

Though some prints are expensive, it is possible to find beautiful, high-quality works that don’t break the bank. “As with works of art in other mediums, prints cost more when they are rare, iconic or unique,” explains Senecal. “They can, however, be surprisingly affordable — and not just new editions. Frequently you can find affordable options by lesser-known old masters, as well as beautiful Japanese prints. That’s the great secret of the fair; you can find these wonderful things.”

Check for edition numbers 

It's not unusual for artists to create a number of impressions from a single print. Collectively, these often form what is known as an edition; the number of individual prints in an edition is generally limited, and individual prints often display an edition number, written as a fraction (e.g. 25/50). Though impressions are often near-identical, depending on technique, the quality of the image can vary across the edition. 

While many collectors will consider edition when buying, for Senecal, it is not the greatest issue affecting a print. "Prior to the 20th century, prints weren't really editioned," she explains, adding that variation within editions often results in images that are completely unique. "Many artists use printmaking techniques to make unique impressions of the same composition, by changing the inking of the plate or adding elements. Consider that each print is made by hand in the print studio so a certain economy does come in to play when determining the size of an edition."

Milton Glaser, Lautrec and His Women, 2016. Inkjet print in canvas, 54 x 72 inches. Copyright Milton Glaser, Inc.

Research prices to become a market expert

While fairs represent a fantasic opportunity to encounter works in the flesh, they're also incredibly useful for buyers keen to further their understanding of the market: "The international scope of IFPDA's Fine Art Fair allows me to see what publishers from Munich, Copenhagen, London, Berlin, Barcelona and Madrid are offering," says Senecal. "Art fairs have the added advantage of showing the prices for object, so you really begin to understand how they're valued — essential as one begins to consider purchases." 

Auction results and upcoming estimates can offer further insight into the price collectors should expect to pay for work. MutualArt's database features past sale prices for over 300,000 artists, allowing buyers to gauge the likely price of a work prior to purchase.