“Giclée,” “signed” and “numbered” turn up together on a great many print listings. Each word means something, and together they say less than buyers sometimes assume. Here is what the terms mean, what to ask, and how Terry Bauer’s prints are described.
What is a giclée print?
A giclée is a high-quality inkjet print of an artwork, usually on archival paper. The word describes the printing method. It is not a claim that the picture was painted by hand, and a good print and a good painting are different objects with different virtues.
What does “signed and numbered” mean?
Numbering shows a print’s place in a run. A mark such as 5/100 means the fifth print in an edition of one hundred. The signature is normally applied by hand, often in pencil, rather than printed as part of the image.
Some listings also mention an artist’s proof, marked AP, which sits outside the numbered run, and a certificate of authenticity, which helps with insurance and valuation.
Is a limited-edition giclée an original?
No. Print guidelines are clear that copies of paintings sold as limited-edition giclées are reproductions, not originals. That is not a flaw. It is why prints and originals are priced and described differently, and why the wording on a listing matters.
Terry Bauer’s prints
His giclées are limited editions: archival prints on paper, signed and numbered per order. The image above is one of them, a reworking of Klimt’s The Kiss with a clown in the embrace.
Three more take the same embrace elsewhere: one with an alien, one with green hair, one in black, white and gold Art Deco circles. Positive Space, two yellow eyes over orange and violet shapes on black, is a giclée too.
Because each is signed and numbered per order, it is worth asking how long one takes to arrive, and which number in the edition you would receive.
What to ask before buying a print
- How many are in the edition, and which number is this?
- What paper, and what size?
- Is there a certificate or other paperwork?
- How long does one take to arrive?
- How will it be packed and delivered?
These are fair questions for any print from any seller, and the answers belong in writing.
Why the wording matters
A listing that says “signed and numbered” tells you about the print’s signature and its place in a run. It doesn’t tell you the edition size, the paper or the printer. Print guides suggest looking for the edition fraction, for a hand signature rather than a printed one, and for a certificate, and asking for any of them that aren’t given up front.
Archival paper
“Archival” refers to papers and inks made to last without yellowing or fading. The term is used loosely across the trade, so ask for the paper and the inks by name in the same message. If the print will hang in a bright room, ask too how it should be framed.
Posters are a different thing
Posters and wall vinyl are decorative prints, not signed editions. His SF HEAD poster, ten cartoon heads in red, blue and yellow, comes as a 20 × 20 matte poster, a 12 × 12 see-through vinyl, a 12 × 18 matte photo print and a 36 × 36 removable wall vinyl. Ask about it the same way.
Prints, posters and originals
If you are deciding between an original and a print, the questions above help with both. The prints hang in their own series on the work page, each with its label.
How to ask
Choose “A print or poster” on the inquiry page, say which image you mean, and add your questions. If you came from a work’s label, the piece is already named. Terry replies to the email you give.