Excellent FrameWorks & Pacific Outlook
Art Terms

Here are explanations of various art terms. I will add to these now and then. If there's not enough info. for you, try a search using google. You will find that there are many opinions when it comes to defining art terms.

Artprint. An unlimited reproduction of a painting or other work of art.

Poster An unlimited print usually with an image and text

Limited Edition Print. A reproduction of a work of art (drawing, painting) limited to a certain number of prints. These are usually signed by the artist and numbered. For example 5/500 would be print number 5 in an edition of 500 prints.

Artist's Proof The artist and printer would begin printing, adjusting the colours until they produced a print with the correct colours. This print would be the Printer's Proof. The "trial proofs" are usually known as Artist's Proofs and their colours would often be different from the edition of prints. The accuracy of modern printing methods has slowly eliminated the need for Artist Proofs in the printing process. However, they are still produced because of the demand from many art collectors who prefer to have Artist Proofs in their art collection

Printer's Proof The reference print used by the printer to ensure accuracy of colour etc. in the edition of prints being printed

Publisher's Proof The print approved by the publisher for printing an edition of prints

Silkscreen A method of printing one colour at a time by pushing the ink through a silk screen. The parts of the screen where the artist doesn't want ink coming through are blocked out with an emulsion.

Offset litho The most common method of printing images usually using four colours in a pattern of coloured dots to create a full colour image. Have a look at a full colour picture in a magazine or newspaper, using a magnifying glass, and you will be able to see the "halftone" dot pattern.

Stochastic While the dots used in conventional halftone printing are equally spaced in a rigid pattern, the dots used in the stochastic process are not. The stochastic process varies the dots by density and frequency according to the tone value reproduced. Lighter parts have fewer dots, the darker areas have more. These tiny, "random" dots offer some distinct advantages - better overall quality of printing, and simplified printing with more than four colors. This is the process used by Hemlock Printers for printing the E. J. Hughes book, as well as the artcards and artprints published by Pacific Outlook.

Canvas transfer A method of "transferring" an image on paper to canvas. First, the poster or print on paper has a matte laminate bonded to its front surface. The laminated print is then soaked until the paper can be pealed away, leaving the laminate with image attached. This is now adhered to canvas under pressure resulting in the texture of the canvas showing through the laminated picture.
The canvas is stretched over a frame and the edges are stapled, just like an oil painting on a stretched canvas. The canvas transfer is now ready for hanging on a wall, or can be framed first, depending on the look you want to achieve.

Giclée A newer method of full colour printing which has major advantages over "offset litho" printing, which is usually limited to four or six colours. A giclée printer can best be described as a large inkjet printer which can print images onto various media, including textured watercolour paper and canvas. The printer sprays computer-controlled inks, premixed to 256 colours, through microscopic nozzles to create a full colour image without a dot pattern. Like an oil painting, the image is protected by a varnish coating.
Generally, an oil painting will be reproduced on canvas while a watercolour will be printed on paper. By using the same medium as the original painting for the printed reproductions, the prints look even more like the originals.

For more information, or to place an order send e-mail to Pacific Outlook/Excellent FrameWorks, or use the Secure Order Form.

I can also be reached at Excellent FrameWorks by phone, 250-746-7112, between 10am and 5:30pm Pacific time, Monday through Friday and between 10 and 4 on Saturdays.

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