Art prints have been part of human culture for thousands of years — from prehistoric cylinder seals to Andy Warhol's silkscreens. Today they're one of the most accessible ways to start collecting art, bringing original creativity into your home without the original price tag. Whether you're new to buying art or just want to understand what you're looking at, here's everything you need to know.
Awesome Art Star Print by Barrie J Davies
Original Prints vs Reproductions: What's the Difference?
Art prints have grown in popularity as a flexible and affordable way to appreciate and collect artwork. It helps to understand the difference between an original print and a reproduction. An original print — whether a silkscreen, lithograph, or giclée — is made directly by the artist as a finished work in its own right, often in a limited edition. A reproduction is a copy of an existing work, such as a painting or sculpture, duplicated to resemble the original. Both have a place in collecting, but original prints carry far more value and authenticity.
New York Bored Ape Print by Barrie J Davies
The Main Types of Art Prints Explained
Giclée Prints
The word "giclée" comes from the French for "to spray," which describes exactly how these prints are made. Large-format inkjet printers use tiny spraying mechanisms to apply ink with precision, producing high-quality reproductions that accurately match colour and detail. Giclée is popular with artists who want to make their work more widely available while maintaining quality.
Lithographs
Lithography works on the principle that oil and water don't mix. A design is drawn onto a plate with oily ink; when water is applied, it only adheres to the blank areas, and ink only adheres to the drawn areas. The image is then transferred to paper via a press. It's a technique that gives artists tremendous creative flexibility — and it's been at the heart of fine art printmaking for over two centuries.
Screen Prints (Serigraphy)
Screen printing, also called serigraphy, has roots going back to stencilling practised in ancient China, Japan, and Egypt as far back as 4000 BCE. It spread to the West in the late 19th century and became a mainstream art form by the early 20th century. In serigraphy, ink is pushed through a fine mesh screen onto paper using a squeegee, with a stencil blocking the areas that should remain unprinted. It's the only printmaking technique where the final print retains the image in reverse. It's also the method behind some of the most iconic pop art prints ever made.
Woodcuts
One of the oldest printmaking methods, woodcuts emerged in China shortly after paper was invented in the second century CE and reached Europe by the 12th century. Ink is applied to a carved wooden block using a roller, coating the raised surfaces but leaving the recessed areas bare. When paper is pressed against it, the ink transfers in reverse — bold, graphic, and entirely hand-made.
Too Vintage For Cats Print by Barrie J Davies
Why Art Prints Are Worth Collecting
Art prints are one of the smartest ways to start building a collection. They let you live with great work — and connect directly with an artist's vision — without the cost of a one-off original. A good print adds personality, colour, and life to any space. And if you choose limited edition prints, you're also buying something genuinely rare.
Not sure where to start? Take a look at the full range of street pop art prints available directly from the Brighton studio — all hand finished and made in small editions.
Family Guru Print by Barrie J Davies
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