
Whether you’re a seasoned critic or simply an art lover, knowing the difference between prints and originals is a critical step in art appreciation and collection. While the difference may be obvious to some, the nuance of prints versus originals can change how people interact with art on a daily basis, and it’s important to understand pricing, accessibility, and content associated with each.
Has an art snob friend boasted that they “only buy originals”? or have you been considering getting new art to liven the walls of your home, workspace, or virtual classroom? Well this information is for you! We’ve broken up the differences between prints and original works into different categories depending on your needs.
The Short Answer
To sum it up, the difference between prints and original works of art is that the original is the only one of its kind, is usually signed by the artist, and may contain a little more depth than a print of the same work. (Just because of the texture of the paint on the original surface.)
However, if you’re a broke college student like me, originals could be completely out of reach because of the sheer price.
But this is where technology of the 21ST century shines as prints have become an affordable way to enjoy the original at a lower cost and is almost as good as the original. Prints of paintings can be re-printed on many different mediums than just the intended one, which allows us to make art more accessible.
If you don’t really care (as many of us don’t) about the future value of the piece, and want to open yourself up to a much wider variety of works, prints are a great way to go, and can be done in really high quality on beautiful archival papers.
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