A range of rigid, lightweight plastics, used commonly in the form of sheets or rods, as well as in their liquid state for casting or coating. Acrylics may be made transparent, translucent, or opaque, and are available in a range of colors.

Acrylic glazing is a pane or sheet of plastic composite often used in place of glass where safety and weight are a concern. Acrylic is much more impact-resistant than conventional glass and half the weight. At Art.com we use acrylic glazing for framed items with a size of 20" x 24" or larger.

A process of intaglio printing which gives finely granulated tonal areas in monochrome or color. A metal plate is powdered with acid-resisting resin, fused by heating, and is then placed in a bath of acid which bites between the resin particles to produce an evenly pitted surface. The longer the acid works on the plate, the darker the grey on printing. The design is drawn, and the tones are varied, by brushing the plate with varnish, a process known as stopping out. The aquatint, frequently combined with linear etching, was perfected by the second half of the 18th century and has been used most notably by Goya and Degas.

A French term meaning "low-raised work." This art, along with high relief, is known collectively as relief sculpture-- meant to be seen primarily from one direction - as opposed to sculpture which is in the round or full round.

A canvas transfer is a print or poster image that has been transferred and fixed to a canvas surface. The result is a piece of printed art that has the appearance of an original canvas painting without the high cost usually associated with original artwork.

An edition is a set of identical prints, sometimes numbered and signed, often printed under the supervision of the artist. Two numbers are often written at the lower edge of a print -- the first indicating the print’s place in the order of all prints in the edition, the second number indicating the total number of prints in the edition.

Etchings are usually made from a copper plate dipped in an acid bath. Before this, however, the plate must be prepared with a ground, (wax and bitumen) that is then made black by being held over candles. This makes the copper lines gleam as they are drawn across the plate with an etching needle. Then the back of the plate is coated with a stopper varnish to prevent it from dissolving away, and the plate is put into the acid. Additional drawings may be made to further complete the print, and other areas already worked over, coated with stopper, as more depth and thickness is achieved with further baths in the acid. Any prints pulled through the press at this point will be the first, second, etc pulls or proofs, and have greater rarity than those pulled when the print is finished.

Giclée (pronounced "zhee-clay") is a French word meaning "a spraying of ink.” With the advent of giclée, the art of reproducing fine art has become even more precise. Giclées have the highest apparent resolution available today -- as high as 1,800 dots per inch. In addition, since no screens are used, the prints have a higher apparent resolution than lithographs and a color range that exceeds that of serigraphy. Displaying a full color spectrum, giclée prints capture every nuance of an original and have gained wide acceptance from artists and galleries throughout the world.

A hand colored print is a black and white print that has been individually colored by an artist using high quality watercolor paints. The artist uses layers of paint to bring depth and vibrancy to the colors. Our selection of hand colored prints are painted using traditional techniques that give each piece a rich, higher quality look usually associated with original art.

A limited edition is a series of identical prints, which are limited to a one-time printing of a certain number of pieces. The artist determines the size of the edition, and usually signs and numbers each individual piece.

A lithograph is created using a printing technique based on the principle that oil and water do not mix. Using oil-based ink or a grease crayon, an image is drawn on a flat stone or metal plate. Water is applied to the surface and is repelled by the areas where oil-based images have been drawn. The entire surface is then coated with an oil-based ink that adheres only to the areas drawn in oil, ink or crayon. The image is then printed on paper. Lithography became a popular printing technique because thousands of exact replicas could be made that were like drawings on paper, without degradation of the image.

This is where the artist creates a collage with paper and/or other elements, like wax, glass or metal and original imagery. Each picture may have the same component parts, but the composition will slightly differ. This makes each picture an original.

Moulding is the wood or metal material used for framing a print or poster. At Art.com, we use the finest quality mouldings, just as you would find in traditional fine framing stores.

Matting is a stiff paper, fabric or suede border around a print or poster. Our matting is buffered to an alkaline pH (to prevent acid damage to the print) and provides consistent colors, clean creamy bevels, and smooth cuts.

Numbering refers to labeling on a print that specifies its place in the order of its production when it is one of a limited edition.

Offset lithography is an industrialized version of the same printing technique as lithography. By using modern printing presses, high-quality reproductions are produced faster and in higher volumes than with manually-produced lithographs.

An original work is considered to be an authentic example of the works of an artist, rather than a reproduction or imitation

The term "poster" is used here to describe prints that are published in unlimited or limited but high numbered quantities. These pieces are always created with the highest level of quality. Many of these prints were created using special color plates to enhance the image. During the production phase, the piece is coated with a glossy UV varnish giving the image a smooth, shiny surface. The borders, when applicable, are then coated with a matte finish resulting in a startling contrast. The final product is a high quality collectible print.

A print is a graphic image that has been duplicated one or more times. There are various techniques used to create a print, such as serigraphy (or silk screening), lithography, etching, and offset printing. Prints, especially limited editions, are considered fine art and can be highly valued.

Generally the difference is in the level of quality. Wall posters are typically printed in large volume on less expensive paper, fine-art posters are printed on high-quality paper, and fine-art prints are printed with careful attention to true color reproduction on high-quality paper.

A reproduction is a copy or facsimile of an original work. The end product of a reproduction is significantly faithful in its resemblance to the form and elements of the original.

A screenprint, or serigraph, is a print made by pushing ink through a screen. It is basically a stencil technique. The use of a screen with silk bolting cloth as a stencil carrier was developed in Europe in the early 20th Century. The method most widely used today is essentially the same though more refined. The screen is a frame of wood or metal with silk cloth or other material stretched drum-tight over it. The stencil is either attached to or formed on the screen. The screen is then hinged to a printing support, usually a table, which has register tabs to position each sheet of paper correctly. Then ink is pushed through from the top side with a special squeegee onto the printing paper underneath.

A serigraph is an original silk-screen color print. Serigraphy (or silk screening) is a stencil process in which ink is forced onto the material through the meshes of a silk or organdy screen, which has been prepared to have pervious printing areas and impervious nonprinting areas.

A vintage original is a poster generally 50 years of age or older. Many of these posters were created using a printing technique known as stone lithography. Most were used much like billboards to market products and services including food, liquor, travel and entertainment.

This is a transparent paint bound with gum arabic and mixed in use with water. It is applied on specially prepared paper or card, usually white, which reflects light up through the paint to give the sparkling luminosity characteristic of the medium. Its popularity grew in the 18th century, when it was used to color in topographical sketches, and as a medium for fluid, spontaneous painting it was developed to a peak by British landscapists.

A print made by cutting a design in side-grain of a block of wood, also called a woodblock print. The ink is transferred from the raised surfaces to paper.