Disclaimer. Collectalia is not a legal, tax or insurance advice site. The information on this page is general and based on French legislation in force as of 09/11/2026: it may change, does not necessarily apply outside France and does not take your situation into account. Always have it checked by a notary, a lawyer, an accountant or your insurer before acting on it.
Key points
- A print exists in several copies: the number or the artist’s proof mark identifies yours.
- Measure the image and the sheet: this is what distinguishes two impressions of the same engraving.
- Paper is fragile: light, humidity and acidic mounting damage it silently.
Print, original lithograph, engraving, drawing: what to keep track of
Works on paper often make up the largest number of pieces in a collection, and the hardest to keep track of. An original lithograph, an etching, a screen print, a drawing or a watercolour look alike in a portfolio; they are not worth the same. A print raises one more question: which of the impressions of the same edition do you own? Here is the information to record.
- The technique: lithograph, engraving (etching, burin, drypoint), screen print, drawing, watercolour, poster.
- The impression: number out of the total edition, or the mark AP (EA), HC, BAT (bon à tirer, “good to pull”).
- The edition: publisher, printer or workshop, date of printing.
- The dimensions: of the image (or plate) and of the sheet, and of the frame if there is one.
- The condition of the paper: foxing, light damage, folds, tears, traces of mounting.
Artist’s proof and numbering
On a print, the number is generally written in pencil in the margin: “12/50” designates the twelfth copy of an edition of fifty. Artist’s proofs (AP) and hors commerce (HC) copies are printed outside this numbering. What these marks change for the value, and how to record them, is explained in our guide AP, HC and numbered edition.
What a work-on-paper record contains
| Field | What it is for |
|---|---|
| Artist, title, date of creation, date of printing | Distinguish the work and its edition. |
| Technique and support (paper) | Identify the exact nature of the work. |
| Number, size of the edition, AP, HC, number of proofs | Place your copy within the edition. |
| Publisher, printer or workshop | Markers for authentication and valuation. |
| Dimensions of the image, the sheet and the frame | Tell two impressions apart; order framing. |
| Signature and inscriptions | Record what is written, and where. |
| Framing | Keep a record of the mounting and the materials used. |
| Condition, condition reports | Follow how the paper changes over time. |
| Provenance, certificate, invoices | Prove origin and ownership. |
Conserving paper
Paper reacts to everything. Light, especially direct sun, fades the inks and yellows the sheet: hang works on paper away from windows and rotate them if you have many. Humidity encourages foxing and mould, while dryness and heat make paper brittle: avoid cellars, bathrooms and walls above radiators. Finally, the mounting matters: acid-free mat board and backing, and no adhesive tape on the work. A dated condition report lets you see whether a sheet is deteriorating.
Value and insurance
Prints and drawings are easily lost from view: stored flat in a plan chest, lent out, forgotten at the framer’s. An inventory with photos, numbers and dimensions is the best evidence in the event of a loss. Keep the invoice, any certificate and the successive valuations, and compare the insured value with the latest valuation at each renewal.
Succession
In an estate, works on paper stored in cardboard boxes risk being taken for worthless reproductions. An inventory that states the technique, number and publisher of each sheet avoids this misunderstanding. For the value to use, consult your notary (notaire). For an artist or their rights holders, the catalogue raisonné makes it possible to list all the impressions of an edition.
Photos from your phone and sharing
Photograph the whole sheet, margins included, in daylight and without glare (out of the frame if possible), then the signature, the number and the back. To submit a few sheets to an expert, share a selection through a password-protected link. The other fields are covered on the art inventory page.
With Collectalia
Collectalia files your prints, engravings, lithographs and drawings in precise records: technique, numbered impression or AP/HC, size of the edition, publisher, dimensions of the image, the sheet and the frame, signature, framing, condition and condition reports, photos taken from your phone by scanning a QR code, certificates and successive valuations. Location of each sheet, insurance policies with a reminder before renewal, a Succession module and free read-only access. Free trial.
Disclaimer. Collectalia is not a legal, tax or insurance advice site. The information on this page is general and based on French legislation in force as of 09/11/2026: it may change, does not necessarily apply outside France and does not take your situation into account. Always have it checked by a notary, a lawyer, an accountant or your insurer before acting on it.