Signed, original Limited Edition Contemporary Prints can be made in many different ways. There are intaglio processes which include etching and dry point where the ink is pushed into grooves made in the plate and printed and relief methods where the ink is rolled onto the raised surface of the plate as used in lino and wood cuts. There are also other methods such as Screen-printing, lithography and collagraphs. What all these methods of creating origina Limited Edition Contemporary Prints have in common is that take a lot of skill, training and expertise to produce. Giclee printing is widely used these days and is a term that was fist used in the 1990's to describe a fine art ink jet print. This method can be used to print onto more varied substrates and to create a larger edition. Really good examples of Limited Edition Contemporary Prints can be seen at Tate Modern.

Screen-Print as printing medium has been around since the Song Dynasty in China. The method of producing a Screen-Print is basically to push ink through a woven mesh onto a substrate using stencils to mask out the areas that you don't want to print. The colours are built up in layers using opaque or translucent inks to produce varied effects. Take a look at Screen-Print used in the early 20th Century mainly for producing expensive wallpaper that was printed onto fine fabrics such as linen and silk.

Andy Warhol is the artist most widely known for popularising screen-printing which is known as serigraphy in the United States. The Artists Prints are easily recognised by the general public even if they have little knowledge of contemporary art. Warhol's Campbell's soup cans and famous people's portraits especially those of film star Marilyn Monroe have been collected ever since they were created in the 1960's. Visit the websites of major auction rooms and you'll see Artists Prints achieve ever increasing values.

Contemporary Prints form a large part of today's art market. Many painters also practice printmaking in one form or another to produce limited editions of Contemporary Prints to serve the ever increasing demand for affordable art. There is such a huge range of printmaking methods available to the artist that there is something to suit everybody's style. When you next visit a gallery take a look at their print browser which usually contain a wide range of Contemporary Prints to choose from.

There are many opportunities to buy prints and Affordable Art these days if you are considering starting a collection. Even if you are just searching for a particular artist you can easily search and buy prints via the internet. Collectors can browse galleries online and receive information about private views and previews from the major Auction Houses making it easier to buy prints and Affordable Art from their favoured artists when they become available. Starting your own collection of art by visiting some of the many exhibitions such as the London Affordable Art Fair.