Just wanted a little clarification when if comes to original print art posters. An artist creates a poster and then just prints out copies of them and sells them?
Pretty much, but there are "official' prints where the artist/promotion company obtained the licensing rights for the movie and likeness rights for the actors. Then there is a broad category that I would call "fan art" that covers everything else. Most of the private commission stuff I see would be classified as fan art.
Are you just trusting that the artist that it won't be printed a million times?
Yes, for the most part. Typically, when something is printed, the run is a combination of the different versions or variants of the print, artist copies, test prints, etc. Sometimes there is a timed edition where the print run will be all the copies sold during a specific time window. Sometimes prints are an 'open' editions. Most often, the editions are limited to a specific number of prints.
Artists who reprint their work after the fact can get blowback from fans that impacts the collectibility of the print. In general it is not done, but an artist is not compensated for the sales of the print in the secondary market. They make money up front and when they sell the artist copies(APs). In the case of "official" prints, I think the contract they sign with the promotor/production company would limit what the artist can reprint.
In concert posters, Emek is a heavy hitter who creates prints for many bands like Pearl Jam and others. He might create an original image specifically for the concert poster. If the original image is popular, he sometimes sells prints of the art alone, without the branding/concert information. I can think of a popular Pearl Jam Rome concert poster where the original art was turned in to prints, pins, blankets and other items on his website. I don't want my limited edition prints reprinted, but on some level, I understand the artist's plight. If one of their posters sells for thousands of dollars in the secondary market, they don't see any of that. They created the art, and at least they have a chance to get some compensation for it after the original release.
It does happen in the movie poster game too, Laurent Durieux, a popular illustrator, has made multiple versions of his Jaws print by selling offset printed versions on his website. Even doing that, he has not impacted the secondary market value of his Mondo Jaws print from 2013 which has sold for as much as $7000US in the past year.
Whats the difference between giclee, silkscreen and screen printing?
Sure you already looked this up, but here is a definition for giclee from the internet: A process for producing high-quality reproductions of images such as paintings or photographs using an inkjet printer.
Here is another definition from the internet: Screen printing is a printing technique where a mesh is used to transfer ink onto a substrate, except in areas made impermeable to the ink by a blocking stencil.
Giclees are digital prints made using an ink-jet printer. Silkscreens or screen prints (same thing) are prints made using artwork screens of different color layers on paper. The process of selecting inks, creating the separations and actually producing the prints is an artform by itself. It's a tedious process and the print shops that support a high volume print run on large paper are somewhat limited. Regarding the earlier question about print runs, it is harder to set up and reprint something using screen printing process. If you have an ink-jet printer, you could make a giclee yourself in theory.
Digital prints are here to stay though. If you are looking at a photo-realistic print, it was probably made with a giclee printer. The inks are supposedly UV resistant and permanent. Both processes are pretty ubiquitous at this point. My preference is with screen printed art, but something being a giclee print doesn't stop me from buying it. If you like the art, you buy the print.
Any other advice on art prints? I'm asking because I see quite a few that I like but I want authenticity and don't want to get scammed.
If you are starting out, you might want to stick with some of the more popular galleries like Mondo, Vice-Press, Grey Matter Art and Bottleneck Gallery for new releases. Most of their stuff is licensed with good quality printing.
Find some artists you like and seek out their posters.
For older prints, eBay is the main option.
There is a forum like this one called Expresso Beans. You should definitely check it out.
https://expressobeans.com People there are generally cool. I honestly have never had a problem buying a print from another member, but YMMV. Never pay something PayPal friends and family when you are buying something LOL
Buy what you like.
Have fun
