Definition · 3 min read
What is a "print of record"?
A short definition of the master print kept by a studio as the canonical reference for every subsequent run.
A print of record is the master print a studio keeps as the canonical reference for every subsequent run of the same work — the file, the paper specification, the exact ink profile, all the curatorial decisions, captured as one artifact. Print houses use it to verify that prints made months apart match. Without it, a body of work drifts over time.
Mostly hidden from buyers, the print of record is the studio's answer to "how do you make sure print #312 looks like print #1." Without one, it doesn't.
What it contains
- The final approved digital file at full print resolution
- The exact paper specification (manufacturer, weight, finish, batch range tested)
- The exact ink set and printer profile
- A physical reference print made at the moment of approval, sealed and stored
- A short curator's sign-off note
Why it matters to buyers
When you order a print months after a collection launches, the print of record is what your print is being matched against. Without it, prints drift — papers change batches, printers swap ink cartridges, and the eleventh print no longer looks like the first.