“An artist's proof is a single print taken in the printmaking process to see the current printing state of a plate while the plate (or stone, or woodblock...) is being worked on by the artist”. Artist's proofs are a special prints of the regular limited edition.
Artist's proofs date back to a time when limited editions were all hand-pulled from a one-man litho press. They were the first prints pulled off a fresh "stone" (the plate which was drawn or etched by the artist to create the prints). This plate suffered wear and tear as greater number of prints were made. This meant that the artist’s proofs were the sharpest and most colorful of the lot, and so fetched better prices.
In today’s world of modern offset lithography, all the prints in an edition are nearly identical. Artist's proofs maintain their collectability and value because they are a small subset of the edition, and they usually come directly signed by the artist. The artist usually signs the proofs personally, including a number showing the quantity of artists proofs available In these days of mass production and marketing, getting something directly or even indirectly from the artist is rare. Publishers usually turn over the artists proofs to the artist for his or her own use, and retain all the other prints in the edition.
Collectors also value artist's proofs because they are unique images. They are generally considered a status symbol in the world of art collecting and their resale value is proportionally higher than the numbered editions.
An artists proof is also known as a "comp".
Here we have an image of the artist's proof for Monet's "The Magpie".
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