Printmaking Nomenclature & Abbreviations

One of the great things about prints is that they often contain a lot of information about themselves printed right on the print, usually in the space just under the image. This usually includes the title, but also often the artist, publisher, place of publication, date of publication, and printmaker. The only problem is that sometimes the terms used to identify this information is abbreviated, written in a language other than English, or both. To help readers understand this information, I will list (alphabetically) some of the abbreviations and terms one can find on antique prints.

• A.f.

  Etched by

• A.P.

  Artist’s proof

• Appresso

  Published by

• Apud

  Published by

• Aquaforti fecit, aquaforti, Aquaf., Aq.

  Etched by

• Aquatinta, aq:tinta

  Aquatinted by

• A.V.

  Augusta Vindelicorum; that is, published in Augsburg, Germany

• Bon à tirer, B.A.T.

  Proof print for use by the printer

• Caelavit, cael.

  Engraved by

• Chez

  At the house of

• Composuit

  Drawn by, referring to drawing from which the engraver, lithographer, etc. worked

• Cum privilegio

  Privilege to publish from some authority

• Delineavit, delin., delt., del.

  Drawn by (cf. composuit)

• Descripsit

  Drawn by (cf. composuit)

• Designavit, desig.

  Drawn by (cf. composuit)

• Dessiné

  Drawn by (cf. composuit)

• Direxit, direx.

  Directed by (head of workshop)

• Divulgavit, divulg.

  Published by

• Dressé

  Drawn by (cf. composuit)

• Écrit

  Written by (lettering)

• Effigiavit, effig.

  Drawn by (cf. composuit)

• Engd., Eng.

  Engraved by

• Épreuve d’Artiste, E.A.

  Artist’s proof

• Ex coll.

  From the collection of

• Excudit, excud., exct., exc.

  Printed by or published by

• Ex Officina

  From the workshop of

• Ex Typis

  From the printing house of

• Faciebat, fac.

  Made by

• Fecit, fec., f.

  Made by

• Figuravit, fig.

  Drawn by (usually after an original painting)

• Formis

  At the press of

• Gezeichnet, gez.

  Drawn by (cf. composuit)

• Gravé

  Engraved by

• Gravire

  Engraving

• Hors Commerce, H.C.

  Not for sale

• Impressit, imp.

  Printed by

• Incidit, incidebat, incid., inc.

  Engraved by

• Inventor, invenit, invt., inv., in.

  Designed by (the original work)

• Lithog., litho., lith.

  Lithographed by (either drawn on stone a publisher)

• On stone by

  Drawn on lithographic stone by

• Par

  By

• Pinxit, pins., pictor, ping.

  Painted by (the original work)

• Scripsit, scrip.

  Engraved text

• Sculpsit, sculpt., sculp., sc.

  Engraved by

• Sumptibus

  At the expense of

• Zusammengetragen

  Compiled by