About

Printer's Marks and Chops archive

A resource for private collectors, curators, researchers, and museum collections professionals to aid in the identification of the printers and publishers collaborating with artists and makers on the creation of fine art prints and other works on paper.

What are Marks and Chops?

Many definitions of the term “chop” or “chop mark” can be found in the literature about printmaking. One of the most comprehensive is the definition used by the International Fine Print Dealers Association (IFPDA):

A symbol, or logo that is either embossed or stamped on each print of a finished edition, including all proofs, as a way to identify the printer and publisher of the edition. A printer will often have his/her own individual chop that is separate from the publisher's chop.[1]

Chop marks are an essential and tangible way to determine who worked with an artist on an edition of prints. Given the collaborative nature of printmaking, this information can be used to better understand the network of publishers, printers, and artists and their influence on one another.

_{[1] “Glossary of Printmaking Terms and Techniques,” Resources, International Fine Print Dealers Association, accessed April 7, 2025, https://ifpda.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/IFPDA-Glossary-of-Terms-and-Techniques.pdf}

Project Leads

Andrew Saluti
Associate Professor, Program Coordinator
Syracuse University Museum Studies

Theresa Engelbrecht
Registrar & Exhibition Manager
Samek Art Museum, Bucknell University

RESEARCH ASSISTANTS

Abigail Shim, Syracuse University

Romina Olvera, Syracuse University

Support

Support for the Printer's Marks and Chops Archive is provided by the Syracuse Office of Undergraduate Research & Creative Engagement (The SOURCE).