Spreadsheet-friendly CSVs
Download tables of works, editions, printing sessions, impressions, consignments and sales to open in a spreadsheet.
Inside Platemark
Know your work.
Follow every print.
A connected record of your artwork, the surfaces you print from and the individual prints that leave your studio. Here’s how each part fits together.
Currently a private, invite-only preview. All screenshots show fictional demo records.
A little terminology
Printmaking terms, in plain English.
You don’t need to learn a new filing system. These are the records Platemark connects.
- Matrix
- The printing surface that carries your image: a block, plate, stone or screen.
- State
- A recorded version of a matrix after its image has been changed. Recutting a block can create a new state; changing only the paper or ink does not.
- Edition
- A defined group of prints belonging to a work. It may be limited, open or variable.
- Impression
- One physical print. A work might have an edition of 20, with each accepted main impression labelled 1/20, 2/20 and so on.
- Artist’s proof
- A print recorded separately from the main numbered edition. In Platemark, A.P. 2 and 2/20 are different impressions.
- Consignment
- Prints sent to a gallery or fair to offer for sale, with a record of what remains there, sells or comes back.
For more about printmaking: the V&A’s introduction and MoMA’s explanation of proofs.
01Works
Give each artwork a home.
A work is the artwork or design you want to catalogue. Add its title, technique, year, dimensions and your own reference, then keep its images, notes, editions and printing history together.
- Record image and sheet dimensions separately.
- Attach a private JPEG or PNG and keep the original file.
- Find works by title, technique or reference; archive older work without losing its history.
02Matrices
Remember the surface behind the print.
A matrix is the surface that holds the image you print from: a lino or wood block, an etched plate, a lithographic stone or a screen. One work can use several matrices - for example, a different block for each colour.
- Record each physical matrix and its dimensions.
- Add a new state when you rework its image, keeping the earlier state in the record.
- Connect the right states to each work and edition, including related works that share a matrix.
03Editions
Set out the edition before you print.
An edition is a group of prints made as a defined set. It belongs to a work and records which matrix states it uses, along with its size, paper and notes.
- Limited editions have a fixed main size, such as 20.
- Open editions have no fixed main size and display no public number.
- Variable editions use numbered impressions with variation notes recorded during printing.
- Artist’s proofs have their own sequence, such as A.P. 2, separate from the main 2/20.
04Production
Make each printing session add up.
A printing session records a batch of printing: the date, paper, ink and how many prints were pulled. Separate rejected prints from the main impressions and artist’s proofs you accept.
- Save an editable draft while you are working.
- Check that pulled prints equal rejected prints plus accepted main prints and proofs.
- Finalise once to create the accepted impressions and allocate their numbers. Rejected prints use no numbers.
- Continue an edition over several sessions, with a lasting record of where each print came from.
05Inventory
Know which print is where.
An impression is one individual physical print - for example, 7/20. Inventory follows each impression after printing, so you can see its availability, location and history.
- Filter by edition, main/proof series, availability or location.
- Keep sold prints out of available stock, while retaining their history.
- Record movements and corrections with a traceable sequence of events.
- Keep a sale separate from physical handover: a sold print can still be in your studio awaiting collection.
06Consignments & sales
Follow the print beyond the studio.
A consignment is a group of prints sent to a gallery or fair to offer for sale. Record what you sent, the agreed terms and commission, then reconcile what is still there, sold or returned.
- Move or consign a selection of prints together and print a consignment list.
- Receive part of a consignment back while keeping the rest outstanding.
- Record sales in GBP, with optional buyer details and the commission agreed for that consignment.
- Keep original sale records when correcting a mistake or receiving a genuine return.
- See current active-sale gross, commission and artist-net totals.
07 · Studio settings & exports
Keep your records useful outside the app.
Set your studio display name, sign out, and download your records when you need them.
A structured JSON export
Keep a connected data file containing your catalogue, relationships and event histories. JSON is a format software can read and work with.
Original image files
The export includes a list of your image files and private download paths. Download originals separately and keep them with your data export.
A clear view of your practice
From the first record to the next print.
Platemark is currently an invite-only preview. Studio access requires an authorised sign-in.
Open studio