PosterDrops Wiki
The PosterDrops Wiki is a growing resource dedicated to the art, history, production, collecting, preservation, and value of posters and prints. Whether you're buying your first concert poster, researching an older print, trying to understand an unfamiliar edition, or looking for the best way to protect your collection, you'll find practical information here built specifically for collectors.
Explore the Wiki
Start with a topic below or search the Wiki to learn more about posters and the world of collecting.
Getting Started
New to poster collecting? Learn the basics, understand editions and terminology, and find out what to look for before buying your first print.
Explore →Poster Types & Processes
Explore gig posters, art prints, movie posters, promotional posters, screen prints, lithographs, letterpress prints, woodcuts, linocuts, and other print types.
Explore →Printing Techniques
Learn how posters are made, including screen printing, offset lithography, letterpress, digital printing, block printing, foil stamping, and other techniques.
Explore →Paper & Materials
Understand paper stocks, metallic and pearlescent papers, foils, inks, deckled edges, substrates, and other materials used by artists and printers.
Explore →Editions & Variants
Learn the differences between show editions, artist editions, APs, PPs, variants, colorways, foil editions, numbered editions, and open editions.
Explore →Condition & Grading
Learn how collectors evaluate poster condition and how handling, storage, restoration, pinholes, creases, fading, and other issues can affect a print.
Explore →Care & Preservation
Learn how to safely store, handle, transport, frame, and preserve posters and prints.
Explore →Framing Guide
Understand archival framing, UV glazing, matting, spacers, mounting methods, and other considerations when displaying collectible artwork.
Explore →Collecting Terms
Not sure what AP, OG, ISO, S/N, remarqued, variant, or colorway means? Explore commonly used poster-collecting terminology.
Explore →History of Gig Posters
Explore the history of concert posters, from early advertising and psychedelic-era artwork through punk, alternative music, modern screen printing, and today's independent poster scene.
Explore →Artists & Designers
Learn about the artists, designers, illustrators, printers, photographers, and studios that have shaped poster art.
Explore →Genres, Scenes & Series
Explore important poster movements, venues, concert series, regional scenes, and influential periods in poster history.
Explore →Market & Value
Understand how rarity, demand, artist, band, edition size, condition, sales history, and other factors can influence poster value.
Explore →Buying & Selling
Learn how to research a poster, evaluate a listing, understand market prices, avoid reproductions and bootlegs, safely ship prints, and sell responsibly.
Explore →Featured Guides
View all guides →What is a Screen Print?
Understand one of the most common printing processes used for gig posters.
How to Grade a Poster
Learn what collectors look for when evaluating poster condition.
How to Store Posters
Best practices for protecting your poster collection.
Artist Proofs
Understand AP editions and how artist proofs fit into poster editions.
Built for Collectors
PosterDrops combines collector knowledge with a growing historical poster database, price history, collection management tools, and marketplace.
Throughout the Wiki you'll find links to real posters, artists, bands, editions, sales information, and other examples from the PosterDrops database.
Poster collecting has decades of history and knowledge scattered across collections, forums, books, galleries, artist archives, and the memories of collectors themselves. Our goal is to help document and preserve that information for the next generation of collectors.
Looking for a quick definition?
The PosterDrops Glossary provides concise definitions for collecting terms, abbreviations, printing terms, edition types and more.
