The Master Print - Bon à Tirer (B.A.T.)
The definitive print that serves as the reference for an entire edition is known as the Bon à Tirer, or B.A.T.- French for “good to print.”
This is the first impression with which the artist, or master printer, is completely satisfied in terms of sharpness, ink coverage, colour and overall appearance. It becomes the standard against which all subsequent prints in the edition are compared.
Only one B.A.T. normally exists for each edition. The artist marks the print “B.A.T.” to indicate final approval, making it a unique and important record of the printing process.