When art collectors speak simply of "an original" they are referring to a one-of-a-kind work created directly by the artist. Drawings, paintings and sculpures are just a few of the many forms of original art.
Some artists create prints. There are many forms of art prints including silkscreen, lithographs, etchings and more.
After a print artist creates an image, she then either performs the work of printing herself or personally supervises the work of a printer. The artist determines how many prints will be made in this way from the original image. This forms the "edition" of the print.
After the prints are completed, the artist signs and numbers them--usually in the lower left hand corner. You can tell an original print from a regular print because the signature will be outside of the printed image.
The number that appears with the signature looks a bit like a fraction with a slanted line. The bottom or second number represents the total number of prints in the limited edition. The top or first number represents the order in which the individual print was made or "pulled."
Some signed original prints also have additional markings. "H/C", for example, stands for the French expression "hors de commerce" and indicates that the print was not offered for sale by the artist but was given as a gift.