Prints have been an integral part of MoMA since its inception in 1929, with eight prints being among the very first works to enter the collection. Today, the department's holdings have grown to include more than 53,000 works dating from the 1880s to the present, forming the most comprehensive collection of modern and contemporary prints and illustrated books in the world. While traditional techniques such as woodcut, etching, lithography, and screenprint form the core of the collection, newer digital processes, multiples, and artist's books are also collected in breadth and depth. The important role of printmaking in artists' creative process is reflected in the inclusion of numerous states and working proofs, comprising one of the unique strengths of the collection.