Limited Edition Prints

[Davide!]

Although I've seen the so-called limited editions, only to later see the same just no more ... limited, making it an oxymoron to be called that.

Is this about photographs inkjet printed (sounds like it) ? I doubt there is much unique value to any inkjet printed item no matter how few of them there may be as there is always going to be a suspicion of more of them being out there anyways, even if not outputted in a controlled manner (something that limited also means) . If limited implies rare then different paper size or type kills the idea, at least it would for me. IN other words, if I were to make limited or better, yet to buy one, it would have to be that ... limited ... and that is end of it's printing story (outside of what is publicized in widely available forms like books, magazines etc. ) Once that image gets into mass factory for cheap reproductions, my limited print I've been so proud to own is now hardly any different than what sold at a fraction or was used on some licensed product.

To sum it up, I view limited as rarest and (better) not available at all in any other forms. So I would pick a few images I want to preserve to the lucky few and forget about them once few are sold out, focusing instead on other work that would up my reputation as a worthy artist, automatically making those limited prints so much more valuable. Any other way of looking at it dilutes any potential increase in value.

Picasso called himself the first collector of ... Picasso's work. He knew what he was up to.

Yes, Inkjet prints.. I would take care of the prints so if I say for instance limited edition of 10 it will be a limited edition of 10, otherwise I wouldn't even ask and just print a "limited" edition. I just want to do things right..
I read on a gallery's website that editions can be made in different sizes for example in an edition of 50 you could do 20 A3s, 20 A4s and 10 A1s and if we like it or not that's the way it is, but no one mentions different papers..

I agree with you with limited and rare but I'm a small fish and my prices are on the low side.

What Vaughn said about AA's Special Edition Prints, sounds like a good idea and I might go that way..

 

[Davide!]

Davide, just out of curiosity what colour and b&w films do you use and what camera or cameras were used?

Thanks

pentaxuser

I used and use Fuji FP100 on a Hasselblad and Polaroid back, Olympus Mju, Nikon F3, Fuji GS645 with Ilford HP5 and Nikon digitals

 

[miha]

Hi Terry, some of my work is on davidecossu.com

Quite a comprehensive body of work. Inspiring too!

 

[removed account4]

I edition my work in 5 total for any image no matter what size or process I use.
Also I do have Book Sets in edition of two of my series.

Have been doing this for over 20 years now .... I am glad I kept the edition low, and really glad I have the book set edition

!!

 

[Davide!]

Quite a comprehensive body of work. Inspiring too!

Thank you Miha, I appreciate it!

 

[Deleted member 88956]

Yes, Inkjet prints.. I would take care of the prints so if I say for instance limited edition of 10 it will be a limited edition of 10, otherwise I wouldn't even ask and just print a "limited" edition. I just want to do things right..
I read on a gallery's website that editions can be made in different sizes for example in an edition of 50 you could do 20 A3s, 20 A4s and 10 A1s and if we like it or not that's the way it is, but no one mentions different papers..

I agree with you with limited and rare but I'm a small fish and my prices are on the low side.

What Vaughn said about AA's Special Edition Prints, sounds like a good idea and I might go that way..

Small fish can grow. If you want to get serious about selling your work, won't hurt to have some of it available once and to chosen few, in case you do grow and wider recognition presents itself.

 

[DREW WILEY]

There's a big difference between selling a known commodity like an AA, Picasso, or Warhol item, and trying to simply get your foot in the door. Make your sample prints as good as you possibly can, and big enough to be comfortably assessed by the average viewer, and tastefully mounted or framed, professional-looking. With inkjet you have the ability to then hypothetically make that same image in custom sizes if there is interest. My mantra is to quote Hannibal Lector, "one covets what one sees". And that's why a beautifully made print is a far more effective sales tool than edition gimmicks and web catalogs. Getting it to people's attention is the harder part. The gallery business has always been risky, and right now, many of them are probably close to extinction. In the meantime, get a nice looking portfolio built up, so that you can burn some shoe rubber looking around once things open back up.

 

[skorpiius]

I've been wondering about this myself. Specifically if there's a limited edition of prints, say 25, or 50. Later on would including that image as 1 of a 10-pack of postcards violate the edition since they would be lower quality, smaller sized and not have the same care and attention as the 'display models'? Or printing it on tshirts? etc.

 

[MattKing]

I've been wondering about this myself. Specifically if there's a limited edition of prints, say 25, or 50. Later on would including that image as 1 of a 10-pack of postcards violate the edition since they would be lower quality, smaller sized and not have the same care and attention as the 'display models'? Or printing it on tshirts? etc.

Most editioning is at least size specific.
But if you wish to "build your brand" it may not be advisable to sell an editioned print at, presumably, a premium price, and then have the purchasers see the same image on the pizza delivery person.

 

[fgorga]

Lots of good information here and clearly there are no generally accepted standards to the issue.

I think that laying out your policy clearly and in advance is the key and then being scrupulously honest and rigorous about following that policy will keep you out of trouble.

Brooks Jensen (editor/publisher of LensWork) has some detailed and well reasoned opinions about the topic of limited editions. His essay is available as a pdf here: http://www.brooksjensenarts.com/articles/What Size is the Edition.pdf

 

[Deleted member 88956]

Lots of good information here and clearly there are no generally accepted standards to the issue.

I think that laying out your policy clearly and in advance is the key and then being scrupulously honest and rigorous about following that policy will keep you out of trouble.

Brooks Jensen (editor/publisher of LensWork) has some detailed and well reasoned opinions about the topic of limited editions. His essay is available as a pdf here: http://www.brooksjensenarts.com/articles/What Size is the Edition.pdf

This is by far the most important aspect: set up your policy and don't walk away from it, today or ever.

That Jense's article is a fine piece as most of his writings. I disagree with some bits, but overall he makes strong arguments. It would be a fine background for a dedicated thread though.

 

[DREW WILEY]

I learned awfully fast that every single gallery is potentially different; idiosyncratic personalities tend to be involved. Each has their own rules, and the only way to win is to make your own rules and see if they're willing to play ball or not, or if there's even enough margin at the end going to you to make the effort worthwhile. I'd rather set up my own gallery, but not this late in life, since it's a very risky business model in the best of circumstances. More of a rich man's hobby or tax write-off for someone who needs that. But I did have some spurts of serious income in that manner, right when I especially needed it. The only way to know if it's a suitable avenue for you is to get out and wiggle your toes in the water.

 

[TheRook]

I agree with you with limited and rare but I'm a small fish and my prices are on the low side.

If you are "small fish", listing your prints as "limited edition" doesn't mean anything to potential buyers of your work - they either like the print and the price is acceptable, or they simply don't buy the print. Limited edition prints only have meaning if you are a renowned photographer and your prints are in high demand by collectors.

 

[Deleted member 88956]

If you are "small fish", listing your prints as "limited edition" doesn't mean anything to potential buyers of your work - they either like the print and the price is acceptable, or they simply don't buy the print. Limited edition prints only have meaning if you are a renowned photographer and your prints are in high demand by collectors.

I don't agree ... except for snobs who only buy the so-called famed name behind a print as a key reason, not necessarily a print for its pure aesthetic merits. Any print that is set up as of limited printing will have higher value to an astute buyer. What that print is and how it "promotes" itself is another matter. What drives this from collector's point is a chance of hitting it big later on, after the no name limited print became one made by one who ultimately got the recognition. Granted, these days there is so much "art" (of any kind) for sale out there, needle in a hey stack seems like no harder to find than a truck in a one-car garage.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

Is it allowed? I don’t know who would stop it. I don’t think anyone can complain as long as you are up front about what you do.

+1

 

[MattKing]

If you are "small fish", listing your prints as "limited edition" doesn't mean anything to potential buyers of your work - they either like the print and the price is acceptable, or they simply don't buy the print. Limited edition prints only have meaning if you are a renowned photographer and your prints are in high demand by collectors.

If you start out early doing this, printing in limited editions may not make much difference.
If, however, you begin to achieve success in the gallery and collector world, the fact that you have consistently limited your editions is quite likely to increase the value of older work, which would be directly to your benefit if you still retain prints from old editions. Even if you don't retain any older prints, the increased market value of them due to the editioning will be reflected in the prices you get for newer work.
Limited edition printing for the not yet successful is more a way to potentially improve future income than it is a way to improve current income.

 

[jtk]

If you're serious do what some have always done: print and safely file the full editions, then destroy the negative.

 

[John Koehrer]

If you are "small fish", listing your prints as "limited edition" doesn't mean anything to potential buyers of your work - they either like the print and the price is acceptable, or they simply don't buy the print. Limited edition prints only have meaning if you are a renowned photographer and your prints are in high demand by collectors.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Gosh! Did all of those old timey fuzzygrafers limit their print editions to make prints so expensive today?
IE:Weston, Adams, Steiglitz, Man Ray, Arbus...........Don't forget there's a lot more.