Printing in editions

[bmac]

Just wondering if people here tend to print say 5 prints of a negative in a size at a single time, or just do one or two and be happy with it. I have been trying to print 5 copies once I get a "finished" print, but the storage and finishing time has become a bit of a problem. The reason I was trying to print extra copies was to be ready in case someone wants to buy a copy of a print. What do you think?

 

[Aggie]

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[Aggie]

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[Eric Rose]

I don't believe in trying to fit all my pictures into standard sizes such as 8x10, 11x14 etc. I know this isn't your original question but I'm getting to it. What I do is print an 8x10 and then decide which print size best represents my pre-visualization of the scene. If you take the same picture and make a series of prints 8x10, 11x14, 16x20, 20x30 etc you will find that one size seems to jump out at you and that is the ONLY size that neg should be printed to. The optimum size also doesn't have to fit one of these traditional sizes either.

Now for your question, do I print series of prints? No. I don't because if they are paying for a custom print, which is the only thing I do, then if you walk to back room and grab one off the shelf it just doesn't seem to have the same cache as one they have to wait a week for. I print to fill orders and for shows.

I also don't believe in the "limited edition" crap either. Printing hundreds of copies of the same neg doesn't seem to have hurt Adams for Newton any.

 

[ann]

In the past few years i have been printing 10 prints of anything I am serious about. These are finished prints not work prints. I hate to go back and reprint and this just makes it easier. THen i always have something on hand for gifts, sale or what ever else.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

For me it depends on how good I think it is and what I might do with it. Usually I print in threes.

 

[Jim Chinn]

I usually print three. One i will record all applicable printing info on the back and have a transparency sleeve with dodging and burning info in grease pencil, and then two others for display. If it is something special I will print two more that go into two portfolios that I am compiling for my daughters.

 

[SteveGangi]

I generally only print one, unless someone already requested a copy. If people wanted to buy them, it would probably be a different story.

 

[fhovie]

When I print, I like to have enough copies for disaster in the dryer, toner catastrophy and matting malady- I am also inclined to print several sizes - one group for the wall, one group for one portfolio ... etc. I prefer to let someone chose the image they want for sale. What I find cool is not usually what folks want to pay me for. Sold prints are almost always a separate session. Again - a few extras to choose from - lighter darker disaster ... what ever.
Frank

 

[Phil Handforth]

For me, an initial printing of 5 tends to be the norm for a new image(excluding the 'pilot' print). As per other users, I then increase production (in 5's) according to demand.

 

[Ole]

I print one.

A little later I'll find out I'm not entirely happy with it, and print another one.

And again.

I have one negative I've been doing this to for 15 years - I must have used several boxes of paper in all sizes...
"Commercial Bank of ..." in the Critique gallery has been printed over a period of ten years. I now use a copy negative of it, since the original negative needs an inordinate amount of burning in.

but sometimes I print series of 25, and send them to the postcard list

 

[Thilo Schmid]

I usually print more than one. However, I do not have a fixed number of copies. It depends on how much I like it.

 

[Nige]

but sometimes I print series of 25, and send them to the postcard list

hehe! you got a laugh out of me!

 

[David Hall]

I always print four. And interestingly enough, if it's a good print that I hang or give away, I usually end up with one, so starting with four works well for me.

dgh

 

[bmac]

I've started printing in sets of 5 and it looks like it is working. People at work have been asking for prints, and even offering up some greenbacks, so I guess I'll keep doing it in 5's. LOL

 

[bill schwab]

In my case I edition all my images at 25. Prices start at 600.00 for thje first 5 images in an edition and rise as the edition sells out and top out at 2500.00.

When printing a new edition, I work on the individual print until it is where I envisioned in my mind's eye. This print then gets filed and becomes my guide print for the rest of the edition. Usually I will then print at least the first 5 images in an edition which go out to the galleries that represent me.

I've also become a pretty good judge of which images will sell faster and these I tend to print more of. If an image sells out of the first printing fairly rapidly, I will then finish out the complete edition in order to fill inventory at my galleries without delay. In addition I keep an "edition book" which is a database file in which all prints are tracked by title, date, edition number and gallery where it is located. Each month I send out new price lists to my galleries reflecting any prices that have changed. When a gallery sells an image I am notified of the sale as well as the client and their location. This information is then added to the edition book so that prices can be kept current. Hope this helps!

 

[fhovie]

Hi Bill:

I am curious what size prints sell the best for you? Does the size of the print influence the price (mostly)? Do you mat them?

I like the bigger the better - I print mostly 16x20 for myself (from 4x5) I notice people seem to like to buy the 11x14 more often - 16x20 frame fits in more places and a lot of folks seem to like to put up a lot of lanscapes instead of one really big one.

-Frank

 

[bill schwab]

Hi Frank,

The best size for me is 8 x 8 printed on an 11 x 14 sheet of paper which is how I've been printing these for some time now. All are sold ready for framing and mounted and overmatted to 16 x 20 on 4-ply Winchester Bright White.

Just recently I have begun experimenting with a larger size in a small edition at the request of one of my dealers. The dealer's logic is that in their location (Cal) many of their clients have large houses with large walls to fill. They are printed 14 x 14 on a 16 x 20 paper and matted to 20 x 24. Those editions start 200.00 higher than the smaller size, however to date very few have sold. I find that odd as the smaller ones sell quite well, but considering many of the people who know or collect my work expect the 8x8 size, perhaps they just don't accept the addition.

I love some of the larger images, but personally have to confess that I am partial to the smaller size as well - at least for my work. I just seems more intimate.

-Bill