Limited Editions

[nevets2001uk]

I'm planning a new website for my landscape photography work and will be offering some of the photographs for sale as limited edition prints.

My questions all relate to the "proper" way to sell limited editions.

1) If I limit a photograph to 50 signed and numbered prints and then a customer requests the same image as a canvas or acrylic piece of artwork should I consider this part of the limited edition or a separate item? Eg would I decrease my remaining print number to 49 after selling a canvas?

2) Some of the photographs have already been sold as open editions (before I had the idea to limit my better work). If I advise the client of this and send them a certificate of authenticity to proove they now own part of a limited edition would this be reasonable?

3) Can I ethically retain a unsigned print for myself or family ourside of the numbered editions?

4) Can I still submit images to magazines, calendars, advertising use etc if they form a limited edition? This may never occur but I want to be prepared.

How do other photographers manage their limited editions and ensure a fair and ethical policy that allows some flexibilty should be it be required?

[photoguy6405]

I'm going to ask a question and I apologize if this comes off harsh, it's not intended to be that way, but...

Who are you that would make a prospective buyer feel the need to act quickly or pay a premium for your work? That is, after all, what limited editions imply... exceptional popularity and demand to warrant the increased competition for those willing to pay for it.

Maybe I'm all wrong and you routinely sell dozens or hundreds of the same item, and I checked out your website and you do very nice work, but unless you're famous, or a particular piece is Ansel Adams-like, it seems to me than having limited editions is kind of a marketing gimmick.

In answer to some of your questions, I would think that once you go limited, that's it... it's retired once you reach that number. Even something you keep for your own wall could find it's way out into the public after you die or something, which wouldn't be fair to those who bought with the promise that they had only 1 of XX copies. If you want one for yourself, it should be one of the limited copies.

[amfoto1]

Hi,

Actually there's nothing at all wrong with selling limited editions... In fact it can be a very smart marketing move and a common practice among even the not-yet-world-famous. It's carried over and applied to photography from a long tradition in many other types of fine art printmaking: Wood block, intaglio, silk screen... whatever.

1a. An edition of 50 is fairly small. More usual is 200, 250 or even 400 to 800. However, there is a current fad invovling extremely small micro editions of 5 or even fewer. So, there's nothing wrong with 50, either.

1b. If you were to also produce the image on another surface or medium, or even in a different size or with a different crop.... no it would not normally be counted in the numbered series. Those should all be the same... as nearly identical as possible in fact. However, you may want to seriously limit or even refuse to produce images in certain ways. For example, I sell a limited edition print of timber wolf, but only in 11x14 and 16x20 sizes. I won't offer or print it smaller. It just doesn't look right to me.

Another example, a shot I have of a hummingbird I think looks better as either a small print with the bird little more than life-size, or as a really large print 16x20 or bigger. I feel this is the case with many macro shots... they just don't look right to me in certain sizes and have to be printed either small or really, really large to be effective.

In both cases, exceptions might be greeting cards (5x7) or, perhaps someday, on mouse pads.

If possible with special requests, sell them a different image that's quite similar, not the exact same one. As photographers, we often have close duplicates of our work. But, I don't think this is a hard and fast "rule". You could safely make a "one off" outside the numbered series, if it's clearly distinct from that series, such as a different medium or different surface.

And, the customer isn't always right. Sometimes they ask for an 8x10 and I'll refuse because the image simply won't crop to that size and they need to order either a 6x9 or an 8x12.

I happen to have a special request print laying here right now... It's a black and white version that I agreed to make of an image I'm selling in color as a limited edition. I'll either call it an artist's proof or a separate edition (if I decide I like it in B&W enough to consider offering an edition of them..So far, in this particular case, it's a "no go" as it's own B&W edition... I just think the image works a bit better in color.)

2. No. There's not a problem with the images that have already been sold. Count them as "artist's proofs" and do not send a certificate of authenticity for the prints that have already been sold or otherwise distributed. If you signed them, well okay.... It might have been better if they were unsigned. But they aren't part of the final, numbered set, unless you want them to be. Hopefully this is a relatively few number of images, and it certainly wouldn't apply to future images you make or ones you haven't sold anywhere yet.

3. Yes, you can retain artist's proofs, even sell them although that would be unusual. These are usually the first printed, good but not necessarily the final way you chose to print the image. Out in the art world, some artist's proofs that retain flaws and notations are actually more valuable now than the numbered prints that followed them, due to rarity and uniqueness.

You can also retain some of the numbered edition. I make editions of 200 and never sell 1/200, 2/200 or 3/200. I retain those as potentially the most valuable of the edition (maybe not today... or ever.... but who knows). What you do with those is up to you. If you want to gift one to a friend or family, that's up to you. If an image is of someone's personal property, I'll often give them one of the low number editions.

A recent example was a close up portrait of a friend's dressage pony that ended up placing third nationally in it's class (American warmblood, amateur rider) in the US Dressage Federation ranking system. I was more than happy to print up and sign an 11x14 for the owner/rider, especially in exchange for a signed model/property release that allows me to more fully use all the photos I took of them performing that day! I wish I could get more deals like that, in fact.

Keep good records of the number of artists proofs and limited edition series you produce from your images. Even if you have to estimate the number of artists proofs that have already been made and distributed in various ways.

Some day you may be asked to replace a particular print that's been damaged or faded or something. If so, I think it would be okay so long as the same number is also used on the new one and a notation made, and the damaged print is destroyed. More commonly though, you'd replace it with another number from the series.

4. Yes. In fact, you definitely should continue to sell the images for other purposes, such as editorial, commercial, stock usage... even posters, coffee mugs and mouse pads if you wish. Doing so could even enhance the value of the signed, limited edition prints. All these other usages are not part of the series or quality controlled by the artist in the same way that a limited edition, fine art print is.

Go look at www.mangelsen.com to see one of the top sellers of limited edition, fine art prints today. Many of Tom's images are used in other ways... Calendars, posters and products he sells, as well as magazines, advertisements, and such. Tom Mangelsen, Art Wolfe, George Lepp, Franz Lanting, Brett Weston, and Robert Frank are just a few notable examples of photographers doing this. The estates of Ansel Adams, Diane Arbus, Edward Weston and many others who are no longer living allow their families and heirs to continue to market their images in all the same ways.

Limited edition is practically required for photography to be accepted into many juried art shows. Some even put a maximum number on it, usually 200 to 250.

These shows are typically a far better place to sell art prints, than the usual arts & crafts/wine & cheese fair. Think about it. Attendees at juried art shows are there for the art... Appreciating it for it's own sake and collecting it as an investment or buying it as a fine gift. Compare those folks to mom, dad and the kids getting their faces painted, watching dancers or jugglers and enjoying specialty foods at the typical wine & cheese event. Fine art prints, nicely framed and presented, will usually bring much higher prices at juried art shows. Expect to sell cheap posters, mouse pads and greeting cards of the same images at the wine & cheese fairs.

Hey! We all have to make a living. While one aspect or another of our work may be the bulk of our income, we'd be foolish not to constantly look for a variety of creative ways to market our images, for other means to leverage more revenues out of the work we've already done. Limited edition, fine art prints are just one part of this marking puzzle, and can both enhance and be enhanced by other areas of our work.

You didn't ask, but I'll add that I sign, title and number my limited edition prints in the margin in pencil, and in such a way that it can be covered by the mat, if the owner wishes. Some sign on the image itself, which is okay. Be a bit careful of using pen, some will bleed or fade or do damage over time. Do not sign on the mat, unless you also sign on the print itself. The mat may get separated from the print in the future.

There's no reason at all you shouldn't offer limited editions, too.

When your edition sells out (hey, wouldn't that be a great problem to have)... Go shoot more pictures!

[photoguy6405]

Go with Alan's advice. He's clearly more experienced at this particular aspect than I am. I have no first-hand experience and am merely giving some thoughts what an admittedly uneducated potential customer might think. I think that part of my thoughts stem from the idea that limited editions don't do anything to enhance the work in my mind. My thinking is, "It's signed and numbered... so what?". Then again, I know there are people to whom that is important.

[nevets2001uk]

Thanks to both of you for your comments.

Photoguy - Your view is perfectly valid and I too was wondering whether a relatively unknown photograph like myself could really benefit from limited editions. In the end however I decided that the perceived value of a limited edition would hopefully work in my favour rather than against. I'm hoping to establish myself locally and will be heavily promoting the new website I am designing to get as much local interest as possible. I only intend on limiting prints for certain photographs which I deem to be special / more valuable.

Alan - Thank you for such detailed answers and advice. I very much appreciate you taking the time to comment.

1a - The actual number in an edition is yet to be decided. 50 felt about right so as not to limit the appeal but 75 or 100 may be more suitable for my work.

1b - It all seems to make sense. I'm planning on offer two or three sizes for my prints and as you point out I'll limit those to a smallest size simply to ensure the image is displayed to it's full advantage. I was always planning on making these part of the same series. I am also considering offering mounted / unmounted / canvas options to satisfy more customers.

I can see that an acrylic for example (different medium) could be considered outside of the main series and therefore not part of the edition. I guess my concern is misleading customers by offering a limited edition and then producing another copy (in whatever medium) that technically extends the range beyond the limit.

I can see this comes down to the understanding of what a limited edition is and will spend some time thinking about how I wish to handle it.

Do you supply any sort of pre-sale terms and conditions that explains clearly to the customer that additional one-offs may be printed?

2 - This seems to make sense and is the easiest way to tackle the situation. It's a relatively small number of prints that have already been sold anyway.

3 - This again seems to be fine although I think I need to find a way to explain this to potential customers to ensure they fully understand what they are purchasing. I'd feel bad if they assumed that their print from a series of 50 was literally only 1 of 50 in existance when actually there's an extra print hanging in my flat and with my parents etc. I guess I'll limited myself to a number of proofs that a series can include as well as the main series.

I had wondered about holding back early editions for myself / family. Is it ok to reserve these numbers even if the physical prints have yet to be made? I tend to print to order or my own requirements as storing prints is a pain.

4 - This sounds fair enough and pretty standard then so I will just again try to make sure that this is clear to customers in the small print.

You didn't ask, but I'll add that I sign, title and number my limited edition prints in the margin in pencil, and in such a way that it can be covered by the mat, if the owner wishes. Some sign on the image itself, which is okay. Be a bit careful of using pen, some will bleed or fade or do damage over time. Do not sign on the mat, unless you also sign on the print itself. The mat may get separated from the print in the future.
This also answers another question I had. I am planning to try and push mounted versions of my limited editions as they look more finished but wanted to protect the print too. I tried to signa print in pencil once before and it didn't work due to the shine on the paper. Any tips for this? My intention was to print say a 15x10 photograph on 20 x 18 paper to allow for a decent margin for signing etc. I'd also considered the option of using a rubber ink stamp on the back to "brand" the work?

For mounted work I'll make sure to sign both. Are you able to show any photographs of how you present your final work as that would be very useful?

In order to manage the prints I've produced I will be keeping a simple database of all owners and sizes produced etc. I will also present a certificate with each print to verify it's part in the edition.

Thanks again for the great advice. Things are much clearer now.

[GergReltub]

I sell photography at art festivals and most of them require that your photography be limited editions.

[golfecho]

When your edition sells out (hey, wouldn't that be a great problem to have)... Go shoot more pictures!

This part of Alan's comments are, to me, very important. Are you a photographer, or a printer? I get my enjoyment in having camera in hand, and out "seeing" the world and capturing it. If you limit your prints to 200 or 250, then you will have the draw of those who want the limited edition. But paraphrasing Alan, "I should have such a problem . . ."

[dylanmurphy]

I've never been able to justify going the limited edition route. I just feel that right now that would just make it harder for more people to see my work and with so many people selling prints online at a low price.... But, what if I changed my mind sometime down the road.. would I be able to offer limited editions of a previously not-limited image? and how would that make someone who purchased a non-limited version previously feel?

[Hikin Mike]

Do you guys realize this thread is two years old. :lol:

[Karl Johnston]

didnt realize nope, deleted my post lol