Posted by Jeremy Cram on October 2, 2006 at 9:39 PM
Hello,
I have been wanting to change the way I present and sell my work as of late, and am really impressed with the quaility of some canvas prints I've seen. If I were to start printing on canvas and doing limited runs of them, say 50-100, does that prohibate ALL other reproductions of that piece? I've talked to some gallery owners and have been told that greeting cards of that piece would be fine but that is it, while others have said that being on canvas in a specific size is it for being limited. Meaning that I could still sell that image on a paper print in a different or smaller size. I'm sure some of you pros could give me some guidence. My integrity is important and I don't want to mislead people buying limited images, if they think that that is the only ones out there....?
Thank you
Posted by Richard Wong on October 2, 2006 at 10:10 PM
My opinion regarding "limited edition" prints are either limit the edition to 5 or less, otherwise there is nothing limited about it. "Limited" Editions of 100 or 300 is misleading, not to mention editions per size. I'm sure one could argue limited edition means simply that there is a limit to the edition, but the implied meaning is to create a sense of value due to scarcity so therefore I don't buy into that way of thinking.
When I think of Limited Edition, I think of the Mona Lisa, or Scream.
Limited Edition prints are to me exactly that Limited. If I was to fork out a small sum of money to buy a Limited Edition print only to see it all over the place I would feel ripped. One of Australia's most well known landscapers has different Limited Edition prints, some may be 50 other 300. Of course the more Limited the more money they can sell for. I for one can not see how a Limited Edition prints of 300 is misleading. It simply is saying once the 300 prints have been sold no more will be avalible in any form. When I think of Limited Edition I think of a run of prints that will never be repeated.
When I think of the Mona Lisa I don't think Limited Edition I thine One Off.
Posted by Jeremy Cram on October 2, 2006 at 11:53 PM
If I made a limited edition print and didn't license it or print it in any other format except 4x6 for a gretting card...is that misleading? Is this a grey area?
Limited Edition Prints should be just that a run of prints that will never show up anywhere again that includes greeting cards, posters, etc. When someone buy Limitied edition prints they are buying a print they expect to be rare and go up in value.
I'm about to set up my own business doing just that and any print I label witha Limited Edition signage will come with a certificate of authenticity.
It's very wise to choose carefully which images you choose to make Limitied Editions
Posted by Jeremy Cram on October 3, 2006 at 4:53 AM
Thank you, for your time responding. I probably won't be doing limited edition stuff since my cards do so well. In the long run it just doesn't make alot of sense.
Posted by dan elster on October 3, 2006 at 10:23 AM
I've been doing art shows for a couple of years now. I've talked to a lot of other photographers and artists about this issue. Some artists say that you can make an edition for 8x10's and another edition of 20x30's. I'm not sure what the answer to that is, but I will say that I sell ton's of greeting cards of my most popular images. They aren't signed or numbered and I sell them for 4 bucks a piece. My larger pieces are #'d. I've never had anyone complain. I've been to a couple of galleries, like Clyde Butcher's and Thomas Mangelson's and they sell greeting cards right next to the same limited edition image(of the same image). That was enough for me. Go ahead and do both.
Posted by Tom Webster on October 3, 2006 at 10:38 AM
Just because you are limiting the number of fine art prints you make off an image doesn't mean that you are giving up all marketing rights to that image. You can still market greeting cards, sell rights to publication, even make inexpensive posters if you want. Limited edition prints just means that you will make no more fine art prints once the prescribed number of prints in an edition is printed. Don't limit your ability to market those images in other venues.
I think the answers above are a good illustration of how arbitrary those limits are. There's no "right" way to do it - the one and only goal is to artificially inflate the cost of the print and therefore the only rule is whatever you feel people will be willing to pay more for.
Personally I don't like the premise of imposing arbitraty limits on my work. By virtue of the fact that I myself will someday be gone, any personally created and signed print I make is part of a limited edition.
Guy
Posted by Jeremy Cram on October 3, 2006 at 12:53 PM
His limited edition prints say for example may be a run of 100 but in that run ALL sizes are apart of it, from 30inch up to 75inch prints. Price is according to size of run os a 75inch print of a 50 print run could cost up to $5,000 AUS a print, seem crazy, his images sell all over the world and he gets his prices, how many cards/posters you need to sell to make that money. That's only one print so if you used averages he would make out of a 50 image Limited Edition run about $200,000. This guy is a master at Limited Edition prints and probably why he's a multi millionaire. He started with a Noblex many years ago so while I would never get that type of money, it shows that if you put your mind to it Limited Edition prints will far outway the money you get from cards/poster sales
You've been presented with lots of valid thoughts here. Not that he's end-all on the subject, but Brooks Jensen's thoughts (as well as historical context for LE's) are found in this good .pdf article. This should give you plenty more to chew on.
Posted by Kent Mearig on October 5, 2006 at 2:27 AM
I just finished reading the article. If you haven't, I would strongly recomend it, and thanks to Michael for linking us to it. I was pretty sure that limited editions were not for me, and this article pretty much locked it up. If someone wanted to buy my picture, but they honestly had no way to afford it, that would make me sad. Why would I use a tool for raising prices so that only wealthy people could afford my artwork? On the other hand, I would love for my photographs to generate an income large enough to support my family. I think there's a fine line to walk (unless you think your pictures would only interest rich people anyway )
Posted by Richard Wong on October 5, 2006 at 4:14 PM
"Why would I use a tool for raising prices so that only wealthy people could afford my artwork?"
I came to that conclusion last night regarding nature photography in general while looking up info on the 2007 NANPA Conference in Palm Springs. The admission for both members and non-members is quite lofty. I lost my enthusiasm for it once I saw the price.
Discussion
13 repliesI have been wanting to change the way I present and sell my work as of late, and am really impressed with the quaility of some canvas prints I've seen. If I were to start printing on canvas and doing limited runs of them, say 50-100, does that prohibate ALL other reproductions of that piece? I've talked to some gallery owners and have been told that greeting cards of that piece would be fine but that is it, while others have said that being on canvas in a specific size is it for being limited. Meaning that I could still sell that image on a paper print in a different or smaller size. I'm sure some of you pros could give me some guidence. My integrity is important and I don't want to mislead people buying limited images, if they think that that is the only ones out there....?
Thank you
When I think of Limited Edition, I think of the Mona Lisa, or Scream.
Limited Edition prints are to me exactly that Limited. If I was to fork out a small sum of money to buy a Limited Edition print only to see it all over the place I would feel ripped. One of Australia's most well known landscapers has different Limited Edition prints, some may be 50 other 300. Of course the more Limited the more money they can sell for. I for one can not see how a Limited Edition prints of 300 is misleading. It simply is saying once the 300 prints have been sold no more will be avalible in any form. When I think of Limited Edition I think of a run of prints that will never be repeated.
When I think of the Mona Lisa I don't think Limited Edition I thine One Off.
Limited Edition Prints should be just that a run of prints that will never show up anywhere again that includes greeting cards, posters, etc. When someone buy Limitied edition prints they are buying a print they expect to be rare and go up in value.
I'm about to set up my own business doing just that and any print I label witha Limited Edition signage will come with a certificate of authenticity.
It's very wise to choose carefully which images you choose to make Limitied Editions
Personally I don't like the premise of imposing arbitraty limits on my work. By virtue of the fact that I myself will someday be gone, any personally created and signed print I make is part of a limited edition.
Guy
Ken Duncan
His limited edition prints say for example may be a run of 100 but in that run ALL sizes are apart of it, from 30inch up to 75inch prints. Price is according to size of run os a 75inch print of a 50 print run could cost up to $5,000 AUS a print, seem crazy, his images sell all over the world and he gets his prices, how many cards/posters you need to sell to make that money. That's only one print so if you used averages he would make out of a 50 image Limited Edition run about $200,000. This guy is a master at Limited Edition prints and probably why he's a multi millionaire. He started with a Noblex many years ago so while I would never get that type of money, it shows that if you put your mind to it Limited Edition prints will far outway the money you get from cards/poster sales
I came to that conclusion last night regarding nature photography in general while looking up info on the 2007 NANPA Conference in Palm Springs. The admission for both members and non-members is quite lofty. I lost my enthusiasm for it once I saw the price.