Limited Edition Photo prints -How do you number them (1of 5 etc), can you print/sell more after the first run?

Answer 1

1/x, 2/x, 3/x, x being the number of prints in the limited edition.

It's unethical to do a second run for a 'limited' edition. Why not just number the prints in the order they are produced rather than trying pass them off as 'limited' if you have no intention of limiting the number of prints you will make.

In rare cases where I have seen second runs, the author has kept the original number below and kept increasing the top number, i.e. 'limited' edition of 5, next edition starts with 6/5, 7/5 etc. but watch it- if people buy because it is marketed as limited, they will be very unhappy if they find out you've made more and may have a legal case if you sold under false pretenses.

Answer 2

Limited editions have no value for photographs the way they do for lithographs and other forms of printmaking. The reason is that with non photographic prints, each print destroys the image on the plate or stone a bit, so artists would strictly limit the number of prints made and then destroy the plate/stone.

It's kind of stupid to do that with a photo, since the number of prints made has NOTHING to do with image quality. True you may increase the selling price by a few bucks (and unless you are a world renouned artist, it WILL be only a few bucks), but you enter into a binding contract with the purchaser to never print or use the photo again.

Ask yourself this, considering the potential economic life of a photo, would you rather sell 25 prints at an average of $25 profit.? Or would you rather sell limited reproduction rights over and over again?

There is no right or wrong answer, but personally, I'd rather be able to exploit a surprise surge in popularity by being able to license my work.

Answer 3

You produce a limited edition, said: 10 great prints, number them, sing them; the price is high, but then you .Must. destroy the negative so no more prints can be made of it, not now nor in the future.