The Sky's the Limit!

A recent post by Lori Woodward on Fine Art Views got me thinking about limited editions.  In the post, Lori asks the question, “Does limiting editions create value?” You can read the post here.

Her conclusion and mine are similar. In my experience, both with over 25 years in the printing industry and as a professional artist selling prints of my original paintings, is that limiting editions, for most artists and photographers, does NOT create value (or increase sales!)

Before I go into my reasons for not limiting editions, let me say that there are a few occasions when limiting an edition makes sense.

My Top Three Reasons for Limiting Print Editions:

  1. When the artist has achieved “star” status – originals selling in the tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars, when the demand for the artist’s works outpace his or her ability to produce it or when the artist is a celebrity, like Grace Slick, Tony Bennett or Tony Curtis. In cases like that, a hand-signed and numbered limited edition print has perceived value and may increase in value over time.


2. When the prints are made to be sold to raise funds for a non-profit, such as a Museum, and only a specific number of prints will be made.

          3. When the prints ARE the original, such as in works created using the computer as a medium, or hand-pulled original prints such as monotypes, serigraphs, etc.

My Top Three Reasons for NOT Limiting Editions:

1.  Bookkeeping. Because giclée and photo prints can be printed on demand, the task of numbering them becomes more difficult without a good system in place for keeping track of the numbers.

      2.  If you limit the edition and the print is popular, once you sell out the edition you can’t make money on that image anymore. Why limit the income you can make on an image?

3      3. Unless you are a top-tier artist whose new works are sold for $$$$ before the paint is dry, people buying prints from you are not likely looking at the purchase as an “investment.” They like the image and want to hang it in their home.

  

Don’t Limit, But Do Sign!

A signed print holds more appeal than one that is not signed by the artist. A while back I took an “unofficial” poll of people who bought prints. Most people said they liked it when the print was signed – that it meant more to them and had more value than if it was not signed. A few said that given the choice between a signed or unsigned print, they would choose signed and might even pay a little more. Very few said they would pay more for a print because it was a limited edition, unless “the artist is well-known/famous.”

If You Are Set on Limited Editions:

1       1. Do keep good records! An Excel spreadsheet is a good way to keep track of which print numbers have been used.

       2.  Make sure you know from the outset whether you will have separate editions for different sizes or whether your edition includes all sizes.

3         3. Include a Certificate of Authenticity with each limited edition print, stating the type of print, title, original medium, number and size of edition. At Fine Print, we give Certificates with each custom print order which document the type of print, expected longevity, and proper care. The artist can then fill in their name, title, original medium and edition. Our certificates can also be used for open editions.

       Kate Dardine is a professional artist and the marketing director for Fine Print Imaging and Colorado Frames. You can see her work at www.katedardine.com.

Marketing Giclee Reproductions of Artwork

In my capacity as a marketing advisor for a fine art giclée printing company, I am often contacted by artists wanting to get giclées made of their original artwork. My first question to them is this: What are you going to do with the giclées?

Now you might think that’s a strange question, but there’s a good reason for it. And the reason is this: Producing and marketing giclées is not an inexpensive venture. You have to have a plan - IF you want to be successful. The successful self-published artists with whom I have worked over the past twenty years have a few things in common:

1. They have a unique and consistent style of painting.

2. Either the demand for their paintings outpaces their ability to produce them or

3. They want to keep the price of their original work at a certain level and want a lower-priced alternative to offer buyers.

4. They have researched their market. They know which paintings have the most appeal to the broadest audience, or, conversely, which paintings have the most appeal to a targeted niche market.

5. They have a plan in place for making and selling the prints.

6. They’ve secured a gallery or store who will sell giclées for them, or

7. They are selling at outdoor art festivals or holiday fairs.

8. They have a professionally designed website and well designed business cards, brochures and postcards for mass mailings.

9. They advertise in magazines or newspapers.

10. They don’t scrimp when it comes to the quality of their giclée prints. They have their paintings professionally shot to ensure proper lighting, sharpness, color fidelity and file integrity. If they are not proficient with digital imaging software, they hire an experienced technician to color-work their digital files. Their giclées are printed on archival materials with archival inks on a professional grade inkjet printer. In other words, they make sure they have the very best product to market.

I’ve seen many artists jump into the print market before they have done their homework.
They end up discouraged and dismayed because they didn’t know it was going to cost so much, they thought having prints available would magically manifest in sales, they didn’t understand the difference between those who buy reproductions and those who buy original art.

Giclée prints CAN be a wonderful and lucrative way to increase your sales, but like in any business, you had better learn what all the instruments are for before you fire up the engine and head down the runway.

Kate Dardine has been helping artists and photographers market their prints for nearly 20 years. A professional artist herself, Kate understands the obstacles artists face when trying to sell their work.

© 2008 Fine Print Imaging.
WANT TO REPRINT THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEBSITE? You may, as long as it remains intact and you include this complete blurb with it: Fine Print Imaging provides a full range of services, including scanning, art copy, traditional and digital photographic printing and giclée printing. For complete services, pricing and additional articles, visit www.fineprintimaging.com.