Limited Editions, How Many?

Recently I was asked about what size a limited edition should be, which brought back memories of some very lively discussion on a art photography forum. After much discussion and research I believe that the requirements set out by the US Copy right Office were the best to follow in my opinion. Of course that initiated much conversation among the photographers.

I believe that knowledgeable collectors who collect LE's want an edition of 200 or less and more so if the edition is 100 or less in one size and on one substrate.

LE's resulted because plates that print makers used started to degrade after a number of impressions or prints were pulled by hand or mechanically pulled and no more prints could be done. The first prints,  the last print pulled and the prints in between would be similar but not exact because of differences in plate pressure, humidity, ink viscosity and other factors, which would affect each print.

The advent of photo mechanical and now digital reproduction and printing allows an unlimited number of identical prints to be produced since there is plate degradation.

Now we see LE's of 1800, 2000 5000 and more, in different sizes on different substrates with enhancements. How are these considered LE's? Several years ago, I believe it was the winter of 2000 or 2001; Art Business News ran  article about African American art and one of the issues they spoke about were  prints, which were sold as LE's  but were not hand pulled. What struck me in the article was that a couple had invested in numerous LE prints by well respected artists at that time as a way to enhance their retirement portfolio. Prior to retiring they had their collection of prints appraised for resale. They were told basically not to quit their day jobs. That started me to research LE prints and there value. Artist were doing these huge editions in multiple sizes and making lots of money. Then a well know white artist decided to reissue a print as LE of 10,000. Ten years earlier he had issue it as a LE in a different size. His collectors and galleries carrying  his work sued him and stopped carrying his work. His collectors reasoned why should they buy his originals if all they had to do was wait a few years and get a mass produced print. He wound up losing $250,000 and eating the entire print run. (I will try to find the article it was published in ABN)

This also happen to a black artist on the west coast who has since passed away. The artist had done a series LE's prints in the late 1980's-early 1990's and then in the mid 1990's  decided to reissue a number of earlier LE prints in a new edition and size.  A number of black galleries stop carrying the artist's work and the artist's work dropped in value. Some of you on the west coast may new the story.

I believe that creating editions over 200 in multiple sizes lessens the value and is not really a LE. To be a LE on that edition is sold out the plate, negative or file is canceled so their can never be a print run again. The is does have vale because there will be no more. This does not sit well with a lot of artist. Traditional print makers have no problem with the concept. Since I do some print making I have no problem with it and in regards to my LE photographic pieces I have editions of 100 in my pre-digital work and some of those are nearing the end of their run and the negative and file will be canceled (I've scanned the older work in order to be able to print it since rental print labs have all but disappeared.) I continue the edition until the end as a digital print with the notation that the first prints in the edition were hand printed in a wet darkroom. All my new LE are editions of 50, 25, 10 or 5. This works for me, my collectors like the rarity of the print but this may not work for others.

I believe that LE's should be 200 or less and in one size and can be split between different substrates such as canvas, watercolor paper of photo paper. But they should add up to the total edition.

Let me know your thoughts on this.

From the US Copyright office:

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/usc_sec_17_00000101----000-.html

(2) a still photographic image produced for exhibition purposes only, existing in a single copy that is signed by the author, or in a limited edition of 200 copies or fewer that are signed and consecutively numbered by the author.