Frank Grisdale’s Photo Blog

In fine art photography there are two well known approaches to editioning original images.

Keep in mind that photography, unlike painting, has no original. Display prints are based on negatives or positives (slides) captured within film cameras, or digital files made by digital cameras. Therefore the decision a photographer must make is what quantity of original prints he will personally endorse with his actual signature as being original.

1) Original Limited Editions - This is where the artist guarantees that there will only be a limited number of personally signed and numbered prints made of any particular image. This is the method that I follow. Originally my prints were limited to 40 plus 4 artist proofs. In the past year at the request of my dealers I have reduced the edition size of new images created after 2007 to 15 plus 2 artist proofs. Within this fixed and finite number the sizes available can vary, and as the edition sells, the price will increase. As well the smaller sizes will be priced lower than the larger sizes. However the total number of all signed prints of any particular image, regardless of size, will not exceed the stated edition limit.

The above approach is the most restrictive in terms of quantity. The total number to be printed and signed by the artist is known in advance by the buyer, and the artist has committed to not launch any further editions. Once the edition is sold out, the buyer can only obtain an original signed print of that image by going on to the secondary market and trying to buy a print from another collector.

Other photographers have chosen to limit their prints by size. For example, he or she might start off by offering 50 signed and numbered prints in the 8×10 size, and then later issue an edition of 25 at 16×24, and then another 10 at 20×30, etc. These are still termed limited editions, but they are limited by size of the print for each edition. This is a looser interpretation of limited edition but is a wide spread and valid practice.

At the other end of the scale, a photographer might decide to only ever issue one signed print. This is as close as it comes to being an original one of one. I have done this with commissioned work.

2) Original Open Editions – Here the artist does not limit the number of prints he or she will make and sign. Each print is signed and usually the prints will be numbered sequentially. Some of the world’s most famous image makers have handled their work in this way, including Ansel Adams. Since his death, his estate has continued to make prints which are marketed as originals. In this case, there will always be another signed ‘original’ available, and there may well be thousands of originals of one print out on the market.

Both approaches are wide spread. The buyer should be clear before purchase what edition approach the artist follows.

Finally, there is the unsigned print. Essentially this is just a glorified poster. There is no publicly available data tracking the quantity printed, and the price and quality is all over the map. The artist or his estate is paid a licensing fee by the printing company but never sees the output product, nor endorses the quality. These are not originals and do not have any more value than any other poster.