Edition Size
Once a master plate is produced to the artist's satisfaction, the size of the
edition must be determined. Edition size depends on an array of factors, including
the demand for the artist's work, the durability of the block or plate, and
the time it takes to print. When an artist is relatively unknown, it is common
to pull only a small number of prints; editions of twenty-five to fifty
may well be practicable. When an edition of any size is handled by a dealer,
the price generally goes up as the edition sells out.
Edition Signing and Numbering
When signing an edition of prints, the artist must first examine the prints
carefully to make sure that they are satisfactory: any print accepted for
signature by the artist must be free of all defects. The printer usually produces
prints that exceed the agreed-on edition size by 10 to 15 percent on the reasonable
assumption that not all the prints presented to the artist will be found flawless.
The artist customarily signs and numbers a print in pencil. The inscription
is generally placed under the image, with the signature on the right, the
title in the middle, and the number on the left. The number usually appears
as a fraction, with the denominator giving the edition size and the numerator
giving the sequential number of the print in hand. However, if all the prints
in an edition are produced at the same time, it is virtually impossible for
the numerator to reflect the actual printing sequence; once the prints are
dried, whether under blotters or under newsprint, they are stacked and shuffled
many times before they are signed and numbered. Therefore, the numerator merely
indicates a satisfactory impression in the edition.
When an artist signs an numbers a limited-edition print, the artist is affirming
to the buyer that there are and can only be as many signed and numbered copies
in the edition as is indicated by the denominator. Moreover, the buyer can
rely on the fact that additional copies will never enter the market and dilute
the fair market value of that buyer's print.
RELATED PAGES:
What
is a Print?
Editioning
History
