Limited editions were originally a utilitarian idea. Before the digital age, repeated printing would wear out equipment; only the first print runs were of good quality, with subsequent ones blurry and of lower quality. Digital technology allows the artist to print as many images as desired, and limited edition prints are now more economical to produce. A signed, numbered print is more valuable to collectors, which in turn results in higher pay for the artist.
Instructions
1. Determine the number of prints needed for a series. The fewer limited edition prints there are, the more valuable they become. Most artists choose to print dozens or hundreds in a series rather than thousands.
2. Decide on the image size. Artists may choose to print all one size, while others prefer different sizes to accommodate specific collectors. Some artists allow collectors to order custom-sized prints.
3. Control the printing process. Run the printing equipment or verify that the quality meets your standards, rather than trusting another party to make the prints. Monitor the production process to insure good quality, as this affects the collectors' willingness to pay higher prices.
4. Sign each print by hand and record the number of the series in the lower right or left corner. For example, for the 235th print of a 500 print series, sign "Doc Incognito, 235 of 500" directly on the print. This increases the print's value.
5. Carefully mount the limited edition prints---collectors often require prints to be mounted and framed, to display and preserve.
6. There are caveats as to what can and cannot be printed after a limited edition is done. Standard prints for casual collectors might be allowed; however, no other signed or numbered prints should be produced once the limited edition run has been completed.
