What does limited edition really mean?

The Cambridge English Dictionary defines a limited edition as ‘products that have a slightly different style to the usual kind and only a small quantity of which are produced’ but what does that mean specifically in terms of art and more so when it comes to original prints?

What are prints?

Well there are art reproductions and original prints.

Art Reproduction prints are created by scanning or photographing the original and digitally printing it onto paper or canvas. Sometimes these are signed and sometimes they are ‘hand finished’ with gilding or some other applied surface adornment.

Original prints and artworks created using printmaking (not involving a computer). This could be monotype, screen print, lithograph, Lino print (my specialism) or another traditional printmaking form. It involves inks being applied to one surface (the inking plate or block for example) and then transferred to the paper, fabric or other chosen final surface. These prints are usually editioned, meaning that they are numbered. This is usually in the bottom left corner of a print before the name and signature and looks like a fraction.

How Limited is a Limited Edition?

This is really a how long is a piece of string situation. The edition is how many are printed at that one time and the limitation of the edition depends on the resources, space available or even how much hype the creator wants around the edition. The bottom number is how many are in the whole edition and the top number is where is the edition it was printed, e.g. 1/10 is the first of an edition of 10.

My prints are usually done in editions of 10 - 20 at the most. Historically this was because of the drying space I had available to me. I continue to limit most of my prints this way because I like the fact that only a few people in the world can own that print - it makes it all the more special.

So next time you’re checking out a print, look for the fraction in the corner. It’ll let you know just how limited it is.