02/12/2018
Limited edition prints versus open edition prints- the differences and what you need to know.
Some of you may know the major difference between limited edition and open edition prints already but I’m going to break it down for anyone who doesn’t know.
The main difference between the two is that the former is, as implied in the name, limited. The artist will let you know how many they will allow into circulation and your print will be numbered and signed. The latter is open to anyone and everyone who requests a copy.
That’s the basic explanation but it’s, also, worth considering what the implications of buying limited or open prints are. Limited prints may cost slightly more but, given that there is a limited amount, these will hold their value. Open prints, on the other hand, will cost less initially but their value will most likely go down even more.
Artists who produce limited prints will take pride in their work and when you purchase one you can expect to receive it printed on premium quality paper rather than with open prints that will most probably be printed on paper that will fade over time.
So it comes down to whether you want to pay once for a quality print that the artist has taken pride in from start to finish and your friends, family, guests and whoever else comes over to your house won’t recognise from someone else’s house, is provided with a certificate of authenticity, on top of this it will hold if not increase in value OR whether you’d rather go cheap and cheerful for a print that is produced on mass and won’t hold its value.
