Limited Editions

Limited Editions are copies of an original artwork.

Buying prints offers an affordable way to enjoy works of art by your favourite artists. The rich colours and textures that can be achieved with printing techniques today can make them extremely close to the original in appearance. Rarer prints could also be a good investment.

Original works are either scanned or photographed, colour calibrated on a computer and then printed. There is a huge difference in the quality of printing processes. Generally more expensive prints are done by professional printers and not by the artists themselves . The printing processes can differ from cheaper laser prints to archival Giclée prints. Giclée prints are used by museums and usually last a lifetime if kept out of strong sunlight. Additionally, the paper used can vary in quality too. The better the quality of printing and quality of paper, the more expensive the print.

Moreover, another factor to consider is the number of prints in an edition. An Open Edition means there is no limit to the number of prints that will be reproduced and may be reproduced in a variety of sizes. These are usually cheaper to purchase.

A Limited Edition will have a number such as 2/50. The smaller the number of prints in an edition, the more expensive (and collectable) the print will be.

There are also Hand Embellished Prints. These are when the artist has added something more  by hand to the print after it has been printed. These are more unique, again making them more expensive and collectable.

Giclée prints should be cared for in exactly the same way as an original piece of art. Dirt, dust, moisture, oils, adhesives, solvents, heat, or anything that could scratch, dent or crease the paper should all be avoided when handling a print Only handle the print with clean, dry hands, as skin oils can stain the print. Use white cotton gloves if you have some. This is why we only sell prints that are already mounted and acetate wrapped: this way you don’t have to handle them.

We advise customers to use Art Glass, which is often used on originals, when framing, this blocks out 99% of UV rays as well as stopping reflections which means that you can see the image more clearly. Do not hang any artwork, an original or a print, in full strong sunlight as this will cause fading over time.