What’s the difference between a Limited Edition Print and an Artists Proof?

Sometimes it can be difficult to know the difference between different print editions.

If you're looking to purchase a print, there are several options depending on the purpose of your purchase and of course, your budget.

Photographers may produce prints in a number of different 'editions', the terminology used can differ slightly depending on the photographer or gallery, but here's what we use:

1. Prints, Open Edition, or Poster Prints

Prints or Open Edition Prints are not in any way limited and as such the photographer may print off as many of these as he/she sees fit to satisfy market demand.

You may also come across the term "Poster" which usually denotes a print with text on it promoting an event.

Due to the unlimited nature of the printing, they are the cheapest prints to purchase and are less likely to increase in value than a Limited Edition or Artists Proof Print.

Open Edition prints may be printed by different print houses, hence the difference in the quality of the print, colour and paper may vary slightly.

Open Edition prints are not signed and are not accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity (CoA).

2. Limited Edition Prints

Next up the exclusivity ladder are Limited Edition Prints.

A photographer makes a print a "Limited Edition" by guaranteeing to only print a limited number of these, and also by numbering and signing them in pencil, as pencil is harder to forge than pen and doesn't fade.

The quantity of Limited Edition prints can vary greatly based on the photographer, from as little as 2, up to around a thousand - although the most famous and sought after photographers may have a Limited Edition pool of as many as a couple of thousand.

Limited Edition prints are signed and labelled with "Limited Edition" followed by the print number and the edition size. For example, a print signed and labelled "Limited Edition, 100/250" is print number 100 of a maximum of 250 prints.

At Cox Fine Art Photography, we also supply all our Limited Edition prints with a Certificate of Authenticity (CoA) letter, guaranteeing authenticity, again, signed by the photographer and accompanied by a serialised holographic tamper-proof sticker.

Read more about our Authenticity Guarantee program.

Because Limited Edition Prints are limited in number (as only a certain number can ever be printed), they may increase in value over time if the photographer becomes more sought after, but also cost more to purchase.

3. Artist Proof Prints

The most exclusive prints you can purchase are Artist Proof Prints.

Artist Proof Prints are printed in even more limited quantities than Limited Edition prints, usually, only 10-15% of the quantity of Limited Edition Prints become Artist Proof Prints.

Unlike a painting, where the artist produces an original piece of art that remains the most valuable and expensive to purchase due to its uniqueness, a Photographers Artist Proof Print will usually be the most exclusive version of the artwork you can purchase.

The caveat is that this is entirely dependent on the photographer and it's not unknown for an occasional "1 of 1" print to be produced that even trumps an Artist Proof Print in rarity and price.

Usually, a "1/1" is only printed if the print is extremely popular and a wealthy buyer steps in. In general, this will serve to increase the value of the Limited Edition and Artist Proof Prints further as their demand will still be limited.

Artist Proof prints are labelled with "Artists Proof" or "A/P" followed by the print number and the edition size, for example, a print labelled "Artists Proof, 10/25" is Artists Proof Print number 10 of a maximum of 25 prints.

As with the Limited Edition Prints, we also label each Artist Proof Print and accompany it with a Certificate of Authenticity (CoA) guarantee letter with a serialised holographic tamper-proof sticker.

Read more about our Authenticity Guarantee program.

Because Artist Proof Prints are the most limited in number, they may increase in value over time if the photographer becomes more sought after, but they also cost the most to purchase due to their rarity.

Are Limited Edition, or Artist Proof Prints a good investment?

Limited Edition and Artist Proof Prints can increase in value over time if demand outstrips supply. However, as with all art, prices change over time due to market forces, style and the latest fashions.

As with any art bought as an investment, there is no guarantee that a Limited Edition or Artist Proof Print will increase in value, or be worth as much as was originally paid for it.

Why do Limited Edition and Artist Proof Prints cost more than an Open Edition Print?

Limited Edition and Artist Proof Prints cost more than an Open Edition Print due to the limited quantity available and because they are signed and numbered by the artist.

Generally speaking, Limited Edition and Artist Proof Prints are printed to the exact same high quality, although some photographers may use differentiating factors like the print processes (e.g. Giclée, versus C-type), paper quality, mounting or framing to differentiate the different tiers.

It's important to note, however, that the actual value of a print is based more on market forces, like the popularity of the photographer and rarity, rather than on the materials it's printed on, or framed in.

By contrast, Open Edition prints may be printed by different print houses. Not to say they are not still outstanding, high-quality prints!

At Cox Fine Art Photography, we only ever use the best master printers and women to print all of our prints and the print quality of an Open Edition Print regularly matches that of one of our Limited Edition or Artists Proof Prints. Please refer to the notes above for more details.

Read more about our Authenticity Guarantee program.