I’ve done an original picture but i want to sell prints and hang onto the original. I’d like say 500 limited edition prints. Where can i find a company and how much does it cost?
This is something i as an artist have looked into…
from what i can find, there are numerous ways to do this.. but depending on the finish of the print you want.. eg on quality paper? or on a canvas etc.
the first step is to get a high quality scan of your work… you will find somewhere locally with a huge (depending on scale of your work) scanner. it is paramount to get the highest quality scan you can.
Then once you have this, youll need to source a print house.. i wouldn’t be tempted to use the cheap tshirt/ cheap canvas printers… id go a little more upmarket and pay a bit more.
you will need to assess the cost of each print… and work out if it is feesible to make money on them. Dont forget that just cos you print 500 that you will sell 500, because you wont… but think of it as the long game… over time it might give u a nice little income.
also i would suggest that you say have ten printed at a time, and number and sign each one you sell. but keep a note of numbers. also worth remembering is that if it is a popular print that the early numbers are more sought after.
hope this helps,
would be nice to see the painting your intending to print! 
Adam,
only print a couple…
References :
This is something i as an artist have looked into…
from what i can find, there are numerous ways to do this.. but depending on the finish of the print you want.. eg on quality paper? or on a canvas etc.
the first step is to get a high quality scan of your work… you will find somewhere locally with a huge (depending on scale of your work) scanner. it is paramount to get the highest quality scan you can.
Then once you have this, youll need to source a print house.. i wouldn’t be tempted to use the cheap tshirt/ cheap canvas printers… id go a little more upmarket and pay a bit more.
you will need to assess the cost of each print… and work out if it is feesible to make money on them. Dont forget that just cos you print 500 that you will sell 500, because you wont… but think of it as the long game… over time it might give u a nice little income.
also i would suggest that you say have ten printed at a time, and number and sign each one you sell. but keep a note of numbers. also worth remembering is that if it is a popular print that the early numbers are more sought after.
hope this helps,
would be nice to see the painting your intending to print!
Adam,
References :
There’s much to understand about this venture. First there are different printing methods and ways to capture the image. Second you must have a marketing plan and network to sell these prints. It is very difficult to move ltd prints or any art these days.
Capturing your image digitally may be the least cost for you to start. I hired a professional photo lab to do it and prepare a file I could take to any printer for less than $100. I went to a good quick copy place and chose some good paper and printed a small amount to start say 50 for less than $150. I have a professional picture frame business and small art gallery so I had modest expectations. Without some connections to sell the work however you will tie up money for a long time. Offset printing and traditional plates and color separations will cost the most money (several hundreds or into the thousands) and you will have to buy larger quantities to be worth it but that means even more sales to be made. In my case I did profit from the small number of sales but I also sold the framing with them.
References :
My husband is a professional artist and has two limited editions on the go. The first one was done by the owner of a gallery where his work is sold. He took the watercolour of the Wallace monument to a professional printer, who scanned it and printed on high quality paper. These were then sold, in drips and drabs over several years, to customers in the gallery. My husband would sign a batch of 20 or so editions at a time, and be paid a signing fee by the gallery owner, who had also bought the original painting at the outset. Of course, copyright always remains with the artist, so nobody else can make prints, without risking legal action. However, that particular limited edition has not netted my husband very much money! The gallery owner has more than recouped his outlay.
The second limited edition of Linlithgow Palace was done by my husband – again, watercolour (which requires much more careful printing than oil). But he did not go to the same outlay expense as the gallery owner had and now regrets that. The prints do not have the vibrancy of colour they should have and sunlight can fade them further. Nevertheless, he has made a lot more money out of the venture. He also sold the original to a chap who now hangs it in pride of place in his "Scottish Room" in the USA.
Nowadays, it is more viable to use digital printing and to have just 25 or so done at a time. But you must be prepared to pay good money for good quality printing on high quality paper. Go to reputable art galleries that sell limited edition prints and ask them who they recommend for the printing. (If they ask to see your oil, you may even get a foothold in the gallery! Don’t be backward at coming forward!) And keep the original. It is better if you can sell the original after limited editions have proved to be so popular that people are willing to pay a high price for the original! Unfortunately, the value of originals usually sky-rocket after the demise of the poor artist. All the best, and live a long life!
References :