Limited editions

A limited edition is defined by a maximum print run, announced before the first sale. Each copy bears a number (for example 3/8) and a signature. To these are added artist's proofs, generally 2 to 4, marked "AP", and copies not for sale, marked "HC".

Respecting these rules is a matter of ethics. An artist who printed more copies than planned would destroy the rarity and the trust of their buyers.

To guarantee the limitation, artists and galleries provide an edition certificate stating the total run, the copy number, the technique and the date. The most serious destroy the negative or matrix at the end of the run.

OIMAP records editions in its Registry. Each copy receives an OIMAP number linked to the edition, which makes it possible to check at any time that a copy offered really exists and has not been duplicated.

The limited edition market rests on trust between the artist, the gallery and the collector. This trust is fragile: a single case of an undeclared print run is enough to ruin an artist's reputation.

That is why the most important artists entrust the recording of their editions to a trusted third party. The OIMAP Registry plays this role, offering an independent, dated and tamper-proof record.