Why are limited edition prints better than posters or reproductions?
They are completely different products. A limited edition is usually an artist’s drawing made by his own hand and then replicated with a printmaker in a small and limited quantity. The artist collaborates with the printmaker to help and control the quality of the work being printed. When the edition has been signed and numbered (by the artist) the plates are destroyed or cancelled (so that no more prints can ever be made). Berkeley Editions Fine Art Limited Editions are always printed on the highest quality acid free paper and, with proper care, can last for hundreds of years. In contrast, a poster or reproduction can be done by anybody who pays for the copyright to use it. The image can be printed in very large and uncontrolled numbers and often in variable qualities. They rarely have any significant resale value, are almost always unsigned and can deteriorate rapidly if not on archival paper.
