What Does "Limited Edition" Mean in Block Printing?

Key Takeaways

• A limited edition is a fixed number of prints pulled from the same carved block. Once it's complete, the artist stops printing.
• The pencil number on a print, like 12/25, tells you which print it is and how many exist in the edition.
  
• Every hand-pulled print in an edition is an original work of art, not a reproduction.
• Craig Mitchell prints his Nevada and Lake Tahoe block prints by hand in his Reno studio, in editions that range between 13 and 100.
  

Quick answer: In block printing, a limited edition is a set number of prints pulled by hand from the same carved block, titled, numbered (for example, 12/25) and signed by the artist. Reno artist Craig Mitchell prints his Nevada and Lake Tahoe block prints in varying editions (he's done them as small as 13 and up to 100), each pulled by hand and signed, titled and numbered in pencil.

What “Limited Edition” Really Means in Original Block Printing

A block print starts as a carved block of linoleum or wood. The artist inks the block, lays paper over it, and presses the image onto the paper. Each sheet pulled this way is called an impression.

An edition is the full set of impressions made from that block. A limited edition means the artist decides on a fixed number and stops there. An open edition has no cap and can keep being printed as long as there's demand.

With a hand-pulled block print, every impression in the edition is an original work of art. It isn't a copy of a painting or a digital file. It's made directly from the artist's carved block, by hand, one sheet at a time. That's why no two prints in an edition are exactly alike, even though they share the same image.

This is different from a "limited edition" giclée or poster, which is a high-quality reproduction of an existing artwork. This guide on originals vs. reproductions explains the difference in more detail.

Craig Mitchell’s Nevada and Lake Tahoe block prints are produced in carefully considered limited editions, with each print pulled by hand from a carved block. Every impression requires time, pressure and precision. Once an edition is complete, no additional prints are guaranteed, ensuring the work remains intentional and tied to a specific moment in Craig's practice.

How to Read the Markings on a Limited Edition Print

Look along the bottom margin of a hand-pulled print, just below the image. You'll usually find a few things written in pencil. Pencil is the tradition because it shows the artist marked each sheet by hand. In Craig's work, he titles each piece and includes both the edition number and his signature.

How Craig Mitchell's Limited Editions Work

Every block print on this site is carved, inked and pulled by hand by Craig Mitchell in his Reno studio. Here's what that means for the print you buy.

Edition size. Craig's editions vary. He's done runs as limited as 13 and up to 100 (past that, and he admits he gets bored!). The edition size for each piece is listed on its product page.

Markings. Each print is signed and numbered in pencil below the image. He also includes the name of each print.

How the color is built. Craig prints each color separately, layer by layer, and a single print can go through his press up to nine times. He uses a separate block for each color.

Framing. Prints are available framed and ready to hang, or unframed. The framing doesn't affect the print's place in the edition.

Because each layer is inked and registered by hand, you'll see small variations in color and texture from one print to the next. That's not a flaw. It's the mark of a handmade original.

Why Block Print Editions Stay Small

The block wears out. Every time a linoleum block is inked and pressed, it wears a little. Fine lines soften and edges lose their crispness. Keeping editions small means the last print in the edition looks as good as the first.

Every print takes real time. Each color in each print is inked, registered, and pulled by hand. A large edition would turn a careful process into production work.

Scarcity is real, not a marketing tactic. When an edition is small because of how the work is made, collectors can trust that the number on the print means something.

Why Collectors Value Limited Edition Block Prints

For collectors of Nevada and Lake Tahoe art, limited editions offer something increasingly rare in today’s art market: confidence. Knowing that a print exists as part of a clearly defined edition created during a specific printing period provides assurance that the work is not produced endlessly or casually over time.

Limited edition block prints also carry a direct connection to the artist’s hand. Each print reflects physical decisions made in real time—inking, pressure, and alignment—making every piece subtly unique while still belonging to a cohesive body of work shaped by a particular moment in the artist’s practice.

For collectors of Nevada and Lake Tahoe art, this balance of intentional limitation and individual variation adds both emotional significance and long-term value, even while acknowledging that future editions, though possible, are never guaranteed.

Can a Block Be Reprinted?

That's personal to the artist and the method. Some printmakers destroy or deface their blocks when an edition is finished. Others keep them. With reduction printing, the block is carved away as each color is printed, so a second edition isn't possible.

When Craig completes an edition, it's complete. So far, he hasn't needed to reprint. But if that changes, any new prints will be clearly marked as a separate edition.

FAQs

What does limited edition mean on a block print?

It means the artist made a fixed number of prints from the same carved block and then stopped. The edition size is written on each print in pencil, such as 12/25.

What does the number on a print mean, like 12/25?

The first number is that print's place in the edition, and the second is the total number of prints in the edition. 12/25 is the twelfth print in an edition of 25.

Are limited edition block prints original art?

Yes. Each hand-pulled block print is made directly from the artist's carved block, so every print in the edition is an original work, not a reproduction.

How big is a typical limited edition for block prints? I

t varies, but hand-printed editions are usually small, often between 10 and 80 prints. Craig Mitchell's editions have ranged from 13 to 100.