Galleries Demanding Full-Resolution Print Files Expose Artists to Unauthorized Reproduction

Summary

Artists selling limited edition prints through galleries are increasingly pressured to hand over full-resolution print-ready files, giving galleries the ability to print unlimited copies without the artist's knowledge or consent. This creates a severe loss of control over edition quantities and devalues the artist's work, with no standard practice, legal protection, or technological solution to prevent misuse. Artists face a painful dilemma: risk their intellectual property or potentially damage the gallery relationship, and existing copyright law offers little effective recourse.