Works and editions: how Khroma draws the line

This article sets the vocabulary you will see across Khroma: Works, Editions, print run, copy, variant. The meaning we give those words shapes how you organise your catalogue, what visitors see on your site, and — indirectly — the VAT rate you apply to your sales. If you read only one article in the help center, read this one.

Two pages, an organisational question

Your Khroma site has two distinct gallery pages: Works and Editions. When you publish a listing, you choose one or the other. These pages only appear in your site menu once you have published at least one listing on them.

This choice is primarily organisational. It determines where the listing appears on your site. It has no automatic effect on tax: the VAT rate depends on the class you assign to each listing in Dashboard → Shop → Tax, not on which page hosts the listing.

You remain free to organise as you wish. Khroma may flag indications when a combination looks unusual — a giclée print in 200 copies on the Works page, say — but those alerts never block anything.

Original work, edition, print run: three words that don't mean the same thing

The word "edition" is tricky. In a traditional gallery context, "limited edition" usually describes a numbered, signed print run of an artist's original work — a sculptor's bronze numbered 3/8, or a photographer's print 12/30. On Khroma we draw a sharper line.

Original work. The artist's creation. It can exist as a single copy (a unique oil on canvas, a unique ceramic sculpture) or as several numbered copies pulled under the artist's control (a bronze 3/8, a photographic print 12/30, a hand-pulled lithograph). In both cases, the object is the materialisation of the work itself. On Khroma, an original work is published on the Works page.

Edition. A reproduction of an existing work, generally produced through a mechanical process (inkjet print, giclée print, offset print, commercial silkscreen). The object sold is not a materialisation of the work — it is a copy of an image. A poster of a painting, a giclée print of a drawing, an art print of a photograph — all of these belong on the Editions page on Khroma. The word "edition" here does not mean "limited edition": it means "reproduction".

Print run. The generic term for the copies of a work pulled in multiple units. We say a "print run of 8 bronzes", "print run of 30 photographs", or "print run limited to 100 art prints". On Khroma, you set the total number of copies for a listing in the Print run or Available formats section of the listing form.

The special case of photography

Photography breaks the usual pattern. The printing technique — inkjet, giclée, silver gelatin — does not automatically change the nature of the object. Under specific conditions, a photographic print produced by inkjet may be treated as an artwork in its own right and published on the Works page.

In practice, the photograph must be taken by the artist, printed by them or under their control, signed, and numbered. In France, the total number of copies (all formats and supports combined) must stay below the threshold of 30 — see Tax thresholds to know for the full conditions.

This is an important difference from painting. A giclée print of a painting is almost always a reproduction of the original work (an original painting plus a print of its image), and therefore an edition. A photographic print, by contrast, is in principle the materialisation of the photographic work itself.

How Khroma turns this into the listing form

When you create a listing from Dashboard → My works → + Add an artwork, Khroma asks you two consecutive questions.

"What would you like to publish?" Two choices: An artwork (publishes on the Works page) or An edition (publishes on the Editions page). This choice determines the final publish button at the bottom of the page: Publish on Artworks page or Publish on Editions page.

"This artwork exists in…" The stock mode changes depending on your previous choice.

For an artwork:

• Unique piece — only one copy exists.
• Multiple copies, one format — for instance a print run of 8 photos all in 40 × 60 cm, or a bronze pulled in 8 numbered copies.
• Multiple formats or sizes — each format has its own dimensions, price, and copy count.

For an edition:

• One format — a single reproduction in a single size.
• Multiple formats — the same reproduction offered in several sizes.

Numbering, copies, artist proofs

When you publish an artwork pulled in multiple copies (mode Multiple copies, one format), Khroma offers a Numbered and signed print run option. Enable it if each copy is numbered and signed by you (3/8, 12/30…). You can then enter a number of Artist proofs (AP). APs are copies sitting outside the main numbering, traditionally reserved for the artist. French tax doctrine generally allows up to 4 APs for a bronze run (on top of the 8 numbered copies), totalling 12.

In Multiple formats or sizes mode, you choose a Global edition (the total copy count covers all formats — say, 30 prints in total, freely distributed across 30 × 40 cm, 50 × 70 cm, and 80 × 120 cm) or an Edition per size (each format has its own run).

Why the distinction matters for tax

The Works and Editions pages do not impose anything on your tax setup, but they signal an intent. Most jurisdictions distinguish original artworks (often eligible for a reduced VAT rate) from reproductions (usually standard VAT rate). In France, a bronze run of 8 copies generally qualifies for the reduced rate; the same bronze run of 50 copies does not. A giclée print of a painting is nearly always treated as a reproduction, regardless of the number of copies.

Khroma leaves it to you to assign the VAT class to each listing. If you publish on the Editions page with a reduced rate, you'll see an inline warning prompting you to double-check the applicable rate. See Tax thresholds to know for the per-medium thresholds, and Configure your VAT classes for the operational setup.

Examples by medium

Painter. A unique oil on canvas → Works page, Unique piece mode. A printed poster of the same painting → Editions page, One format mode (or Multiple formats if you offer it in A3 and A2).

Photographer. A photographic print in 30 numbered, signed copies → Works page, Multiple copies, one format mode, Numbered and signed print run enabled. The same image offered in three formats with a global run of 30 → Works page, Multiple formats or sizes mode, Global edition.

Sculptor. A bronze pulled in 8 copies + 4 APs → Works page, Multiple copies, one format mode, Numbered and signed print run enabled, Artist proofs (AP) set to 4. A unique ceramic → Works page, Unique piece mode.

Printmaker. A lithograph hand-pulled by the artist, in 50 copies → Works page, Multiple copies, one format mode. A mechanical reprint of one of your engravings → Editions page.

Illustrator. An original illustration (ink, drawing) → Works page, Unique piece mode. The same drawing offered as a giclée print → Editions page.

Frequently asked questions

If I publish a listing on the wrong page by mistake, can I move it?

Yes. Edit the listing from Dashboard → My works, change the An artwork / An edition choice, and republish. The public URL of the listing updates accordingly.

Will buyers see the Works and Editions pages as separate sections?

Yes. They are two distinct entries in your site menu, accessible from your homepage. A page only appears once it contains at least one published listing.

Can I publish the same artwork on both pages?

No. Each listing lives on a single page. If you want to sell both the original (a painting) and printed reproductions of the same work, create two separate listings: the painting on the Works page, the giclée print on the Editions page.

I run a portfolio site with no sales — does this still apply to me?

The My Works mode (portfolio without prices) uses the same page structure. The Works/Editions choice still matters for visual organisation of your catalogue, even if VAT does not apply in your case.

Why does Khroma use "edition" rather than "limited edition"?

To avoid a common ambiguity. In printmaking and photography, "limited edition" traditionally describes a numbered run of an original work (what we call a numbered print run on Khroma). To keep that distinct from a plain mechanical reproduction, we reserve Edition for reproductions and use Print run or Copies for the numbered original work.