Prints & Editions

THE RULES OF THE ART

Each photograph published on this site is issued in a maximum of thirty numbered copies including three artist’s proofs. Beyond these thirty prints, the digital file is sealed. No further print will ever be made, in any other form or in any other format. This is what French law recognises as an original work of art within the meaning of article 98 A of annex III of the French General Tax Code.

Dimensions & Formats

Each print is composed to the measure of your wall: you choose its exact dimensions, to the centimetre, in strict keeping with the work’s original proportions — 16:9, 3:2, 4:3, square… as stated on its page. The length is free from 60 cm upwards; the height adjusts automatically to preserve the aspect ratio.

The price is built on the real cost of making — printing, studio finishing and, where applicable, mounting and framing — and progresses centimetre by centimetre. The hanging system (recessed frame or wooden rail, depending on dimensions) is included at no extra charge for plexiglass prints, framed or not, and for framed paper prints (Fine Art Baryta or Ilford Lambda silver halide).

Maximum dimensions. The maximum dimension depends on the printing technique and the framing chosen:

• Fine Art Baryta (colour): up to 225 × 150 cm in 3:2 format, 266 × 150 cm in 16:9 format.
• Ilford Lambda silver halide (black & white): up to 187 × 125 cm in 3:2 format, 222 × 125 cm in 16:9 format.
• Plexi print & Dibond mounting : up to 255 × 170 cm in 3:2 format, 275 × 155 cm in 16:9 format.
• Nielsen frame (aluminium under glass): up to 120 × 80 cm — glass mounting imposes this limit. The floater frame does not reduce the technique’s maximum dimensions.

Printing techniques

All prints are produced at the PICTO Paris printing studio, the European reference for fine art printing since 1950 — Magnum Photos, the Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson and Polka Gallery print their editions there. Holder of the Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant label, PICTO entrusts each edition to exceptional craftsmanship, recognised by the most demanding certifications in fine art photography: Digigraphie®, the label dedicated to the limited-edition work of art; Hahnemühle Certified Studio Platinum status, of which PICTO was, in 2023, the first French laboratory to be a holder; and Canson® Infinity Certified Print Lab accreditation. These prints are part of a responsible approach, attested by the Imprim’Vert, FSC® and PEFC labels, as well as a Gold-level EcoVadis rating.

Colour paper
Fine Art Baryta

Twelve-colour pigment printing in very high resolution on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Baryta 315 gsm — a baryta paper with a gloss finish, designed for contemporary fine art photography. Pigment inks offer chromatic stability beyond one hundred years under appropriate conservation conditions.

Plexiglass, colour or black & white

A premium finishing process in which the image is printed directly on 3 mm museum-grade plexiglass, mounted on a 2 mm aluminium Dibond backing. The rendering is luminous, deep, vibrant.

Black & white paper
Ilford Lambda silver halide

Lambda silver halide print on Ilford satin RC 190 gsm paper, laser-exposed onto a silver-based emulsion. This is the reference silver process for contemporary black and white fine art printing.

Framing and hanging system

Each print can be framed according to several options, chosen while configuring your artwork.

Paper prints — Fine Art Baryta in colour, Ilford Lambda silver halide in black & white — three routes are open to you.

• Nielsen Alu 34 “Natura” frame with mount — slim aluminium under glass. The print is mounted on Dibond before glazing. The mount holds the glass away from the paper: nothing touches the print, and the white margin gives the image the breathing room of a collector’s piece. Up to 120 × 80 cm.
• Nielsen Alu 12 “Natura” frame with spacer — the same protection under glass, without a mount: an invisible spacer keeps the glass off the paper. The print is likewise mounted on Dibond. The framing is tighter and the image fills the whole surface. Up to 120 × 80 cm.
• Floater frame 5/35 — wood, without glass. The print, mounted on Dibond, sits recessed inside a rebated moulding: a thin gap separates it from the frame and the image appears to float. Four finishes: natural oak, black, white, wengé (dark brown).

Plexiglass prints — plexiglass is never placed under glass: that would stack two reflective surfaces, and plexiglass mounted on Dibond is already perfectly flat and protected. Only the floater frame suits it: without glass, it lets the depth of the plexiglass speak and shows off its thickness.

For plexiglass, framed or not, and for framed paper prints — colour or black & white — the hanging system (recessed frame or wooden rail, depending on dimensions) is included in the final price.

Prints on Fine Art Baryta and Ilford Lambda silver halide ordered without framing are delivered carefully rolled in a protective tube.

Certificates of authenticity

Each print is delivered with its certificate of authenticity. A unique document, numbered identically to the print, dated and signed by the artist’s hand, sealed with an embossed stamp.

• The title and year of the work
• The print number (for example 7/30, or AP 2/3)
• The unique certificate number
• The printing technique and format
• The date of the print
• The commitment to non-reproduction beyond the limited edition
• The QR code guaranteeing the authenticity of the certificate

Upon confirmation of your order, a provisional certificate of authenticity is issued to you in digital form, available under “My personal space” or “My orders” on xaviers.photo. Upon receipt of your print, once the delivery note has been signed, it becomes final : it is then provided to you in printed and digital form, activated by a unique authentication QR code . A back label sealed to the back of the work carries this same QR code: it physically links the print to its certificate and allows its authenticity to be verified at any time.

Shipping

All works are shipped by DHL Express, insured for their purchase value and signed for on the day you choose; beyond 150 cm in their longest overall dimension, mounted or framed works travel crated — DHL Express or a specialist fine-art carrier, depending on destination and packing — at a price shown up front, with no quotation needed. Allow 15 to 30 days between the confirmation of your order on xaviers.photo and delivery to your door in mainland France, and 20 to 45 days internationally.

Shipping charges depend on the destination and on the size of the work (longest overall dimension, frame included). They apply per print ordered and are cumulative when an order includes several works. The exact amount is shown on the work’s page according to the chosen size, then before payment is confirmed.

Longest dimension Overall	Mainland France	European Union	United Kingdom	Switzerland, Norway North America	French overseas territories
up to 85 cm	€60	€120	€150	€250	€200
86 to 130 cm	€150	€250	€280	€420	€480
131 to 150 cm	€200	€320	€340	€550	€600
151 to 275 cm	€890	€1,290	€1,390	€1,990	€2,190

The most distant destinations are arranged directly with us before you order.

Conservation

For long-term conservation of your artwork: avoid direct sunlight and UV exposure, maintain a stable temperature between 18 and 22 °C, with 45–55% relative humidity. Under these conditions, a baryta or Lambda silver halide print keeps its colorimetry beyond 100 years, and a pigment print under plexiglass beyond 75 years.

Work of art status

Under French law, a photograph is an original work of art when it is taken by the artist, printed by him or under his control, signed and numbered within a limit of thirty copies, all formats combined (article 98 A, annex III of the French General Tax Code). By imposing this strict limit — thirty prints including three artist’s proofs, the file sealed beyond — the artist chooses rarity, the value of the signature and the patrimonial dimension of the print.

The taxation of a work of art

The status of a work of art carries a specific tax regime: since 1 January 2025, the acquisition of a work of art is subject to VAT at the reduced rate of 5.5% (article 278-0 bis of the French General Tax Code), applied to all prints offered on this site.