Various Types of Antique Prints And Maps And How To Differentiate Them9298656
When we talk about antique prints and maps we are simply talking about historical prints made from books and atlases which have been published over numerous centuries. These prints are generally made using the ancient printing methods and coloured using the hand if coloured. They are truly treasured and each one looks upon preserving them as they remind us of our history, where we came from, exactly where we are and exactly where we are heading to. We have various printing techniques where each differs from each other. Individual people will have different tastes when it comes to prints, hence, printing companies came up with distinctive printing techniques. These range from copperplate engravings to woodcuts.
Various Printing Techniques
The numerous printing methods used most times consist of The Copperplate Engraving Method This is a type of printing which entails making a print of a design on a hard surface. The procedure involves first heating a plate with the drawing on it, smearing it with ink and waiting for it to harden. This ink will flow into the finer details, lines and textures of the drawing. The rest of the plate is then cleaned and pressed onto a moistened paper. The ink from the copperplate depressions soak into the paper leaving the press of the drawing. This copperplate engraving technique is tiresome because the engraver requirements a lot of strength. It was also very time-consuming and exacting. This technique attributes fine lines, soft contrasts and is rich in detail.
Steel Engraving Method
Steel engraving involves the use of a steel base during printing rather of a copperplate. This method was used throughout the later centuries in order to print bank notes. The steel block used is smeared with ink, heated and then the impressions are pressed onto paper making a print of the drawing. It replaced the copperplate engraving and proves to be simpler, much finer, much more detailed and causes less pressure to create these impressions.
Wood Engraving or Woodcuts
Wood engraving utilizes similar techniques as the above methods, the only difference becoming that the engraver uses a wood block or piece as the base for printing. It produces a lot thinner lines with dark compositions making the print quite detailed.
