An "ORIGINAL PRINT" is not a contradiction in terminology.

Original prints are made from the original engraved, etched, or lithographed plate.

Printmaking is an art that has been practiced over the centuries in many different forms. The first impressions were "pulled" to disseminate knowledge, as one illustration had a very limited circulation. Not surprisingly, considering the long tradition and ancient development of the area, the appreciation of original lithographs and engravings developed in England and Europe. Quite apart from their artistic merit, early prints offer rewarding insights into previous lives and periods.

Since the late thirteenth century, prints have enjoyed an ongoing popularity. Today, they are popular as a decorating item, and are suitable in any style of environment from the workplace to home. When conservation methods are used, framing actually often assists in their preservation. Over the years, prints have become one of the most eagerly collected items, with the opportunity of refining the collecting parameters as interests change or knowledge of the subject increases.

The popularity of antique prints to a large extent can be attributed to the fact that they have been more readily circulated, as multiple originals. Each impression taken from the original plate is considered to be an original work; yet the fact that there are a number of impressions of the one plate enables a far greater distribution and far lower price than for a one off watercolour or painting. By satisfying the conditions of originality, while lending itself to a wider market in terms of price and circulation, the original print maintains an attractive proposition for the art lover on modest means. Obviously, the older they become, the more they are revered - both because of their rarity and often, in addition, because of the earlier style of hand-made paper and the delicacy of the painstaking method of production.

Early prints were used to enhance the name of budding artists as well as to increase the fame of established and respected artists. Often the best known works by some of the world's greatest artists are prints. For example, the prints by both Rembrandt and Goya are as well known as their paintings. Certainly there is an opportunity for more people to see the print than to see the original oil painting!

Many of the early artists who flourished due to the popularity of prints, were women; as they were usually encouraged in art, music and dance as it was believed to be important that the ladies acquired a talent. It was generally from this encouragement that women became more recognized for their artistic abilities. Large numbers of early prints, engraved from drawings or paintings by female artists, are still in circulation today.

While price and availability are undeniably important factors in the popularity of original prints, they cannot completely account for the great interest and lasting appeal of the medium and its compelling attraction for novice and connoisseur alike.

The Connoisseur Complete Encyclopedia of Antiques observes that "print collecting is one of the most rewarding of pastimes... Prints can easily be stored, and the choicest can adorn the walls. And then there is the variety, both in media and in kind; lovers of fine prints can never tire of the incisiveness of a fine engraving, where the ink has a deeply satisfying richness and clarity."

Whilst this is the longest established area for collectors, the purchase of original antique prints and maps has now become one of the leading growth areas in the American art market, with demand there now exceeding that in Europe. Now that the internet is becoming established antique lithographs and engravings have more convenient exposure, particularly if a particular item is being sought. Internet sites such as art-emporium.com or even the trading art market of mapclassifieds.com provide an ever-ready range of work for quick viewing and convenient purchase.

However, it is still the joy of actuality as opposed to virtuality that coaxes people to visit antique print galleries to see and handle the actual antique work of art. The enduring interest in the original prints has guaranteed their survival and with the better end of the market, their appreciation in value and success as an investment item. It is rare that an investment can be enjoyed as much as a piece of early artwork - especially if it is on display, framed with conservation materials to preserve it well.

Have you considered the timelessness of decorating with traditional antique images?

A fine original print's investment potential will increase yearly. Antique prints by definition cannot be created today, and their vulnerability tests their survival. The investment potential of an antique lithograph or engraving is dependent on the quality and condition of the original print and the reputation of the artist, engraver, or cartographer. The better quality and more easily recognized items are more in demand.

There are antique prints in all subjects of interest. The earlier and more striking images have probably the greatest appeal for those who focus today on the decorative capacity of these works.

Casual buyers become collectors very easily. Once the appetite for antique prints has been acquired, it is not always easy to satisfy. The pleasure of purchasing yet another and another impression may not only form a fine collection but also the habit of a lifetime This gratifying pleasure often spreads to those around as they search for an antique print related to the subjects that give joy to friends and relatives. That treasured image will always find a special place on the wall.

The particular printing process used in an early illustration is as important as the quality of the artistry and the information conveyed in the work.

The main processes used in publishing antique maps and prints are outlined in the Reference Library of our Welcome section of art-emporium.com. The commonest methods of printing progressed through the centuries from the relief method of the woodblock, the woodcut and wood engraving, the intaglio methods of the copper plate and steel engraving, and on to the planographic method of lithography.

Copperplate engraving was the main method of producing illustrations in the eighteenth century. At the end of the eighteenth century, these illustrations were mainly contained within expensive books that only the wealthy could afford. The colour plate book proliferated during the early part of the nineteenth century. By the middle of the century, the range of beautifully illustrated subjects was limitless. From the earlier caricatures, to the voyages of discovery, the record of the development of architecture, discovery of new specimens of flora and fauna, the classical discoveries of earlier times, sporting pursuits, fashion, every subject imaginable was covered.

The general population's thirst for entertainment and knowledge was catered for as less expensive paper and printing techniques were developed. The nineteenth century saw the return of the woodcut and wood engraving which were much less expensive processes (if less durable), and the proliferation of periodicals for wider and more frequent circulation.

Over the years, the variations of effect conveyed by the different printing processes in portraying one individual subject, provide a fascinating study. Perhaps the best example of this can be seen in the different artist's rendition of a particular specimen of botany, transposed by the various mediums of printmaking. Note the hand-coloured copperplate engravings of William Curtis for "The Botanical Magazine" of 1790 in contrast to the dramatic coloured lithographs published for Edward Step's "Favourite Flowers of Garden and Greenhouse" one hundred years later.

When scholarly dissertations were compiled into books for publication, the text and illustrating prints were often accompanied by entertaining editorial which today provides a fascinating insight into life at that time. The books were usually preceded by various frontispieces and an inevitable obsequious dedication to either the Patron of the book's editor, or to Royalty.

In his dedication for "Paxton's Magazine of Botany and Register of Flowering Plants" which was published in 1842, Joseph Paxton (later to become Sir Joseph Paxton, so obviously the effort paid off!) wrote:

"To
His Royal Highness
the
Duke of Sussex, K.G. &c. &c.
the kind and noble patron
of all the arts that civilize, refine, and exalt the human race;.....
with the condescending approval of His Royal Highness,
most respectfully inscribed
by
His Royal Highness's most obedient and very humble servant,
                                                                                               JOSEPH PAXTON."

Writing at Chatsworth in England, Paxton reassures those who might be interested in his botanical works that the publishers were:

"Anxious to give stimulus, rather than sedative, to the pulsations of rational minds..
At the same time, attentive to the wants of the amateur and the self-instructed..

We have established for ourselves a very high standard, which we shall never cease to aim at; nor fall short of, through negligence or insufficient effort."

Paxton's was a noble intention and superb effort! - resulting in a wonderful series of scientific botanical descriptions illustrated by lustrous hand-coloured lithographs,
that are among the finest we have seen.

Print composition often utilized more than one process. Some of the more specialized printmaking styles follow:

Etching is a method of printing using an etching needle to draw a design through blackened acid-resistant varnish coating over a copper or zinc plate. The plate is then given an acid bath to etch the plate through the exposed areas of the image to be printed.

The acid produces the characteristic "furry" appearance by which we distinguish the lines from those of line engraving. The artist takes "proofs" to gauge the effect of his work. Sections of the work which are acceptable are recovered with varnish to prevent further etching by the acid; those which are not dark enough are deepened by further application of acid; those which are too dark are lightened by the use of charcoal.

An engraving can usually be distinguished from an etching by the ends of the lines. These taper into a point in an engraving, while in an etching the ends of each line are blunt and rounded when examined through a magnifying glass. Also, an engraved line is sharp and clean, whereas the uneven biting of the acid makes an etched line irregular in contour.

Dry-point in theory, is the simplest of all intaglio printing techniques; in practice it requires great skill and expertise to control the thick steel needle which is used for drawing. In a similar manner to etching, the design is scratched with a needle onto a plate of copper, zinc or tin. Varying pressure produces light or heavy incisions along which a burr or flange of the metal is raised. The deeper and harder the cut, the coarser the burr becomes so that, in printing, the retention of ink in the burr as well as in the incised lines, produces the characteristic rich appearance.

As the burr quickly flattens under pressure, comparatively few good impressions can be taken from a plate without retouching or even re-cutting it. This process was not widely used therefore, unless for small circulation of an image.

Aquatint is a method of printing areas of different tones from a copper or zinc plate on which acid has etched and pitted through a porous ground. The artist forms the design by first protecting the surface of the plate by depositing resin or asphalt powder on it and heating to make this deposit adhere.

When acid is applied it attacks the surface of the plate through the granules of hardened resin causing the copper base to be pitted all over with a texture of dots which will eventually print as a fine speckled grey tone. The coarseness or fineness of the tone depends on the resin used, and the depth of tone can be regulated by the length of time the plate is exposed to acid. The artist forms his design by "stopping out", that is by painting over with a varnish, those areas of the plate which he wishes to protect from the acid. Colouring can be applied by hand, or image can be printed in colour by using different plates for each colour required.

Mezzotint is a method of engraving in tone, as opposed to line. A copperplate is roughened by systematically working over the surface of the plate with a "rocker", a tool with a serrated edge, which produces light or heavy burrs as required. The dark tones are produced by the ink being retained in the burred areas. The light tones are acquired by scraping away the burr and polishing these areas. It was much used for the reproduction of paintings from the seventeenth century on; and was still used towards the end of the nineteenth century with simpler styles of engravings to produce a higher quality of detail for faces of more important portraits.

Stipple Engraving is a method combining the techniques of line engraving and etching. A base plate is coated with a waxed varnish through which the outline of the image is etched by piercing the coating. The main body of the work is dotted with the point of a curved stipple-graver or by rolling a roulette (a tool with a spiked revolving head), producing a covering of small dots. The design is then bitten into the plate by acid through the holes.

Usually, when the nominated print run was completed, unless it was anticipated that further issues would be undertaken, the print base was destroyed, or ground down for re-use. In some cases the metal plates were kept for a very long time. This later date printing using the original plate is termed a Restrike. Traditionally, sporting prints are the only plates that have been preserved and are still used today. Generally, they are used by the original publishing company in London, and are coloured in watercolours in the original style.

Restrikes show the plate marks in a similar manner to the original works. The easiest way to recognize their date of publication is from the age of the paper. The clarity of the image has usually been compromised during the years of use of the plate, although many have been "reworked" when the detail has become worn or damaged.

Limited Edition prints are identical prints of the same limited production edition, numbered in sequence with the number of copies in the print run stated, are usually of modern publication, as early prints were not as a rule numbered.