How can you tell a fake poster, calendar or other old artwork?
Real
lithograph
Reproduction
Pixels, pixels, pixels. First, you need a good magnifying glass. Look at your poster with this glass, preferably at a solid color like red or black. You should see no printing pixels. Just solid ink. This is the indication that it is a lithograph. No pixels. Practice this technique by comparing known real lithographs in your collection and a reproduction from your collection. You will see the difference immediately. Original lithography should never be confused with "Offset Lithographic Reproductions" which are simply copies of existing lithograph artwork. Some smart artists sign and number them and call them "Limited Editions", but these prints have absolutely nothing in common with the fine and skilful art of making an original lithograph. You don't need to be a professional to see the difference. Most "offset lithographs" are made up of thousands of tiny dots (pixels), easily seen by looking through a magnifying glass, and only 4 colors are used: red, blue, yellow and black. Original Lithographs are made of solid colors. more.....originals When prints are made using offset
lithography, an original (painting, drawing, watercolor etc.) are taken
to a commercial printer. The printer photographs the original and then
converts all the colors into a combination of 4. (Red, Yellow, Blue, and
Black) A negative is made for each of these colors and a photographic
plate is prepared for printing. They are run, usually all at once on
large high speed presses. The mark of the artist is lost in the
translation from original to photograph and then color separation.
Depending on the printer, colors can vary drastically from the original. |