Seminar: Identification of photomechanical prints / 12-13 April, 2018

[Michael Pritchard]

With the introduction of photography in the 19th century, printers no longer had to transfer the image manually onto the printing surface, but were offered the possibility to transfer the image by sensitizing the printing surface and exposing it to light, through a negative or positive depending on the printing technique.

With computer technology, negative or positive film is often no longer necessary. The image is transformed into dots by the computer and the image is transferred to the printing surface by light exposure in the machine.

Since their invention photomechanical printing techniques have continued to develop further. There are many similar variations of the same technique, each named differently by its inventor. This can be very confusing in the process of identification.

In this seminar the most important photomechanical techniques of relief, intaglio, planographic, screen and digital prints will be presented.

The different techniques (artistic and reproduction) will be examined by studying original prints under magnification. Two participants will share a stereomicroscope. The distinctive characteristics of each technique will be worked out through closely looking at the original prints, and exercises in identification.

The two day course provides an opportunity to look at a great number and variety of original prints and to develop skills in the identification of their techniques. There will also be the opportunity to compare photomechanical with manual prints.

Identification of photomechanical prints

April 12-13, 2018 at Papierrestaurierung Hildegard Homburger, 10555 Berlin, Germany

Hosted by Hildegard Homburger in cooperation with the Internationale

Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Archiv-, Buch- und Grafikrestauratoren

(IADA)  http://www.iada-home.org

The language of the Seminar will be English.

Maximum participants: 8

Costs: 330 Euro or 285 Euro for IADA-members 

Registration requests should be sent to: [e-mail]