Information and Documentation Centre of Belgian Congo and Rwanda

THE DIFFERENT CONDITION OF A POSTER

If a poster is appreciated for its rarity, subject, signature or age and sometimes its size, it is also appreciated by its condition, which is an important component of its value. Please find below the different conditions of the posters proposed by www.posterissim.com

New : "mint". The poster has been handled but never used and has been carefully stored. This condition generally applies to the most recent posters.

*

Excellent condition : also called "condition A" or "near mint". The condition of the poster is above average even if it shows slight traces of use. The poster has no major flaws and is not missing anything. Only minor defects are accepted, such as pinholes or slight discoloration on older objects. www.posterissim mainly sells posters in this condition.

*

Very good condition : or "very fine". The condition of the poster is close to "excellent condition" but with some additional defects such as slight tears or more pronounced folds.

*

Good condition : also known as "condition B". The visual is clean but has more pronounced defects than those of the previous conditions, sometimes with traces of moisture or yellowing of the paper. These defects have been often corrected during the restoration process, followed by washing and mounting.

*

Fair condition : "C" (suitable condition). The condition of the poster is below average, with a multiplication of defects (missing, discoloured, scotch, damaged edges), but remains very presentable.

*

Poor condition : or "condition D". Poster torn into several pieces, often with significant gaps and severe discoloration. Except for exceptional documents (historical or cultural) requiring extensive restoration, www.posterissim.com does not sell posters in this condition.

***

LINENBACKING OF YOUR POSTERS

1. Why put a poster on linen?

An old poster is originally rolled up or held flat. An original old poster should be preserved as well as possible in time and be easily framed.

www.posterissim.com brings to each poster a long, delicate and expensive paper conservation treatment called "linenbacking". The linenbacking protects the poster from possible damage and gives the paper a structure that gives it an optimal hold in its frame.

www.posterissim.com calls on the best specialists in this particular technique, whose know-how and experience is recognised by amateurs and collectors all over the world.

2. The technique of linenbacking

The posters are first dry-dusted with gum powder and a brush. Then they are washed with clear water in large basins to refresh the colours and remove paper tension.

The still wet poster is applied to a linen or cotton canvas (Canvas) using a starch solution. A sheet of acid-free paper (Canson) is placed in between. The poster is thus kept at a neutral ph and acid-free to stabilize its colours and protect it from oxidation (yellowing of the paper). A drying time in a dust-free environment of 1 to 2 weeks is necessary depending on the size and type of paper.

A canvas margin of 3 to 5 cm is kept to protect the perimeter of the poster.

All our linenbackings are made with neutral materials that stabilize the acidity of the poster. We use noble techniques that are totally reversible.

Without the application of this technique, the poster, even if it is not damaged, may curl within its frame, thus undermining its artistic qualities and altering its appreciation.

For all these reasons, www.posterissim.com sells mostly, unless otherwise specified, linenbacked original posters.

The folded or rolled posters, purchased on the site www.posterissim.com, can be linenbacked by us (and restored if necessary) on request and after estimate.

www.posterissim.com does not offer a canvas mounting and/or restoration service for posters that do not come from the www.posterissim.com website.

At www.posterissim.com you are thus acquiring a beautiful collector's item that will follow you over time and that you will be proud to exhibit.

***

THE DIFFERENT PRINTING PROCESSES AT WWW.POSTERISSIM.COM

Below you will find the different printing processes for the posters that you can find on www.posterissim.com

Lithography was invented by the German playwright Aloys Senefelder in 1796 and had its heyday in the 19th century. It is a printing technique that allows the creation and reproduction in several copies of a drawing executed with ink or pencil on a limestone and is based on the principle of repulsion of water and fat. This process makes it possible to execute high quality works in quantity. Faster and cheaper than engraving, lithography has been used very often for the reproduction of commercial documents.

*

Screen printing is a printing technique that uses stencils (originally silk screens) interposed between the ink and the support (paper, cardboard, textile, metal, glass...). It allows the representation of very detailed independent graphics and was popularized by Andy Warhol.

*

Offset is a printing process that can be considered an improvement on its ancestor, lithography: the lithographic stone is replaced by a layer (or cylinder). Currently the major process of professional printing, offset printing, makes it possible to cover a relatively wide range of print runs (beyond a few hundred thousand copies, rotogravure is preferred). This printing process provides quality products at a relatively low cost. It has many other advantages such as quick start-up, stable inking, fast drying, etc... Offset in video HERE.

*

Rotogravure is a technique born in the 1820s from the research of Joseph Nicéphore Niépce, particularly adapted to very long print runs where a high quality of reproduction is required. A process of intaglio printing, rotogravure allows the transfer of an image on a copper plate thanks to a photosensitive gelatine. The screen is not visible, unlike halftone printing. The blacks are very deep where the ink layer is thick, while it is very thin in the lighter areas.

*

Digigraphy is a process for reproducing works of art created digitally on large-format inkjet printers. Label created by Epson in 2003, it concerns the reproduction of any type of artistic creation: photography, painting, collage, drawing, watercolour, digital creation... A Digigraphie is necessarily a limited edition print: it must bear a number indicating the total number of the series and the number of the print, as well as the handwritten signature of the artist and an official stamp.

*

The giclée is a very faithful reproduction process on inkjet printers on paper or canvas that allows a reproduction of the image in very high definition on large format digital printers. Unlike lithography, where all proofs could be considered as originals, with giclees, all proofs become reproductions.

*

The difference between lithography and screen printing: Lithographs and serigraphs are both flat prints. Lithography reproduces a line executed on a limestone, whereas silkscreen printing is a technique that uses silk screens between the ink and the support.

*

The difference between lithography and offset: Offset is one of the printing processes known as "direct", which consists of transferring the entire print directly onto the substrate. Lithography involves spreading ink on a surface, with dry and wet areas, and only the ink spread on the dry area is transferred to the substrate.

***

THE ARTIST'S SIGNATURE ON AN ORIGINAL VINTAGE POSTER

THE ARTIST'S SIGNATURE ON AN ORIGINAL VINTAGE POSTER Stemming from the tradition of goldsmiths who signed their creations with a hallmark, the artist's signature on a poster (usually on the front of the poster in the lower right-hand corner) indicates that the artist has completed and approved the work.
This practice became widespread in the 19th century with the development of the art market.
The signature is usually printed directly on the plate, sometimes accompanied by the year in which the work was created.
Sometimes, however, the document is neither signed nor dated. It is therefore considered anonymous, but retains its character as an original poster.
Some posters are hand-signed by the artist and sometimes numbered.
These are specific editions or prints, and are mentioned on the product sheet of www.posterissim.com.
The signature is an important guarantee of authenticity for the buyer and collector, and the vast majority of www.posterissim.com posters are signed. The artist can sign in many different ways. The following is a non-exhaustive list:

1. Complete, like Roger Broders :

2. By the initial of the name accompanied by a symbol, like R. Gruau (G) :

3. As initials of first name and surname as Emile Cardinaux (E.C) :

4. Using a pseudonym like Georges Taboureau (Sandy Hook) :

5. Condensed and dated, like Justin Marie Georges Dorival (Géo Dorival):

6. Taking the form of a “logo”, like Charles Hallo (Alo):

7. With the creation of a monogram, as by Henri de ToulouseLautrec:

***