| The Nature of
Prints & Engravings: It was not until the 20th century that
prints were commonly produced for the print itself.
Prior to this, virtually
all prints (and engravings) were produced as illustrations to be included
in a manuscript, book, newspaper, or pamphlet. Therefore, a vast majority
of original prints have been over the years removed from these original
sources. Prints are produced using many different techniques: relief
printing (woodcut & wood engraving), intaglio
printing (steel & copper plate engraving, drypoint, aquatint,
etc), and planographic printing (lithography,
serigraphy, inkjet, laser, etc.).
While the commercial value of a print depends on such factors as age,
rarity, and condition, the real value of a print is its tie to its history
and/or its esthetic beauty. |