# Identifying prints

## General Tips

### Relief vs Intaglio

* Look at the image. Compared with intaglio processes, relief printing allows for much larger areas of black space.
* Look for a plate-mark. If there isn't one, its more likely to be a relief print than an intaglio. However, plate-marks can be added artificially or cut off.

### Specific Techniques

The following questions are based on those in 'How to identify Prints...' by Bamber Gascoigne, and whilst far from exhaustive, should help indicate possible print techniques for further investigation:

| Question                                                                                                                            | Yes                     |
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------- |
| Is the image formed of a regular pattern of dots or squares under magnification?                                                    | Relief Halftone         |
|                                                                                                                                     | Gravure                 |
|                                                                                                                                     | Offset lithography      |
|                                                                                                                                     |                         |
| Is any embossing visible on the back of the paper within the area of the image? Do spaces between colour look cut or engraved away? | Woodcut                 |
|                                                                                                                                     | Chromoxylograph         |
|                                                                                                                                     | Chromotypograph         |
|                                                                                                                                     | Wood engraving          |
|                                                                                                                                     | Line block              |
|                                                                                                                                     | Linocut                 |
|                                                                                                                                     |                         |
| Does the image have a plate-mark? Are there depressed edges around image?                                                           | Engraving               |
|                                                                                                                                     | Etching                 |
|                                                                                                                                     | Mezzotint               |
|                                                                                                                                     | Aquatint                |
|                                                                                                                                     | Stipple Engraving       |
|                                                                                                                                     | Drypoint                |
|                                                                                                                                     | Line photogravure       |
|                                                                                                                                     | Soft ground etching     |
|                                                                                                                                     | Crayon manner engraving |
|                                                                                                                                     | Chalk lithograph        |
|                                                                                                                                     | Tone photogravure       |
|                                                                                                                                     | Nature print            |
|                                                                                                                                     | Baxter print            |
|                                                                                                                                     |                         |
| Does the image have areas of line as opposed to tone?                                                                               | Engraving               |
|                                                                                                                                     | Etching                 |
|                                                                                                                                     | Drypoint                |
|                                                                                                                                     | Line engraving          |
|                                                                                                                                     |                         |
| Does the image have areas of tone as opposed to line?                                                                               | Aquatint                |
|                                                                                                                                     | Collotype               |
|                                                                                                                                     | Mezzotint               |
|                                                                                                                                     | Stipple engraving       |
|                                                                                                                                     |                         |
| Does the image consist of one or two printed colours with additional colour added by hand?                                          | Tinted lithograph       |
|                                                                                                                                     | Tinted Engraving        |
|                                                                                                                                     |                         |
| Does the image consist of multiple colours? Do ink marks look individually drawn or dotted?                                         | Colour lithograph       |
|                                                                                                                                     | Colour screenprint      |
|                                                                                                                                     | Chromolithographs       |

### Other Indicators

* Look for a date. Some more recent techniques may be ruled out or made more likely due to their relative popularity.
* Look at other print collections. Many prints that are in the Wellcome Collection have been found to also be represented in the British Museums Prints and Drawings Collections, some of whose prints have lettering, where items in our collection do not.

<https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection>

## Resources

'How to Identify Prints A complete guide to manual and mechanical processes from woodcut to injket' by Bamber Gascoigne

Contains a series of yes/no questions to help with identification alongside detailed explanations and images

'Prints and Printmaking An introduction to the history and techniques' by Anthony Griffith

Contains a section on abbreviations and lettering regarding technical terms which may be a support to the cataloguer.

### Web Resources

[The Met Museum](https://www.metmuseum.org/about-the-met/collection-areas/drawings-and-prints/materials-and-techniques)

Overview of broadest printing and drawing techniques

[The Collation Blo](https://collation.folger.edu/2012/02/woodcut-engraving-or-what/)g

More detailed advice on identifying between engravings and woodcuts
