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

Overview of broadest printing and drawing techniques

The Collation Blog

More detailed advice on identifying between engravings and woodcuts