Quality

A rare collection

In an age where everything goes fast and it is possible to digitally print any image on demand, it is a little refreshing to browse through Robert's collections. This collection was built up by a man who had a burning interest in copper engraving and woodcuts. And for history. The motifs are selected and all the prints we have found have been carefully restored and are of incredibly high quality. Especially in the choice of printing technology and paper.

When you buy a print from us, you get an actual piece of history. Both a beautiful print from a bygone era. But also something quite unique. All our prints are limited edition. And when they run out, they're gone forever.

The paper

Robert knew paper. As an advertising cartoonist and illustrator, he had an incredible knowledge of paper and he was not satisfied with just anything. Instead of choosing matte-coated paper that might have done well as a poster, he chose paper intended for hand-coloring. Paper that was visually close to the paper it was printed on historically.

Ingress paper/Ingress carton

Most commonly, ingress paper has been used. Ingres paper is archive-resistant, acid-free and stands the test of time. It is named after Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres (1780 - 1867), a French artist. The paper is used for drawing with pencil, pastel, charcoal and chalk. In addition, it is well suited for various printing techniques. For example letterpress, which is a technique that Robert liked to use. You may recognize the paper quality from slightly better envelope and cover materials. Ingres paper has a clear surface structure and is also surface-treated so that color does not seep through the paper to the back. It works incredibly well for black and white prints, such as our reproductions.

The gram weight used varies, but is between 300 and 200g.

Paper from Lessebo hand paper mill

There are so many questions I wish I could have asked my grandfather about these prints. One of them is precisely the notes in his register about the handmade paper. The reproductions printed on this paper are something truly special and must be seen to be fully appreciated. The paper is archive-resistant and acid-free.

Printing technology

When it comes to the choice of printing technology, Robert tried to be as close as possible to the modern technology of the time. The occasional print is actually made with etched copper plate. But often he chose letterpress or lithography.

Letterpress

Letterpress is a letterpress and actually the opposite of what a copper engraving, intaglio, is printed with. In a letterpress, the printing surfaces are raised. We have several of the plates left and they are incredibly decorative.

Other examples of letterpress are: Woodcuts, linoleum cuts and believe it or not, potato prints. We can be absolutely sure that none of our prints are made with potato prints.

Lithograph

A printing technique from the late 18th century. Traditionally, a porous limestone was used where the motif was painted with an oil chalk or other bold paint. Lithography is often used to print limited editions of artwork. In the case of our prints, it is more likely that an aluminum plate was used. Normally, you number your lithographs, as the motif on the plate (or stone) wears out and the earlier you print, the better the quality. We don't have numbering on our prints, but based on the low edition and the quality and purity of the lines, we assume it didn't print very many of them. We do an ocular inspection of each print before shipping to you. And should we discover a deterioration in image quality, we will of course take measures.

Offset

Some prints are printed with offset. A less exclusive printing technique may seem. Mainly because it is a more industrial form of printing, where a plate can be used much longer than before. But even here we see small editions. But with the benefits of offset technology, such as cleaner lines, more detailed prints.

But is it really vintage?

Yes and no. Our motifs are antique - but the prints, i.e. the item you buy from us, are vintage. The oldest prints we have are from 1956 and the youngest from 1978.
Unlike many other players who print digitally, when you order. There you get a new board, with a retro motif.

So now you know a little more about which printing techniques and which papers our reproductions are printed on. We can guarantee you that all of our prints are incredibly high quality and are as far from a poster as you can get .