Antique prints often feel resolved the moment they are examined. Old paper, familiar imagery, and visible impressions create confidence that the print itself must be antique and closely tied to the artist’s lifetime. Online listings, framed displays, and seller descriptions reinforce this assumption by emphasizing that a print was made “from the original plate,” allowing image history to stand in for impression timing. Understanding how antique prints are actually evaluated matters because confusing plate origin with print date can lead to overpayment, misrepresentation, and credibility issues once impression timing is questioned.
DJR Real vs. Fake™ guides are designed to help readers understand what commonly goes wrong before money, reputation, or documentation is committed.
This guide explains how professionals think about antique prints, focusing on:
Where public assumptions about originality break down
Why image source and impression date are often conflated
How original plates can produce much later impressions
Where uncertainty enters when visual familiarity is treated as proof
Inside this guide, readers will learn how to:
Separate image origin from impression timing
Recognize why prints from old plates are not automatically antique impressions
Understand how early pulls and later pulls occupy different market categories
Identify when restraint is the correct decision
Avoid paying early-impression prices for later pulls
Decide when professional escalation may or may not make sense
This guide does not authenticate items or assign value.
Its purpose is to restore clarity, enforce restraint, and prevent irreversible mistakes at the decision stage.
Digital Download — PDF • 4 Pages • Instant Access
Antique prints often feel resolved the moment they are examined. Old paper, familiar imagery, and visible impressions create confidence that the print itself must be antique and closely tied to the artist’s lifetime. Online listings, framed displays, and seller descriptions reinforce this assumption by emphasizing that a print was made “from the original plate,” allowing image history to stand in for impression timing. Understanding how antique prints are actually evaluated matters because confusing plate origin with print date can lead to overpayment, misrepresentation, and credibility issues once impression timing is questioned.
DJR Real vs. Fake™ guides are designed to help readers understand what commonly goes wrong before money, reputation, or documentation is committed.
This guide explains how professionals think about antique prints, focusing on:
Where public assumptions about originality break down
Why image source and impression date are often conflated
How original plates can produce much later impressions
Where uncertainty enters when visual familiarity is treated as proof
Inside this guide, readers will learn how to:
Separate image origin from impression timing
Recognize why prints from old plates are not automatically antique impressions
Understand how early pulls and later pulls occupy different market categories
Identify when restraint is the correct decision
Avoid paying early-impression prices for later pulls
Decide when professional escalation may or may not make sense
This guide does not authenticate items or assign value.
Its purpose is to restore clarity, enforce restraint, and prevent irreversible mistakes at the decision stage.
Digital Download — PDF • 4 Pages • Instant Access
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