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Toning

I've seen descriptions on posters for sale that have toning-(recently a Bataan OS with bright red title). What causes it? Can it be reversed or moderated in the conservation/restoration process? Is it the same as "ghosting?" Even light toning that I can't see in an image to buy usually prevents me from bidding too strong.

Comments

  • Is it the same as yellowing???  Then yes it can be reversed it is from the lignin in the paper producing acids that react and cause the yellowing.
  • I have always considered toning to be a courteous word for discolouration of the paper usually due to aging - or acids in the paper
  • Fair to say older Italian and French paper such as 1ps tone more than say the Australian US paper from same period? Poorer paper quality?
  • Ok thanks-then if toning is a "yellowing" of the paper due to aging then it is not "ghosting." Which I'm guessing is from a poster being folded and the image then "transfers" to the upper/lower portion over long periods of time while folded? -----Can that be reversed? I would think not as the "ghosting" would be a somewhat permanent "ink"'transfer?
  • You are correct.  It would need to be airbrushed over
  • Ouch! Thats what i thought. I have always avoided posters with ghosting. Thx! :)>-
  • Does not always need to be air brushed over.  I have worked on several that have lettering "impressions" from folding but they are not from the actual ink and they come clean with a bleaching...
  • I suppose it would depend on the severity.  The ones I have encountered are red or blue ink on a white background - doubtful that would come out completely in a bleach wash
  • Yeah-the severity I've seen has varied-the Bataan I was looking at had the title in red that had transferred quite noticeably in the bottom half. But if light ghosting can be almost eliminated-then I guess I would consider a purchase.
  • Let me see if I can find an example...
  • Here...

    You can see the "ghosting" came out perfectly fine in the wash...


    image
  • Cool-it seems apparent that those who have purchase & had restored or like you Charlie-who's done restoration-the more one can buy posters for less price that might need work to be made more presentable.
  • Yeah.. The main reason I wanted to learn was so I could back $100 posters.  No point in sending a $100 poster off to be backed for $200...
  • Holy Schnike! That's great! And that's pretty noticeable----Thanks-feel better about bidding in the future! Been through he PF site but didn't notice how dramatic it was.
  • Impressive Charlie!  The examples I had in mind were much more severe.  I wonder if the ink doesn't really penetrate into the paper fiber all that far from being folded over (if it had dried to a certain extent) and that's why the wash clears it up?  Suppose it would depend on the paper type too...
  • I tend to lean towards it being a mechanical "ghosting" versus say ink being wet and then folded... Poster is folded, pressed, humidity/temperature rise and fall - paper shrinks/swells...  Who knows. I'll research it a bit more tomorrow...
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