Vintage poster and paper restoration techniques

Restoration techniques vary from minor repairs to complete reconstruction of the paper and repainting parts of the artwork. Some collectors would find these techniques too severe by altering the fabric of the paper and ink. But because most posters are printed in large editions on paper with a limited life span, most collectors do not object to buying posters that are sold as a restoration, as long the changes made to the poster are reversible.

 

There are two ways to repair holes and missing pieces of paper. Japanese rice paper can be used, or antique paper that closely matches the age and condition of the original paper. These repairs are easiest when the damage is limited to the unprinted margin of the poster.

Paper matching and infilling require tremendous attention to detail but the results can be dramatic and nearly invisible, transforming a damaged poster with some potential into a valuable work of art. Read more about poster condition and grading for works on paper sold at live auctions or on eBay.

Water damage is another paper defect that requires reconstruction of the basic paper material. This original Beatles '65 album cover soaked up water like a sponge along the bottom edge. The paper is first cleaned and prepared using conservation techniques. Then, poster restoration can replace the missing paper, layer by layer, and even add "in-fill painting" to complete the image.