Postcard Production
An original copper printing plate, used in the production of Dovercourt Sea Front postcards from the late 1940's.
Printing Methods
Dovercourt, Lower Marine Parade, copper printing plate from 1952 (Moore & Laughton Limited, Clacton).
Copperplate printing
Also known as engraved printing uses a polished copper plate on which a design has been etched or engraved. The fine handwriting that is associated with 18th and 19th century copperplate engravings is often referred to as copperplate. Dating from the 16th century, copperplate printing or engraving still creates an image of elegance and distinction and it allows designers to create very high quality printed materials.
To create copperplate or engraved print, the image to be reproduced is first engraved onto a copper plate. Nowadays this is normally achieved through computer typesetting, but hand tooling may still be employed to capture fine detail or rout out larger areas. The plate is then inked and stamped against a sheet of paper at pressures of up to two tons per square inch, causing the image to be transferred to the paper stock.
The extreme force used in the copperplate printing process presses the paper deep into the engraved areas of the printing plate, creating an impression on the paper surface. The postcard and copper plate above, date from the early 1950's and the card was published in England by Moore & Laughton Limited of Clacton.
Real Photographs
Many photographs are commonly used for postcards, with large "Copyright photographic proofs" reduced in size, these proofs are often used by more than one publisher, as can be seen on the back of these large Copyright proofs and accompanying postcards.
Many photographs are commonly used for postcards, with large "Copyright photographic proofs" reduced in size, these proofs are often used by more than one publisher, as can be seen on the back of these large Copyright proofs and accompanying postcards.