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Old 02-18-2006, 11:11 AM
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Default Mystery Of The T206 Honus Wagner Uncut Proof Strip

Posted By: davidcycleback

Computer printers are intended to make quality copies at the naked eye hang-on-the-wall level. There is no intention to duplicate at the microscopic level.

An elemental example is when I scanned and computer printed out a copy of an original 1920s baseball photo I owned. The computer copy made a scarily good looking print, but under strong magnification the reprinted image was made up of the multi-color dot pattern. This dot pattern identified it as a reprint, as real photos have no dot pattern (they aren't printing press and ink prints). The reprint would be easy to identify by anyone with a microscope and who knows photos don't have a multi color dot pattern.

When I was originally made my guide on judging the authenticity of cards severa years aago I made reprints of T206 cards on my laser printer (blank backed, on shiny computer paper). The high quality of the reprints was scary. So, I know first hand that computer printers can make nice images.

As a longtime collector and seller of photographs, I can identify most printing press versions from the naked eye level as the printed versions lack the clarity and depth of of a real photo. If you cut out a modern magazine picture, an avid photo collector looking at it at the naked eye level will likely know, or at least have a strong sense, it's not a photograph.

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