STAINS

A stain results when water or other liquids, oils, dirt, etc. are either spilled or ground into the poster.

CAUSES

Stains are normally the result of accident spills, mishandling, improper storage or, in some cases, intentional or accident misuse or abuse.

IMPACT ON POSTER VALUE

Stains that are present on the border of a poster do not impact the value. However, if the stains occur on the artwork of the poster, they are considered serious blemishes and will severely affect the poster's value. Stains that are found on the back of the poster are not considered a defect, unless they result in a bleed-through or see-through that can be seen on the front of the poster. SEE GRADING FOR MORE INFORMATION!

REPAIRS

Water stains and some other liquid and/or chemical stains can be removed by bleaching/washing the poster. However, this process is extremely delicate and precise because it involves dampening the poster. Because paper is very susceptible when wet, this process MUST BE DONE BY A PROFESSIONAL RESTORER.

Some direct stains can be removed by a damp cloth, carefully applied to the poster. Posters with stubborn dirt stains should be taken to a professional restorer where different chemicals can be used to clean the poster.

If there is an ink stain, such as that from an older fountain pen, an ink eradicator can be used to remove the stain. Ink eradicator is a type of bleach, so when the stain is removed, so is the color on the poster. The area where the ink eradicator is applied would have to be colored in.

If the stain is the result of indelible ink or newer ballpoint pens, it cannot be bleached out. THESE STAINS WOULD HAVE TO BE REMOVED BY A PROFESSIONAL RESTORER.

Pencil stains can be removed with the use of a yellow brick art gum eraser. The art gum eraser is very soft and crumbly. Regular pen and pencil erasers will not only remove the stain, it will also remove all color. A REGULAR PEN OR PENCIL ERASER SHOULD NEVER BE USED TO REMOVE ANY TYPE OF stains.

Since removing stains from the artwork of a poster almost always results in the loss of color, IT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED THAT THE REMOVAL OF SUCH STAINS BY DONE BY A PROFESSIONAL POSTER RESTORER ONLY.

For this type of procedure, be sure to have a good restorer:

Here are LAMP Approved restorers:

California	Connecticut	UK