- 1). Brush the lithograph to remove surface dirt. Use a brush with very soft bristles to gently sweep the front and back of the print. Sweep the brush in one direction using moderately sized strokes. This will begin the cleaning process by eliminating the dirt on the surface of the lithograph.
- 2). Use a gum eraser to remove stains. Gently rub the gum eraser across the stains in one direction. This will help to remove set-in stains. Do not use the eraser on the actual printed part of the lithograph though as it may remove the ink.
- 3). Bleach the print. Mix a solution of one part water, one part hydrogen peroxide, and three drops ammonia. Use de-ionized water to carefully wet the lithograph. Add the bleach solution to the water. Let stand for no more than five minutes. Rinse the print thoroughly with de-ionized water. If stains persist, bleach and rinse again. When done bleaching the lithograph, rinse for approximately one full hour. Be careful when employing the bleaching technique. Paper that is too fragile may not withstand the bleaching process. Also, certain colors of ink may be compromised by bleaching. You will probably want to try the bleaching process on a very small corner of the lithograph first to test the print’s durability to bleaching.
- 4). Glue the tears back together. If the lithograph has any small holes or tears, you can use glue to fix the print. For a small tear, use a piece of Japan paper and rice starch glue to solve the problem. Use the rice starch glue to adhere a piece of Japan paper to the back of the print eliminating the appearance of a tear.
- 5). Remove creases with weight. To smooth out any creases or fold lines in the print, lightly spray the back side of the lithograph with water. Do not saturate the print. Just lightly dampen the lithograph. Once damp, place the print between two sheets of blotter paper and put it underneath a very heavy object such as a board to smooth it.
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