Counterproofs

Impressions taken from a print or drawing by pressing it against a sheet of damp paper, often by passing it through a rolling press. Some of the ink of the print or drawing is transferred to the damp paper; the resulting image appears in reverse and may be fainter than the original. The print or drawing is usually damaged in the process. Counterproofs are often made as part of the working process and are used as aids in correcting for the final version. Counterproofs are sometimes created as forgeries of valuable prints and drawings but the mirror image gives such copies away. For images or marks that result from an unintentional transfer of ink or other medium, use "offsets."