Each map is hand-printed by master cartographer and Registered Maine Guide, Ken Gross using the traditional methods of copperplate etching and aquatint. Ken's studio is located in Millinocket, where he is able to see the terminus of the Appalachian Trail atop Mount Katahdin with out leaving his front yard.
Relief Printing is a traditional printing process in which an image is carved into a flat surface. The areas that remain after carving are coated with ink and pressed onto a sheet of paper, leaving the image that you see here. These maps are carved from linoleum to produce what is called a linocut.
Intaglio or copperplate etching is a traditional printing process in which a thin sheet of copper is coated with a "resist" called "ground". The image is lightly scratched into this coating and then the entire piece of copper is dipped in acid to make the scratches into deep marks of varying depths that will eventually hold the ink for printing. Because this process of printing requires high pressure, the paper will be visibly crushed and indented, while the inked areas and lines will be noticeably raised.
All of the prints are originals as well as numbered and signed by the artist.
They come sealed with a foam board and a detailed description on the back