LITHOGRAPHY is the process of reproducing artwork by converting it to a series of dots, and then printing the colored dots on paper with ink. This method of reproduction is shared by many types of printers from an inexpensive PC ink jet printer to a multi-million dollar press used for the finest print reproduction.

Most printed matter like inexpensive posters and magazines are printed using four color of ink to produce the full spectrum of colors. The problem is that four colors of ink can not create the entire spectrum, so you lose color vibrancy, accuracy and detail. "DaVinci's Dream" was printed using SEVEN colors. These additional colors add a great deal of depth, detail, and color saturation to the print. The Ducati 916 becomes a true "Ducati Red". It's a much more expensive process than four color printing, however, the results speak for themselves.

Line Screen defines the size of the ink dot used to recreate the print. The smaller the dot, the sharper the image will be. Most posters and magazines are printed with a 125 - 150 line screen. "DaVinci's Dream" was printed with a 200 line screen. We also utilized a special printing technique refered to as "Water-less" printing. In Water-less printing, as the name implies, no water is used on the press. The pitfall to Water-less printing is that it requires a special tempature controlled press, finely tuned seperations, and it is a difficult process to master. The payback is that it is THE ABSOLUTE FINEST REPRODUCTION you can acheive. The ink saturations can be pushed much higher on the print and the sharpness is astonishing. A 200 line screen Waterless print is generally accepted as the equivalent in sharpness to a 300 line screen conventionally printed piece.

Finally, the paper. There are many grades of paper, but essentially it comes down to one question: how much do you want to spend? The finest papers are very bright white (bleached with brighteners), acid free (archival), smooth (enamel coated) stocks. "DaVinci's Dream" is printed on a paper made by Consolidated Paper called 'Reflections'. It is considered by industry experts to be one of the finest papers manufactured today. We chose an 85lb Cover weight stock. This paper is roughly three times heavier that what most posters are printed on, and is archival so the print will reamain in top shape for many years.

"DaVinci's Dream": [ To Fly Without Wings ] was created by many highly skilled artist working together with the absolute finest machinery and materials available to produce an unique art print that would pay tribute to the uncomprimising craftsmanship, innovation, and shear artistry that created the 916 and are synonymous with the Ducati marque.