Advances in printer technology have allowed amazing reproductions of the priceless works of da Vinci to be viewed in the streets.

New technology from Hewlett Packard and Epson had allowed life size reproductions of paintings by da Vinci and Constable to be unveiled to the public in Central London. Hewlett Packard’s DesignJet 10000 was used to create the reproductions for the National Gallery’s Grand tour.

Images were printed on a vinyl called Epiflex using HP formulated ink and then a waterproof laminate. HP says this combination will stop color fading for 3 years. Lab tests say the color will hold for 10 years. It can cost up to $400 to reproduce one of these amazing works.

Of course, the original works never see the light of day, but the reproductions have created quite a panic in a few cases. They are so good that, in many cases, members of the public have expressed concern to the tour directors about the fact that they are leaving these priceless works outside.