Since the dawn of time, various printing methods have been introduced and utilized. Oftentimes, these have been left in the annals of history as having been a major influence over our industry today. For this month and in the upcoming months, we want to showcase the different kinds of printing methods; how they work; what kind of prints they produce, and their pros and cons.

Starting off for this month’s segment, let’s talk about lithography!

 

Lithography printing is a method of producing images or texts on paper or other materials by using a flat surface that has been treated with a chemical process to make it repel or attract ink. The word lithography comes from the Greek words lithos, meaning “stone”, and graphein, meaning “to write”. Lithography printing was invented in 1796 by a German author and actor named Alois Senefelder, who wanted to find a cheaper way to publish his own works (Encyclopædia Britannica, 2023).

How does lithography printing work?

The basic principle of lithography printing is that oil and water do not mix. To create a lithograph, the artist draws an image or text on a smooth stone (usually limestone) or a metal plate (usually zinc or aluminum) with a greasy crayon or pencil. The stone or plate is then moistened with water, which covers the blank areas but is repelled by the greasy areas. Next, the stone or plate is inked with a roller that transfers ink only to the greasy areas. Finally, the stone or plate is pressed against a sheet of paper, transferring the image or text in reverse (Invaluable, 2019).

 

What kind of print does lithography printing make?

Lithography printing produces prints that have a smooth and even surface, without any visible marks of the printing process. The prints can have rich and vibrant colors, as well as fine details and subtle tones. Lithography printing can also create large prints, as the size of the print is limited only by the size of the stone or plate. Lithography printing is suitable for reproducing paintings, drawings, photographs, maps, posters, books, and magazines.

 

What are the pros and cons of lithography printing?

Some of the advantages of lithography printing are:

• It allows the artist to create prints that closely resemble their original artworks, as they can draw directly on the stone or plate with various tools and techniques.
• It can produce high-quality prints that have sharp and clear images and texts, as well as a wide range of colors and shades.
• It can print large quantities of prints at a low cost per unit, as the stone or plate can be reused many times without losing its quality.

Some of the disadvantages of lithography printing are:

• It requires a lot of skill and experience to master the art of lithography printing, as the artist has to control the balance between oil and water, as well as the pressure and speed of the printing process.
• It involves a lot of steps and materials to prepare the stone or plate, such as grinding, polishing, etching, coating, and cleaning.
• It can be harmful to the environment and human health, as some of the chemicals used in lithography printing are toxic and hazardous (Vlahos, 2022).

 

How do we apply this to the modern world?

While modern iterations of lithography printing use large metal plates to print on material, there is one method that stood out from the rest due to how effective it is at printing large batches in moderate succession. This method, as patented by John Strather back in 1853, is the offset lithography process, otherwise known as offset printing. While it did not gain popularity right away, it eventually did so because of its adaptability to various materials and aforementioned ability to produce large quantities of high-quality printed materials like newspapers, magazines, and posters. Offset lithography is different from the original lithography technique in that offset lithographs are created using a printing press rather than by hand drawing on the surface of a metal plate. The image area is printed onto a rubber cylinder, which then “offsets” the picture onto paper and other materials including fabric, wood, tin, and more that the metal plate method does not support (Vlahos, 2022).

 

Offset lithography has developed into a simple, affordable method that reliably produces printed products of a high caliber. The lithography method, in contrast to some printing techniques, enables the production of thousands of copies without affecting the original picture. That said, it is better to reserve this method of printing for massive batches so that you get more out of the cost it takes to use offset printing and its corresponding technology.

And that’s about it for lithography printing. We hope this has been an educating experience for you. See you again next month!

 

References and Additional Readings:

Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (2023, October 6). Lithography. Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/technology/lithography

What is a lithograph? understanding different types of printing. Invaluable. (2019, June 14). https://www.invaluable.com/blog/what-is-a-lithograph/

SEO, H. (2022, August 1). What is litho printing?. KDM. https://www.kdmpop.com/print/lithographic-printing/ 

Vlahos, J. (2022, March 3). What is lithography & how has it shaped modern printing?. Printivity Insights. https://www.printivity.com/insights/2020/07/22/what-is-lithography-and-how-has-it-shaped-modern-printing/ 

Lithograph. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. (2018, December 21). https://www.metmuseum.org/about-the-met/collection-areas/drawings-and-prints/materials-and-techniques/printmaking/lithograph