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- Dictionarylithograph/ˈlɪθə(ʊ)ɡrɑːf/
noun
- 1. a lithographic print.
verb
- 1. print by lithography: "he lithographed the diploma, leaving only two blanks: one for the name of the recipient and the other for the date"
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Learn the origin, history, and usage of the word lithograph, which can be a verb meaning to print by lithography or a noun meaning a print made by lithography. See examples, synonyms, and related words for lithograph.
Lithography is a printing method based on the immiscibility of oil and water. Learn about its invention, development, and variations, such as offset lithography and chromolithography.
A lithograph is a picture printed using a stone or metal block on which an image has been drawn with a thick substance that attracts ink. Learn more about the history, types and uses of lithographs from the Cambridge Dictionary and Corpus.
- Process
- Materials Used
- Types of Lithography
Lithography begins with an image drawn onto a flat surface, often polished limestone or aluminum plates. If the artist uses stone, then stone must be polished and smoothed to a uniformly flat surface. After “graining the stone,” the artist creates an image with litho crayons, greasy pencils, rubbing blocks, tusche, and greasy black liquid compositi...
Stone or Metal Printing Plates
Senefelder and early artists wrote their lines and drawings onto flat stones, often polished limestone. Today, some artists still use stone plates, but aluminum and zinc plates are more common. For color lithography, the artist uses multiple plates, each with a different color of ink, to create lithographs with two or more colors. Creating multiple colors requires a high degree of precision because the image is placed on several plates, and each plate must be rolled exactly in order.
Carborundum
Stone plates are sanded down to a smooth surface with carborundum or other abrasive material. Before the stone can be used, it must be perfectly flat and have a uniform thickness.
Ink and Roller
The first lithographs were monochromatic prints that used only black ink. Some artists make their own unique drawing liquid from combining wax and fatty acids (traditionally linseed oil), but others use commercially available tusche or lithographic crayons.
1. Offset Lithography
Offset lithography became a standard for commercial printing in the 20thcentury. It is a fast and inexpensive method of printing mass numbers of catalogs or advertisements. This is the most common form of lithography used in commercial art.
2. Transfer Lithography
Transfer lithographers draw their designs onto transfer paper instead of directly onto printing plates. This adds a step to the traditional process and allows for correcting mistakes or making changes more easily. Transfer paper is treated with a gelatin-based coating. When the artist dampens the design on transfer paper, he applies it to the stone or metal plate. This creates a mirror image of the design. Afterward, the lithographic process continues by treating the plate with water and then...
3. Photolithography
Outside the art world, photolithography is a common technology used in manufacturing, especially electronics. Photolithography, sometimes called optical lithography or UV lithography, uses light to transfer a graphic image. In the semiconductor industry, photolithography uses a three-step process (coat, develop, expose) to create patterns on silicon wafers that will become computer chips.
Learn how lithography is a printmaking process that uses a flat stone or metal plate and a chemical reaction to create an image. See examples of lithographs in the Museum's collection by artists such as Toulouse-Lautrec and Zanis.
a method of printing using a stone or metal block on which an image has been drawn with a substance that attracts ink: We provide our customers with a complete solution to their advanced lithography needs. lithographic. adjective. lithographic printing services.
lithography. noun. li· thog· ra· phy li-ˈthä-grə-fē. 1. : the process of printing from a plane surface (such as a smooth stone or metal plate) on which the image to be printed is ink-receptive and the blank area ink-repellent. 2. : the process of producing patterns on semiconductor crystals for use as integrated circuits.