Lithography is a printing method in which a print of a drawing on paper is obtained by transferring the ink layer under pressure from the printing form onto a paper medium. This printing method belongs to the most ancient art; it was invented in Munich in the 19th century. In fact, lithography is a technique based on the opposition of fat-containing substances and water. The basis for the printing plate is a specially treated stone with a smooth surface, consisting of homogeneous limestone. Before you create a drawing obtained by lithography, the following steps must be performed:
- on the polished surface of the stone, a drawing is applied by lithographic ink or a special pencil containing fat;
- the applied pattern is etched with a special mixture of nitric acid with dextrin;
- after etching, the surface of the stone is able to absorb moisture, while repelling printing ink with a high concentration of fat;
- in conclusion, the pattern is washed off with a special tincture containing a high concentration of solvents.
Lithography advantages
Thus, in order for the image to appear when this printing method was used, the physicochemical properties of the objects are used.
Lithography is often confused with engraving, but these are completely different drawing methods. Engraving is a print from specially prepared forms. Cutting a picture on a wooden blank is what engraving is; lithography does not require any preliminary efforts. As a result of a chemical reaction, a print appears on paper. The image thus obtained can be replicated many times. A drawing made by lithography may be the only one that is unique in its kind. In addition, lithography has undeniable advantages. Masters who repeatedly use the lithography method in their work, note that lithography is also a relatively cheap printing method. The following advantages are distinguished:
- in the process of making a picture, you can freely make corrections, change the plot of the picture, add new details;
- the stone form can be used repeatedly, after grinding it again;
- unlike engraving, the method allows you to make color drawings; for each color, the drawing is applied to a separate stone;
- the technique is characterized by comparative ease of execution.
Image print
In order for the image to be clear, with precise, not blurry edges, the lithographic stone must be firmly fixed on a special machine. Initially, the applied drawing is washed off, after which a special paint is applied to the pre-moistened base, which is made from drying oil. Porous printing paper is pressed tightly against a stone abundantly coated with printing ink, then rolled on top with a machine roller. The result is an image of a picture covered with monophonic paint.
What is oleography?
The technique of color printing by printing on stone is called oleography. The technology is not much different from conventional lithography; it represents exactly the same set of actions as flat printing. The prints on the paper of each of the colors are made in strict sequence from light tones to dark.
A separate lithographic stone is prepared for each color. Each color is printed alternately on one sheet of paper. In the printing workshops, the artist is responsible for the creation and drawing of the drawing on paper, the apprentice is engaged in processing stones.
Varieties of lithography
In the modern world, lithography is, rather, a technique for forming electronic circuits and images with nanometer resolution on special material.
There is optical, electronic and x-ray lithography. X-ray lithography is a modern technique in which a beam of
X-rays is passed through a special blank, which exposes the smallest details of the picture on a special substrate. Optical lithography is used when it becomes necessary to transfer an electronic circuit pattern from a special template to a semiconductor substrate.
Electronic lithography is a technique in which a focused electron beam highlights the necessary details of a circuit or pattern on a special photosensitive element.
What is autograph
Autograph is a modern printing technique in which the artist does not apply images to a lithographic stone, but to a special transfer paper. From this paper, the drawing is automatically transferred to the stone. Artists appreciated this method of lithography. The main advantages of autographs are the ability to sketch from nature. By applying the image through transfer paper, the artist gets the opportunity to make a clear image without the effect of mirroring.
Lithography in the modern world
In the last century, using lithography, paintings were made, black-and-white prints for sale were printed, and geographical maps were made. The technique of lithography printed illustrations in books and methodical collections.
Being a specific type of replicated graphics, lithography is widely used at present. This printing method, characterized by ease of execution, is used by modern artists to create black and white images. Graphic images are needed to illustrate methodological literature, special manuals, brochures, and magazines. However, to create lithography, printing paper is no longer needed. In the field of nanotechnology, modern varieties of graphics, electronic and optical lithography are widely involved. Projection lithography using laser radiation is widely used for the development of the latest optical technology in order to improve metrological equipment with its further introduction into production.