Lithography is a printing method in which an imprint of a pattern on paper is obtained by transferring an ink layer under pressure from a printing plate onto paper. This method of printing belongs to the most ancient art, it was invented in the 19th century in Munich. 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 processed stone with a smooth surface, consisting of a homogeneous limestone. Before a drawing obtained by lithography is created, the following steps must be performed:
- a pattern is applied to the polished surface of the stone with lithographic ink or a special pencil containing fat;
- the applied pattern is etched with a special mixture of nitric acid and 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 drawing is washed off with a special tincture containing a high concentration of solvents.
The advantages of lithography
Thus, in order for the image to appear when this method was usedprinting, physical and chemical properties of objects are used.
Lithography is often confused with engraving, but these are completely different methods of drawing. The engraving is a print from specially prepared forms. Carving a design on a piece of wood is what engraving is, lithography requires no prior effort. As a result of a chemical reaction, a pattern appears on paper using the imprint method. The resulting image can be replicated many times. A drawing made by lithography can be the only one of 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. Its following advantages are distinguished:
- in the process of making a drawing, you can freely make corrections, change the plot of the drawing, add new details;
- the stone mold can be reused 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 relatively easy to perform.
Print image
In order for the image to be clear, with precise, not blurry edges, the lithographic stone must be securely fixed on a special machine. The initially applied pattern is washed off, after which it is pre-moistenedthe base is applied with a special paint, which is made from drying oil. The porous printing paper is pressed tightly against a stone richly covered with printing ink, then rolled from above by a machine roller. The result is an image of a drawing covered with plain paint.
What is oleography
The method of color printing by imprinting on a stone is called oleography. The technology is not much different from conventional lithography, it is exactly the same set of actions as flat printing. Prints on paper of each color 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 printing workshops, an artist is responsible for creating and applying a drawing to paper, an 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 a 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 pattern onto a special substrate. Optical lithography is used when it becomes necessary to transfer an electronic circuit design from a special template onto a substrate made ofsemiconductor.
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 autography
Autography is a modern printing technique in which the artist applies images not 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 advantage of autography is the possibility of sketching from nature. By applying the image through transfer paper, the artist gets the opportunity to make a clear image without the effect of specularity.
Lithography in the modern world
In the last century, lithography was used to make paintings, print black-and-white prints for sale, and make geographical maps. The lithography technique was used to print illustrations in books and methodological collections.
Being a specific type of replicated graphics, lithography is widely used today. This printing method, which is easy to perform, is used by modern artists to create black and white images. Graphic images are necessary for illustrating methodological literature, special manuals, brochures and magazines. However, printing paper is no longer needed to create a lithograph. In the field of nanotechnology, modern varieties of graphics, electronic and optical lithography are widely used. ProjectionLithography using laser radiation is widely used to develop the latest optical technology in order to improve metrological equipment with its further introduction into production.
