WEEK 5 TOPIC Lithographic Printing It involves printing

WEEK 5 TOPIC: Lithographic Printing It involves printing from a smooth surface of a metal plate that has been treated with a device that produces beam and appropriate chemicals in the darkroom in such that the ink used sticks to the design being printed.

Concept of Lithographic Printing Also known as lithograph or offset printing, the process has been around for centuries, and despite modern advancements in the industry such as digital print technologies, lithograph still remains a popular choice for producing high quality, high volume prints

How Lithography Works As started earlier, it involves the creation of printing plates that are treated in such a way that, when ink is applied the wet non-image areas repel the oil-based inks, adhering only to the images to be printed.

Using the Ink The ink is then transferred onto a rubber blanket which is then pressed onto the paper or other substrate as it is pulled through the machine.

Also Called Artists’ Press Lithography also refers to lithograph print that is made from an image that has been applied to a flat surface. It is a method of printing based on the principle that oil and water do not mix.

How Printing is done from a stone (lithographic limestone) or a metal plate with a grained surface, using oil-based inks.

How the Artist Works The artist works on a separate stone or plate for each colour (CYMK). Traditionally this flat surface was a specially prepared limestone, but today grained aluminum printing plates and the original stones are used.

How the Image is Drawn An image is drawn, painted or photographically applied on the stone or plate using a greasy medium. The image will repel water and accept ink. The inks are oil based and should be lightfast

Placing the Plate The plate is placed on a special press and it is then rolled up with either leather or rubber rollers. Paper is then placed on the print and it is run through the press by hand.

Run One Colour at a Time Like many other printing processes one colour at a time is printed. Usually one colour is printed per day. So, a print that is built up of ten colours would take the master printer ten days to print.

A Versatile Printing Technique Lithography is a very versatile printing technique and artists can get the medium to suit the needs of their particular style. It can be subtle with many layers of washes or it can look like a pencil with strong lines that pick up the texture of the drawing tool and the ‘tooth’ of the plate.

Using Flat Colours It can have large areas of flat colour or else areas can be ‘scratched’ into. With a skilled master printer to guide the artist almost any effect is possible. The chemicals used in processing are relatively harmless and pose no threat to the artist.

Buying print When buying prints one should be aware that dealers and artists often refer to prints as original lithographs when they are in fact reproductions of artworks that are printed in the same way that posters, newspapers and magazines are printed.

Buying from unknown Person When buying prints from unknown person it is good to demand for a copy of the documentation sheet that will provide information needed to assure the integrity of the print. If this is not provided don’t buy the print.

Benefits of lithographic printing Most cost effective printing process for large print runs: unit cost goes down as quantity goes up. Flexible in terms of paper stock, sizes and textures. Allows the widest range of colour reproduction. Unrivalled image quality.

Image Transfer It operates a photomechanical process involving the transfer of images.

The Speed Range Its speed is high and it is relatively cheap to set up.

Cost Effective It is cost effective and the quality of work produced is good.

GUIDING QUESTIONS FOR THE WEEK

READING