Today, lithographic printing can be carried out on high-tech machines.
Lithography was invented in Germany by a writer, Alois Senefelder, in 1798. He wanted a cheaper way of printing his books. Instead of using ink on a raised surface (like letterpress and woodcarving) or running ink in channels (as in intaglio) lithography makes use of simple chemistry acting on a flat surface. Grease repels water, so he applied a greasy substance which would retain a layer of ink, which was also greasy. The surrounding, clear area he covered with water and nitric acid, which repelled the ink. Originally, limestone was used (litho is Greek for stone). Lithography provides clear definition of inked areas with less effort than molding or carving raised areas.
About the Process
The separation of hydrophobic (water repelling) areas and hydrophillic (water attracting ones) is the basis of the lithography process, and technical developments during the 19th century led to its widespread use in book, newspaper and poster production as well as fine art printing. Nowadays, apart from a few specialist small scale printers that still use stone, the majority of lithographs are produced by computers. But the chemical separation of inked and non-inked areas is maintained.
The image is often produced as a negative, then the inked image is transferred onto a roller that squeezes out the water allowing a dry final image to be transferred to paper. This is called offset printing.
Early Artists Using Lithography
Artists quickly recognized two important advantages offered by lithography: they could produce a large number of copies that maintained the quality of the original, and the artist could have a large element of control over the creation of the image. When satisfied with the initial run off, the artist would sign them "bon a tirer" (good to pull through) and the production run would commence. The leading Spanish artist of the period, Francisco de Goya, made his last series of prints, The Bulls of Bourdeaux (1828), as lithographs. The two leading French Romantic artists, Eugene Delacroix and Theodore Gericault, both appreciated the dramatic effects of shading that the process provided and produced works in the medium, as did Honore Daumier a generation later.
Lithography in the Later 19th Century
After initial enthusiasm had waned in the middle of the 19th century further interest was renewed towards the end of the century when technical advances, particularly color processing, had occurred. These developments were thanks to the popularity of the method for producing mass publications. By 1890, the problems of registration had been solved allowing for large areas of different colors to be accurately placed over a series of "pulls" as only one color could be applied at a time. The new possibilities can be seen in the eye-catching posters done by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. But, at the other end of the expressive spectrum, a new and finely tuned subtlety attracted J.A.M.Whistler to explore grades of shading to evoke seascapes in mist and Edgar Degas selected the medium to investigate effects created by natural and artificial light at night.
20th Century
French and American artists have used lithography probably more than other countries, but the method is used elsewhere. One reason for the popularity in France was the existence of specialist printers such as the Atelier Mourlet who could work closely with artists such as Matisse, Miro, Picasso and Chagall. With the Atelier Mourlot, founded as a wallpaper manufacturer, these artists could create original artworks that would be executed in small editions by master craftsmen.
