posted on May 27, 2001 08:13:37 PM
Lithographs
There are two types of lithographs. One in an original lithograph that is a true original art print and the other is an offset lithograph that is a photochemical reproduction of an original painting. Most of the limited-edition prints today are created by the offset lithograph process. In the lithograph process a photograph is taken of an original painting. Then it is reproduced with an offset lithogrph printing press which uses normally only four colors. These four colors are blended together to give the appearance of many colors. In today's high tech printing, expensive presses can get very close to the original colors in a painting by using only four colors.
posted on May 28, 2001 06:39:18 AM
Looks like the glass is broken.
A lithograph is pulled from a stone. The process was discovered by accident in 1796 by Aloys Senefelder (Bavaria). Each color must be separately printed from a stone (or zinc) plate, and each plate must be wet down and inked each time for each print.
A print is made in one pass of the press. It is a mass-production process.
posted on May 28, 2001 09:25:24 AM
Look at the picture with a loop or magnifying glass. If you see tiny dots it *not* a lithograph. It is a print that was done on an offset press. Some people use the term "lithographic print" or lithographic offset" but it is still a print and not a true lithograph.
I grant you, it's confusing. Lithography is only one of many methods of making a print. A lithograph IS a print...but, not all prints are lithographs. Prints can be: woodcuts, engravings, etchings, lithgraphs...on and on.
A basic definition (from American Heritage) is:
print: "A design or picture transferred from an engraved plate, wood block, lithographic stone, or other medium."
You would be safest just to call your piece a print. I have several books on the subject, and often have a tough time with identification.
Lithographs look kind of grainy under a glass...as opposed to fine lines or dots. Does your print say anything (in fine print) at the bottom margin? Look with a magnifying glass, they may actually TELL you what the process is...
posted on May 28, 2001 10:00:22 AM
A print is done with a screen there for it is made up of tiny pixels looks the same as a picture or part of the picture being printed the look is the sameas in most news papers the little screen squares can be large or fine size of screen used the process can sue one or more screens depending on the number of color in the print.
Today it more well know as slik screening and the screens are so fine you cant usually see the screen marks
A litho on the Other hand is made usually from a hand carved plate or series of plates today most litho plates are made from Tile or pressed in a rubber mats the number of mats needed again depends on the number of colors in the picture.
Today Prints can be done on machines that can run all the color passes at once.
Litho usualy is a longer process requireing the plate to be change for every pass or haveing a number of machines all printing the different colors.
Both these Processes use to take days, weeks, even months to complete as you would have to wait for each color pass to dry over time or in a oven today the paints used are made ultravoilet light (Radation) senstive each color is printed and moved under a large black light which causes the paint to recact and dry instatantly.
on the edge of some lithos that have not been trimed you will see small colored square that match each color used in the litho registration marks used to line up the different passes so the next pass goes right place.
On print the reg mark thiner lines resembleing about the size of a UPC bar code you may or may not fine these depending on if the picture edges were trimed after they were made.
more then likely more information then anyone wanted but there is the differents.
