What is Lithography?
Lithography (German: Lithografie, often shortened to litho) is an early printing technique and a key milestone in print history. The word comes from Greek and roughly means “stone writing.” In classical lithography, images or text are drawn on a prepared stone and then printed using the principle that oil and water repel each other.
Lithography is one of the foundational print processes. Even though the classic “stone printing” method is used far less today, the term still appears frequently in print and media production.
In modern day-to-day language, “litho” is also used to refer to prepress work – i.e., the preparation steps before a print form is produced.
How lithography works
Traditional lithography is a planographic process (flat printing): the printing and non-printing areas are on the same level. At a high level, the process looks like this:
- A prepared stone plate is used as the printing surface.
- The motif is applied with greasy (oil-based) crayon or ink.
- An etching solution affects the non-image areas.
- During inking, the non-image areas repel ink, while the drawn areas accept ink.
- Paper is pressed onto the inked surface so the image transfers to the substrate.
From lithography to offset printing
Lithography is considered a predecessor of offset printing. In offset, the ink is transferred from the printing plate to a rubber blanket first. This made printing on rough or uneven surfaces easier because the rubber blanket adapts to the substrate.
“Litho” in modern production: what people often mean
In the print industry, “litho” is frequently used as shorthand for prepress / reproduction work, such as:
- selecting image crops
- retouching
- correcting color
- preparing print-ready separations and files
- This is why the term is often used alongside repro or final artwork.
FAQ about Lithography
Is lithography the same as offset printing?
Not exactly. Lithography is the historical foundation; offset is a later development that transfers ink via a rubber blanket.
Why is lithography called “stone writing”?
Because the classic process uses a stone plate as the printing surface and the motif is drawn onto it.
What does “litho” mean in modern print production?
Often, it’s shorthand for prepress/repro tasks like retouching and print file preparation.
Is lithography still used today?
Traditional stone lithography exists (e.g., in art printing), but in commercial production the term is more often used in the context of prepress.
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