The Printmaking Process
Lithography
Literally, “stone writing,” lithography is a method of printmaking developed in 1796 by Aloys Senefelder, a German actor and playwright. It involves drawing with an oil-based crayon or ink on a flat smooth surface, originally limestone, and more recently aluminum or zinc plates. Once chemically prepared, the stone is moistened, then inked. The ink is repelled by the water and adheres only to the areas of the original drawing.
Engraving
Whereas lithography is planographic (printing on a flat surface), engraving is intaglio (using an incised surface). In engraving, the design is cut into a metal plate (often copper, or more recently zinc) with a tool called a burin. When ready to print, the plate is inked and then wiped, leaving ink only in the incisions. Engraving offers the ability to create intricate and detailed line drawings, which lends itself well to botanical illustration.
Copperplate Engraving
The Metropolitan Museum of Art provides a simple, visual guide to the process of engraving and the materials required.
Pressure + Ink: Lithography Process
From the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
