Encyclopedia

lithography

lithography (lithog'rufē) [key], type of planographic or surface printing. It is distinguished from letterpress (relief) printing and from intaglio printing (in which the design is cut or etched into the plate). Lithography is used both as an art process and as a commercial printing process. In commercial printing the term is used synonymously with offset printing.

Sections in this article:

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

More on lithography from Fact Monster:

See more Encyclopedia articles on: Art: General
© 2000–2008 Pearson Education, publishing as Fact Monster