What is an offset lithographic reproduction?
A lithograph is created by using a printing technique based on the principle that oil and water do not mix. Using an oil-based ink or grease crayon, an image is drawn on a flat stone or metal plate. Water is applied to the surface and is repelled by the area where oil-based images have been drawn. The entire surface is then coated with an oil-based ink that adheres only to the areas drawn in oil, ink or crayon. The image is then printed on paper. Lithography became a popular printing technique because thousands of exact replicas could be made that were like drawings on paper, without degradation of the image. An offset lithograph is an industrial version of the same printing technique as lithography. By using modern printing presses, high quality reproductions are produced faster and in higher volumes than with manually-produced lithographs.
