What are the differences between Offset and Lithography printing?
Lithography was the first fundamentally new printing technology since the invention of relief printing in the fifteenth century. Lithography is based on the chemical repellence of oil and water. Designs are usually drawn with crayons on specially prepared limestone. The stone is moistened with water, which the stone accepts in areas not covered by the crayon. An oily ink, applied with a roller, adheres only to the drawing and is repelled by the wet parts of the stone. The print is then made by pressing paper against the inked drawing. The brightness of colors in lithograhy contributes to the uniqueness of most original vintage posters. Offset printing is more recent printing technique where the inked image is transferred (or “offset”) from a plate to a rubber blanket, then to the printing surface. This method is consistent with high image quality, producing sharp and clean images.
