Lithograph

A printmaking process in which a drawing is made on stone or on a metal plate (chemically treated to resemble the Bavarian limestone surface) with a greasy material. The surface is prepared so that the image takes the ink, while the non-image areas repel it. The inked image is transferred to paper by pressure using a lithographic press. A separate plate is required for each colour in a lithograph. For example, a six-colour lithograph would require six separately drawn plates; each print would be run through the press six times.