Lithography Terms

Artist’s Proof (A/P)

a print of comparable quality to those in the edition but reserved separately from the edition. printing a number of A/P’s that is more than 20% of the edition number is generally considered bad practice because it gives a false sense of rarity.

Asphaltum

a tar product used as an inking base in lithography

Autographic Ink

a grease tusche used to create solids or precise lines with a brush or pen and nib

Bleed Print

Image that extends beyond one or more edges of the paper

Body

a general term for the consistency of ink, referring to its length, tack, and viscosity

Bon a Tirer (BAT)

print used as a guide by the printer for an edition. All prints are compared to it for excellence (french ‘good to pull’)

Brayer

small hand roller with one handle used to spread a film of ink over a surface

Buff

using cheesecloth in a circular motion, to rub the gum or asphaltum layer into a tight, dry, and streak-less film.

calendar

to stretch or flatten paper by running it through the press under moderate pressure before printing it. the process also smooths out the paper’s texture

cancellation proof

the last print pulled after the edition has been printed and after the surface of the plate has been deliberately marred - this print shows that the plate was destroyed

charge

to add ink to a roller

cheesecloth

woven cloth used to buff gum arabic into a tight film on the surface of the stone or plate

chine colle

a french term describing a collage element, usually made of thin Oriental paper that is adhered to a larger sheet of paper. the thin Oriental paper ay be printed either before or after it is attached to the lager sheet of paper

chop mark

embossed design, usually of a printer, publisher, artist, or collector, placed on the edge of a print

CMYK

the primary subtractive colors used for commercial printing: C=cyan; M=magenta; Y=yellow; and K=black

color separation

production of a different plate or stone for each color to be printed

color trial proof (CTP)

a trial proof in which the difference is in the color chosen or the way the matrix is inked

counter etch

a solution of acid and water that is applied to a matrix after it has been etched to dissolve the absorbed gum film, making the area grease receptive so that new drawing material can be added

dry roll

to roll ink on an element without the presence of water, causing ink to stick in the negative areas as well as in the positive

Edition (Ed.)

a limited set of identical prints taken from a worked plated in its final state. each print is individually and consecutively numbered; the number also shows the total number of prints in the edition, so that 10/75 is the tenth out of seventy five prints

Effervesce

bubbling action that the acid causes when contracting the calcium carbonate in the limestone

etch

a gum arabic and acid solution which is applied to a drawing on a stone or plate; desensitizes the negative areas to grease so they will attract water and repel greasy ink during printing

flat

a solid area of color

flocculation

the tendency of certain inks to take on an absorbed water film which causes them to become ‘water logged’ and ultimately reduces their tack

glassine

thin, archival, non absorbent paper used as a slip sheet between proofs for long term storage

gum arabic

a natural gum derived from the sap of acacia trees, used to create a protective layer on the printing surface that ensures ink only adheres to the designated image areas by repelling grease in non image areas (absorbed gum layer)

Hydrophilic

water loving or water attracting. Hydrophilic surfaces on the matrix attract moisture and repel greasy ink

Hydrophobic

water fearing or water repelling. the positive (greasy) part of an image

impression

an individual print within an edition. in fine art lithography, this term is preferred over ‘copy’ which is generally used in reference to a reproduction

key image

the matrix that has the most detailed information on it. it is often drawn first so that it may be used to register additional colors

levigator

a heavy, metal disc with an off center handle used for graining stones

length

the measure of the distance an ink will stretch before it breaks

lithotine

a solvent used to washout drawing materials or ink from an image on an etched stone

long ink (soft ink)

ink that pulls into long strings when mixed. add mag to shorten

magnesium carbonate

the substance used principally to stiffen ink. among printers, it is commonly called "‘mag’

matrix

the plate, block, screen, stone, or other surface that carries the information (design) for the print

mineral spirits

a petroleum distillate used to clean ink, ground or other petroleum based materials

modifier

any substance or material which when added to another substance or material, changes the physical properties and performance of that material

monoprint

unique, 1/1, one of a kind print pulled from a stable matrix but are not printed in an edition, in contrast to a monotype, where the surface is unworked

Mylar

a clear plastic sheet primarily used to print key impression for registration purposes

newsprint

cheap paper made from ground wood pulp. bleached with sulfuric acid so product is not archival

Nitric Acid

(HNO3) - a key component of the etching solution, creating a chemical reaction that binds the greasy drawing materials to the stone’s surface, allowing the image areas to attract ink while the ‘negative’ areas repel it

Oleo Manganate of Lime

the chemical process of the combined grease, acid and limestone which serves as the stone’s memory of the drawing, so that during processing, the image is always there though not always visible

pass

an application of ink transferred from the roller to the printing matrix

Phosphoric acid

(H3PO4) - used as an etching agent in TAPEM on aluminum lithographic plates by chemically treating the surface to make the drawn areas grease-receptive while the ‘negative’ areas remain water receptive

Planographic

prints taken from an absolutely flat surface

plate base

a thick composite plastic or aluminum base used to support the plate during printing

proof

an impression taken to gauge progress of printing quality

proof paper

usually a commercial cover weight stock wood pulp paper that has a lot of glue and binder to hold the very short fibers together - this paper is for the purpose of making ‘proof’ prints of the image so further work can take place. proof paper is not a substitute for printing on rag paper

registration (t bar)

marks on the edges of the printing paper to align paper to corresponding marks on the matrix or registration guide

registration (pins)

small pins taped to the back of the matrix. they fix into holes punched in a plate, Mylar or paper and are used facilitate precise alignment

restrike

print pulled from a stone, plate or block after the edition has been completed; may occur years later when the plate has passed into the possession of someone other than the artist

roller

a cylindrical tool with two handles and a leather or synthetic surface for depositing a thin layer of ink onto the matrix

roll up

the process after the asphaltum stage when ink is added to the matrix

rosin

a distillate of turpentine, in powder form, is used as an acid resist, essentially protecting the greasy image drawn on the printing surface from being eroded by the etching solution

roulette

intaglio tools with lines, dots or irregular patterns on a wheel which can be used directly on the surface of stone for reductive purposes

scraper bar

removable part of the press that applies pressure through the tympan and paper on the inked surface on the matrix

scumming

the adherence of ink particles to nonimage areas of the matrix

shop mix (black)

a medium bodied all purpose ink made by graphic chemical

short ink (stiff ink)

ink that is tacky and breaks when pulled on during mixing. add varnish to lengthen

size/sizing

glutinous material made of flour, varnish, glue, or resin that is used to fill the pores of paper

slip sheet

tissue paper or newsprint placed between the print and drywall to keep the wet ink on the print from offsetting onto the drywall. it is removed when the print is dry

snakeslip (hone)

known s a hone, an abrasive “eraser” used to remove unwanted areas of image. the grain will be damaged in these areas. new drawings added to these areas difficult to control

snap off

to briskly pass an inked roller over a matrix to pickup ink that remains in the non-image areas

state proof

print pulled from a matrix still being developed often with significant change, in order to see what is actually in the plate/stone at any one stage. these impressions are known as ‘1st state’, ‘2nd state’, etc

solvent

a liquid that dissolves a substance such as ink, grease crayon, tusche or grounds

tack

the stickiness of the ink

Talc

also known as french chalk talcum, helps gum arabic and TAPEM etchant chemicals lie more closely to the grease information which composes the lithographic drawing

TAPEM (tannic Aid Plate Etch)

a gum arabic solution (plate Gum C) that is used when processing an aluminum lithographic plate. Ph range 2.2-2.6

Tint Base

an additive that is used to make inks more transparent

trial proof (TP)

a proof to test color, paper, or registration

Tusche

lithographic drawing ink used with a brush to create distinctive marks. it is available in paste, stick or liquid form and can be dissolved in either water or solvent to create a wide range of values and texture

Tympan

a sheet of plastic that covers the paper and the matrix when they run through the press; it protects the matrix and helps it travel smoothly

Viscosity

the degree of the ink’s resistance to flow

wash out

the application of lithotine or mineral spirits through a dry gum film to remove ink or drawing material

water marks

designs put on paper when its molded in order to identify the maker

wet wash

a shortcut method of changing ink on a matrix without using a gum film