Lithography/Offset?
Out of context: Reply #2
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- MrNibs0
Agreed. Google is quite useful for finding answers... and porn.
For kicks I will attempt to explain while horribly plagiarizing the interweb. Do correct me if I'm missing something.
Lithography is a process of creating an image without raised or engraved surfaces like letterpress or rotogravure. The image, both negative and positive, exist on the same plain and use a chemical process that allows ink to adhere to only the parts of the surface to be reproduced.
Offset printing just refers to the plate transferring the artwork to an intermediate surface (a rubber blanket) before making the final impression on the paper.
They are often referred to as one in the same because essentially an offset press uses a lithographic process to produce the image. However, the lithographic process does not require an offset press to produce the image and can be directly transferred to a paper surface.
In short, one is a process for producing a plate and the other is a technique for transferring the artwork from the plate.
- It's all based on the fact that oil and water don't mix. The image is placed on the stone (litho) in oil and then wetted...********
- ...the oil-based ink is rolled over and only sticks to the oil on the stone, not the wet parts.********
- The image is then transferred either directly to the paper, or offset on a blanket (offset) and then to paper.********
- awesome
JulienDonkeyBoy
- It's all based on the fact that oil and water don't mix. The image is placed on the stone (litho) in oil and then wetted...