Kivipainosta

Kivipainosta, also known as lithography, is a planographic printing process that utilizes the immiscibility of oil and water. The principle behind lithography is that water and oil do not mix. In this technique, a design is drawn or etched onto a smooth, flat surface, typically a limestone slab. The drawing is made using a greasy or oily substance, such as a special crayon or ink.

Once the design is complete, the surface is dampened with water. The areas drawn with the greasy substance repel the water, while the porous stone absorbs it. Subsequently, an oil-based ink is rolled onto the surface. The ink adheres only to the greasy areas where the design was made, and is repelled by the damp, non-drawn areas.

Paper is then placed on the inked stone, and pressure is applied, transferring the ink from the drawn areas onto the paper, thus creating a print. The beauty of lithography lies in its ability to produce fine detail and a wide range of tonal values, making it suitable for both text and images. Historically, it was a significant medium for artistic reproduction and commercial printing. Modern lithography, often referred to as offset lithography, uses metal plates instead of stone and is a dominant method in commercial printing today, although the fundamental principle of oil and water repulsion remains the same.