litografisia

Litografisia is a term used in some languages to denote lithography and lithographic works. It encompasses both the technical process of lithography and the resulting prints, as well as the broader practice of creating and reproducing images by this method.

Lithography was invented in 1796 by Alois Senefelder in Bavaria and quickly became a influential method for fine art printing and illustration. The process is planographic: the image area is made hydrophobic and ink-receptive, while the non-image areas hold water and repel ink. Traditionally, an image was drawn on a flat stone (often limestone) with a greasy crayon or ink. The surface was then treated so that the drawing would attract ink while the rest of the surface would resist it. When pressed against damp paper in a printing press, the inked image transferred to the paper.

Over time, stone was largely replaced by metal plates (notably aluminum) and by processes such as offset lithography, which uses a separate rubber blanket to transfer the image. Lithography enabled high-detail drawings and a relatively economical means of producing multiple copies, contributing significantly to art reproduction, illustration, and publishing through the 19th and 20th centuries.

In contemporary practice, litografisia also covers modern variants and workflows, including artist-driven lithography on metal or synthetic matrices, chromolithography, and digital-to-lithography processes used in commercial printing. Fine art lithography often emphasizes manual drawing, selective hand-printing, and careful control of ink, tone, and texture to preserve artistic nuance. Preservation considerations focus on protecting the matrix (stone or plate), ink layers, and the paper from environmental factors such as humidity and light.