Lithography
/lɪˈθɒɡ.rə.fi/noun
A printing process that uses a flat stone or metal plate treated so that ink adheres only to the image areas.
Did you know?Lithography was invented in 1796 by Alois Senefelder, who discovered that grease and water repel each other so perfectly it became a revolutionary way to make images appear from stone.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*leih₃-
“to smear, anoint, or make smooth”
Ancient Greek
Greek
λίθος (líthos)
“stone”
Ancient Greek
Greek
-γραφία (-graphía)
“writing, drawing, or recording”
1796
German
Lithographie
“the new printing process developed on stone”
Early 19th Century
French/English
lithographie / lithography
“printing from a prepared stone surface”
Modern English
English
lithography
“a printing method using a flat stone or plate”
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