What is a Lithograph Print?
A fine art lithograph print is more affordable then a Giclee, but is still of very high quality. Traditional Offset Printing is used to make our lithographs. Our lithograph prints are printed on a Heidelberg printing press. This is not a Giclee or digital print, but a true offset reproduction printed on high quality archival paper. We also use high quality fade resistant inks.
Offset press lithography uses a similar tactic as original hand lithography based on oil-and-water repulsion; however, with an offset press, the ink is transferred first to a rubber blanket and then directly applied to either stone or paper. Traditional Offset Printing
resolution and quality is measured in lines per inch (LPI), known as halftone screen. This is the number of lines of dots in one inch, measured parallel with the screen's angle. Known as the screen ruling, the higher the pixel resolution of a source file, the greater the detail that can be reproduced. This important measurement related to the way printers reproduce photographic images also defines the necessary resolution of an image. The LPI is dependent on the output device and the type of paper.
Screen printing (t-shirts, etc…) is done at 45-65 LPI
Laser printer print at (600dpi) 85-105 LPI
Offset press (newsprint paper) print at 85 LPI
Offset press (magazines and most posters) print at 133 LPI
Offset press (fine art books) print at 150 LPI
Offset press (fine art lithograph) print at 175-185 LPI