Lithography: A Beginner’s Guide to This Classic Printmaking Art

Lithography is one of the most fascinating and historic printmaking techniques. Developed in the late 18th century, it was once the medium of choice for artists like Toulouse-Lautrec, Picasso, and Käthe Kollwitz. Today, it remains a powerful way to create rich, textured prints with endless creative possibilities. If you’re curious about getting started, here’s what you need to know.

What is Lithography?

At its core, lithography works on the principle that oil and water don’t mix. Traditionally, artists draw directly onto a flat stone or metal plate with a greasy medium. The surface is then treated chemically so that the drawn areas attract ink while the blank areas repel it. When dampened, the plate or stone can be rolled with ink and pressed to paper, producing beautiful, repeatable images.

What You’ll Need to Begin

Lithography does require some specialised tools and materials. If you’re new, it’s worth joining a community print studio where the heavy equipment is already available. Basic essentials include:

  • Lithographic stones or aluminum plates (stones are traditional, plates are more accessible)
  • Grease-based drawing materials (litho crayons, tusche, or greasy pencils)
  • Etching and processing chemicals (often gum arabic and nitric acid in small amounts)
  • A litho press (to transfer the image cleanly onto paper)
  • High-quality paper and inks

The Process in Simple Steps

  1. Prepare the surface – Grind and smooth the stone or plate.
  2. Draw your image – Use greasy crayons, ink washes, or tusche to make your design.
  3. Process the surface – Apply a chemical solution to fix the drawing and make the surface ink-receptive only where intended.
  4. Dampen and ink – Wet the stone, roll on ink, and watch as the drawn areas take it up while the blank areas stay clean.
  5. Print – Place dampened paper on top and run it through the press.

That is the basic process and there are many ways to use a lithographic stone with various mediums. 

It is a bit time consuming. However once you learn the technique it is a wonderful means of reproducing original prints much faster than etching with the advantage that every print will be the same. 

You might get hooked, like I did!


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This is a combination lithograph and etching. The small image in the middle is an etching and the large surround is a two colour lithograph. 


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