An counterbalance lithograph is a print trumped-up by the manner of counterbalance lithography. The word indemnify indicates that the print is not specious directly from printing plates, instead the angel is transfered to another surface and from that surface to the paper. This modus operandi is most recurrently used for commercial printing, seldom for pleasant Craft. High-volume printing such as newspapers, magazines and advertising are most often counteract lithographs.
History
The antecedent admitted countervail printing was an fortuitous discovery. In 1903, Ira Washington Rubel noticed that the idea he got when an dead ringer accidentally transfered from the stone printing cylinder to the rubber conception plate was clearer than the genuine carved figure. The soft rubber gave a cleaner, clearer equal than the compressed stone plate when it was transfered to paper. He used this confidence to invent a virgin type of printing press. Approximately the equivalent generation, Charles and Albert Harris false a analogous discovery and produced their own narration of the countervail press. The press fictional by the Harris Automatic Press Co. had a metal plate and a "blanket cylinder." This arrangement allowed for the benefit of paper from extensive rolls. By the 1950s counteract lithography was the most everyday construction of printing and yet is, with the Appendix of some digital pre-press innovations.
Advantages
Indemnify lithographs corner a consistently high-image aspect. Owing to the rubber "blanket" is slightly Supple, it conforms to the texture of the surface growth printed on and since produces sharp, Disinfected images. It is besides quicker and easier to cause the printing plates, and the plates last longer because they only come in contact with the printing blanket, which is softer and less abrasive than paper. Offset lithography is also the cheapest way to produce high-quality images in large quantities.
Disadvantages
The process is not practical for small quantities because of the cost of producing the plates.First an image is created or transferred photographically or digitally onto a thin printing plate made of metal or plastic. In offset lithography the image on the printing plate is not raised or recessed as it is in letterpress or engraving. Oil-based ink is applied to the printing plate and only adheres to the image areas of the surface. The inked image is then transferred by pressure to the rubber blanket cylinder and from there it is printed on the paper.
Lithographs in Art
The image quality, while excellent for commercial purposes, is not as good as that of rotogravure or photogravure printing. Those are more likely to be used for fine art images. The anodized aluminum used in the plates can become chemically sensitive over time and produce ghost images in non-printed areas.
Process
Art lithographs are a different and multi-step process. They also use oil-based inks, but each color is applied separately, by hand, and so an individual lithograph print takes months to produce. Offset lithographs of art are printed reproductions and thus are not original works of art. To see the difference between original hand-drawn lithographs and offset lithographs, use a magnifying glass. In an offset lithograph image you will see that the color is made up of lots of dots. On original lithographs, you will see a solid color.
