1. The lithography is made on a prepared (polished) flat limestone.

2. The lithography also can be made on a zinc plate. It is easier to handle and the result is the same.

3. The materials that are needed for drawing on the surface are lithographic (greasy) ink and crayon.

4. Ink is used for flat color areas. The crayon is used to achieve all different shades, from a soft trace to flat color too.

5. Once the drawing is finished, the surface is moistened with water, which the stone or plate accepts in areas not covered by it.

6. An oily (greasy) ink, applied with a roller, adheres only to the drawing and is repelled by the wet parts of the stone.

7. The print is then made by pressing paper against the inked drawing using another roller.

8. The result is a print, in fact a monochromatic lithograph, that is an exact copy of the original drawing, but in the hue we chose on step 6. For color lithography separate drawings are made for each color.

When working on a metal surface instead of stone, we can use a machine that automates part of the process. A roller covered with wool and fully soaked with water (1), rolls over the surface (2) and moistens it - except the drawing, which does not absorb the water. Next, a second roller (3) dyes the whole surface with an oily ink, but it sticks to the drawing only - because the rest of the surface is wet and ink cannot stick to it.

Then, the group of cylinders rolls back and the bigger one (4), which is covered with rubber and placed in between the two mentioned before, press the surface (2), gets the ink stuck to the drawing like a stamp, and places it over the sheet of paper (5).

9. The first step to create a lithography is to reproduce the outlines of the original artwork on tracing paper.

10. Once this is made, we have to transfer this pattern on a plate called 'mother' - and from it, to so many plates as different colors we will use.

11. The mother plate is obtained by placing a greasy graphite paper in between the tracing paper and the plate, and tracing all outlines with a pen.

12. In color lithographs, therefore of several plates, it is needed to make two marks, one on top and another on bottom, of pattern. This way, all plates will coincide one with each other.

13. With a printed proof of the first color or plate (A), and the original painting to be reproduced in front of us, we proceed to the making of the second plate (B). We calculate approximately which will be the result of superimposing this second color to the first (A+B), for colors (inks) are transparent.

14. Once the second plate (B) is finished, we repeat the process again, and we print a third color (C) on the A+B proof.

15. We keep repeating this process so many times as different colors, or plates, we are going to use. In this case we will use seven plates. The number of colors that may be used in a lithography has no limit.

16. When the last color is made, we take notes of all corrections that are needed for final printing, such as brightness of colors or scrapping areas of drawing off. Then a new proof is made, and if pleased with result, we write  “Bon à tirer” (Fine for Printing) and sign. This means that the author has approved proceeding to the printing of the whole edition.

17. The printing is made by hand: placing and removing the paper one by one, moistening the surface, adding the oily ink to the roller regularly...

18. We check all the prints. Next, all the plates are destroyed.

19. We give a number to every print and sign it. The job is done.

20. The numbering: 

-         1/75 means that it is the print number one from an edition of 75 prints.

-         A.P, P.A. ó E.A. 'Arists Proof', 'Prueba de artista' ó “Epreuve d’Artiste”. It is about a 10% of the whole edition and are the prints that the artist holds for his personal use.

-         H.C. “Hors Commerce”. This term is applied to the few prints that are used as samples and are not intended for trading. They have no commercial value.

 -      E.C. 'Ejemplar de colaborador' (in Spanish literally means 'Print for Collaborator'). These are the prints for the workshop employees. The artists use to dedicate them.

(Text & Images©Arnau Alemany)