Lithography often refers to commercial printing methods used for books, posters, and packaging.

Modern Printing

In professional contexts, lithography can imply technical aspects of printing processes.

Technical Jargon

Lithography isn't limited to stone; it can use metal, plastic, or other materials as printing surfaces.

Variety of Materials

Lithography in the art world can imply a hands-on, crafted approach to printmaking.

Artistic Technique

Lithography has a rich history in art, providing insight into traditional printmaking methods.

Historical Context

In art, lithography allows for unique textures that differentiate it from other print forms.

Texture and Detail

Lithography can signal advanced technology, especially in electronics and chip manufacturing.

High-tech Industry

Microfabrication lithography involves creating extremely precise and often microscopic patterns.

Precise Patterning

Learning lithography for microfabrication requires an understanding of chemistry and physics.

Specialized Skill

 Think about inkjet printing where you lay down ink on a page to make letters, and then do that over and over again to build up a three-dimensional object. In microelectronics, they use something called lithography to do the same sort of thing, to make the transistors and integrated circuits and build up a structure several times.

What if 3D printing was...

 This amazing advance in storage capacity wasn't just a matter of making everything smaller, but involved multiple innovations. A technique called the thin film lithography process allowed engineers to shrink the reader and writer.