Lithography, lithographic printing, or litho is a printing method that is used for high quality, photorealistic print. It’s often seen in retail settings.
Litho is a complex offset print method. The first step in the process is making the print plates. These are made out of metal or similar hard substance. The plate is coated in a photosensitive mixture, before being exposed to a negative of the image/design. This makes certain portions receptive to ink. The plate is then mounted to a printing press and covered in ink. The ink sticks to the hydrophobic portions of the plate. The inked plate then contacts a rubber blanket. This transfer converts the image from a negative to a positive. The rubber blanket is what is used to print on the final substrate.
Preferred method for printing photorealistic images on packaging.
Most accurate printing and color matching.
Compared to flexo, litho has a higher cost.