Offset ink

Offset lithograph
MFA# 1990.499

Description

Offset lithograph
MFA# 2002.332

An ink used in an indirect image printing process called offset lithography. Developed about 1870, this double printing process first transfers the image from a metal plate to a rubber roller, then from the roller to the final paper print. Offset inks are generally thinner and dry faster than lithograph inks. Colored inks are often used for offset lithography. Offset prints may be mass produced.

Synonyms and Related Terms

litho offset ink; offset litho; offset printing; photo-litho

Resources and Citations

• Encyclopedia Britannica, http://www.britannica.com Comment: "printmaking" [Accessed May 5, 2004].

• Luis Nadeau, Encyclopedia of Printing, Photographic, and Photomechanical Processes, Atelier, New Brunswick, 1997

• Matt Roberts, Don Etherington, Bookbinding and the Conservation of Books: a Dictionary of Descriptive Terminology, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington DC, 1982

• The American Heritage Dictionary or Encarta, via Microsoft Bookshelf 98, Microsoft Corp., 1998