The Difference Between A Lithograph and Engraving

When searching for Antique Prints, you may encounter the terms Engraving or Lithograph. So, what's the difference and involved in each one? The earliest known dated engraving is circa 1446 which makes this technique at least 563 years old.  Types of print engraving include wood, copperplate and steel.  An artist and/or engraver would carve a pattern on the wood or metal plate using an engraving tool called a burin.  This instrument is a chisel with a sharp V-shaped end.  Ink is applied and wiped off so only the ink remained in the engraved lines and the image is then pressed onto paper to produce the image. 

Lithograph prints were invented later, in the late 18th century by a German writer, Alois Senefelder, in 1796.  Using the basic principle that oil repels water, he created a method for printing using a stone (limestone) or a metal plate.  Artwork was drawn on the limestone slab with a greased or waxy pencil.  Water was added and was absorbed by the stone but repelled by the grease.  Printers ink was spread over the stone slab, clung to the grease lines and was repelled by the water.  The illustration was then pressed onto the paper.

It is not necessary to be able to distinguish between an engraving and a lithograph when evaluating or purchasing an antique print, but we feel that an understanding of these techniques is helpful to a print collector.