Serigraph vs lithograph

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Grammarist

A serigraph and a lithograph are prints made of an original piece of art, however, the processes used to make them are different. We’ll look at how serigraphs and lithographs are made, where the words serigraph and lithograph come from, and some examples of these words used in sentences.

A serigraph is a silkscreen, though today more modern fabrics than silk are generally employed. To make a serigraph, the artist places a stencil on the fabric and forces ink through the places where the material is stencil-free. Each color in the piece must be applied with a separate screen. In a serigraph, the paint tends to sit on top of the paper and may be felt with a finger. The word serigraph was first used in the late 1800s, derived from the Latin word for silk, sericum, and the Greek suffix -graphos which means writer or writing.

A lithograph is a print made from a drawing or painting applied to a flat surface such as stone or metal. The drawing is made with an oily substance, which the ink will cling to. It is then pressed on paper. In a lithograph, the ink is thin, it sinks into the paper so that it cannot be felt with a finger. The word lithograph first appears in the 1820s, derived from the Greek word lithos which means stone, and the Greek suffix -graphos which means writer or writing.

Examples

“Unfortunately, I believe this is a serigraph, which is a form of screen printing,” he told her. (The Detroit News)

Buy a print of an artwork by the late Goan illustrator Mario Miranda for Rs 300 (a good original work would cost about Rs 60,000), or a serigraph print (limited-edition silk-screen prints of original paintings) of artist SH Raza for Rs 1 lakh and up. (The Hindustan Times)

You can have your photo taken with the star and go home with a limited, autographed print of the tour lithograph, plus playing cards that he designed and a Kenny Rogers poker chip, among others. (The Daily Progress)

Biggers’s 1969 Conte Crayon drawing Ethiopian Women, brought $37,500, while his 1986 lithograph Black Family (Family of Six) realized $8,125. (The Fine Books and Collections Magazine)