Post #38583 by tikichic on Wed, Jun 11, 2003 2:00 PM

You should buy based upon what you like! Typically you do see a marked price difference between a "litho" print and a silkscreen print because of the painstaking task it takes to make a silkscreen.

A Litho poster—short for lithography—is printed on a press using a four-color process. The paper stock is thinner and the posters are not signed or numbered because there is no “edition.” Typically these are what are used to make show posters or bill boards when many pieces of the same image need to be made.

Typically, silkscreens use many colors and it's time consuming to make compared to lithos which is why you see a price difference when the prints are new. Shag's early works were mostly all lithos such as the 3 Musicians. It's nice of Shag to actually give us the information of how many colors he's used. Not many artists, at least that I know of, reveal that information.

If you have a collection of posters, check them out to see which are lithos or silkscreens if you're unsure. Lithos will have a flat, glossy look when held sideways. Silkscreens will be a little bit more dull but you can usually see the color blocks of how it was made. It's real cool!