Lithographic printing is one of the oldest forms of artistic printing, first emerging in the late 18th century. It revolutionized the world of printing and drawing by offering the possibility to reproduce drawings and images with high precision and at a low cost. The term “lithography” originates from the Greek language, meaning “stone writing,” reflecting the original technique that involved drawing on a flat surface of limestone.<br /><br />Lithographic printing is based on a simple yet effective principle: oil and water do not mix. In this technique, the design or text is drawn onto the stone using a greasy substance or special crayon. The stone is then moistened with water, which adheres only to the non-image areas. An oil-based ink is rolled over the surface, sticking only to the drawn areas, and finally, paper is pressed onto the stone to transfer the design.<br /><br />Lithography distinguished itself with its ability to produce accurate copies of drawings, making it a valuable tool for both artists and publishers. Renowned artists such as Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, Pablo Picasso, and Alphonse Mucha used it to create artistic posters and illustrative works that reflected their unique styles. It also played a significant role in the development of advertising arts and illustrated magazines.<br /><br />Over time, the technique evolved from using stone to metal plates such as zinc and aluminum, making it more flexible and easier to use, while reducing cost and space requirements. This evolution led to lithography being adopted in commercial printing, including newspapers, magazines, and books.<br /><br />Lithography is still taught and practiced in art schools as a form of manual printmaking due to its artistic and historical value. It remains a means of unique artistic expression, allowing artists to explore the relationship between drawing, engraving, and printing, and to experiment with texture, layering, and tonal variation.<br /><br />The art of lithographic printing stands as a testament to the evolution of printing and art—bridging the traditional and the modern—combining craftsmanship with technical precision, and granting the artist a distinctive and aesthetically rich form of expression.<br /><br />Al-Mustaqbal University the first university of Iraq .