What type of surface is traditionally used in lithography?

Lithography traditionally uses stone as its surface, specifically a type of limestone known for its smooth, flat qualities. The process of lithography originated in the late 18th century and was based on the principle of oil and water repelling each other. Artists would draw their images onto the stone using a greasy medium, and then treated the stone with a chemical solution to prepare it for ink. This allows the ink to adhere only to the drawn areas, while the non-image areas remain ink-free due to the water's presence, enabling the transfer of the image onto paper.

Using stone provides several advantages, such as the ability to produce high-quality prints with a wide range of tonal values and fine detail. The durability and stability of stone also allow for multiple prints to be made from a single plate, making it an ideal choice for the lithography process. Other materials like wood, glass, or plastic do not offer the same balance of properties required for traditional lithographic printing, which relies heavily on the chemical reactions between the drawn media, the surface, and the inks used.