Lithographic limestone

A lithographic limestone printing plate after use to print a map. Note the uniform fine texture of the stone.

Lithographic limestone is hard limestone that is sufficiently fine-grained, homogeneous and defect free to be used for lithography.

Geologists use the term "lithographic texture" to refer to a grain size under 1/250 mm.[1]

The term "sublithographic" is sometimes used for homogeneous fine-grained limestone with a somewhat coarser texture.[2]

  1. ^ Lithographic limestone, Lithographic Texture, Glossary of Geology and Related Sciences, 2nd ed, The American Geological Institute, 1960; pages 170-171.
  2. ^ Ronald K. DeFord, Grain Size in Carbonate Rock, Geological Notes, Vol. 30, No. 11, 1946; pages 1921 - 1928; see particularly pages 1922-1923.