A technical dictionary of printmaking, André Béguin.

1. In the past any printer who used some sort of lithography as a printing technique was considered to he a lithographer. The first lithographers also carried out all of the steps themselves from the graining procedure to printing via the preliminary drawing. As lithographic workshops became bigger the work was subdivided and three distinct groups of lithographic workers were recognized.
   One group was solely concerned with preparing the stone. The specialists in this group were those workers who did the graining .
   The second group did the preliminary drawings or the engraving of texts and images. In France the écrivain-lithographe (writer lithographer) was the man who drew images and wrote letters with a pen, the graveur-lithographe (engraver lithographer) engraved images and letters on stone, while the dessinateur-chromiste-lithographe (drawer lithographer) drew on stone, metal, or transfer paper with a crayon or a brush (this work could also be done in several colours).
   The third group of workers was in charge of the printing procedures and here again there were several specialists at work. The transporteur-lithographe (transporter lithographer) was in charge of transfers using autographic paper or transfer paper which he transferred to the stones. The essayeur- lithographe (proofing lithographer) did the proof work, which required a great deal of skill and experience. The conducteur-lithographe did the actual printing. Depending on the size of the workshop the various jobs could be carried out by one or more people.
   In impressions coming from a workshop the name of the printer followed by the word lithographer or lith. usually appeared in the bottom margin or below the image. [division of labour].
2. At present the word lithographer is used to denote the artist who, unlike engravers and serigraphers, uses lithography as his medium.