Lithographers are the people who actually make the plates that are used to print movie posters.
The first lithographers used limestone slabs in a process known as Stone Lithography. This gradually changed to zinc being used for the plates. Currently, the offset press is the most commonly used way to print movie posters.
After the lithographers finished making the plates for the movie poster, they were sent to printers for printing unless the lithographer also had the ability to do the printing.
After printing, they were then sent to independent poster exchanges, studio exchanges, or, in later years, the National Screen Service.
Before the NSS took over keeping track of plates and numbering each poster, it was a hodge podge affair, with each lithographer doing things a little differently.
While older movie posters may have the name of an individual litho company on the poster itself, most newer posters just note that it's from a U.S. Litho company.
Some big lithos from the 20th century include:
- Joseph H. Tooker Litho Company of New York,
- Continental Litho Company
- Morgan Litho Company
There were a lot more lithographers over the years, though, including:
- Greenwich Litho
- Acme Litho of New York
- J. H. Tooker
- Richey Litho Company
- Otis Lithographic Company out of Cleveland, Ohio
- H. C. Miner Company out of New York
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