Lithographic printing was a printing process with different stone plates for different colours. The Greek word lithos means 'stone' and graphein means 'to write' so Lithography can be defined as 'stone printing'. The printing plate originally used were porous stones. The priting portion of the stone plate was treated to absorb ink and the nonprinting area was treated to repel ink.

Ravi Varma started press in Ghatkopar, Mumbai in 1894 and later shifted to Malavli near Lonavala, Maharashtra in 1899. In 1901 the press was sold to his printing technician from Germany, Mr. Schleizer and was destroyed in fire and closed down later.

The pictures were mostly of Hindu Gods and Goddesses also many were based on Mahabharatha and Ramayana. Drawings were not so good and their prints were not of good quality but were coming out in thousands even for many years after expiry of Ravi Varma in 1906. The pictures carried the press names The Ravi Varma Press Ghatkoper, The Ravi Varma Press Malavli, The Ravi Varma Fine Art Lithographic Press Bombay (F.A.L. Press), The Ravi Varma Press Karla, The Ravi Uday Press etc.