Traditional printing techniques included etching, where designs were cut into metal plates using acid, and letterpress printing, which used raised surfaces to imprint ink onto paper through a printing press. Lithography was invented in 1796 as a cheaper method to publish theatrical works, and involved printing from a flat surface where ink was repelled except where needed. Printing more broadly is a process of reproducing text and images using a master template, and the printing press was a key innovation that enabled the spread of knowledge during the Renaissance and Reformation.