In 1893 Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad gave Ravi Varma Rs 50,000/- for starting a printing press at Mumbai. Established in 1894 with German technology, the Ravi Varma Fine Arts Lithographic Press was, for some time, the largest and the most innovative picture printing establishment in India. The first oleograph printed was his famous painting 'Birth of Shakuntala'.

The press was dismantled, shifted and reassembled at least twice between 1898 and 1901, first moving from Girgaum to Ghatkopar, and later to Malavli near Lonavala. Right from the beginning the press was under the technical control of the German printer Fritz Schleicher who eventually became its owner in 1903.

By choosing religious themes for chromatic representation, Ravi Varma succeeded in reaching out to the vast majority of people. The lithographic press enabled Ravi Varma to make his works available to the common people, especially the low caste, who were prevented from entering the temples. Thus he succeeded in democratizing art and popularized the characters of mythology and classical literature, giving them an entry into the living rooms and prayer rooms of the common folk.