ðə sˈʌn ʌv dˈænjəl lˈɪzɑːɹz ˌɛsˈɑːɹ wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd sˈɛvənhˈʌndɹɪd fˈɪfti fˈoːɹ wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd twˈɛlv, ɐ pˈʌblɪʃɚ ænd ɛŋɡɹˈeɪvɚ, ænd hɪz wˈaɪf mˈɑːɹɡɹət hˈoʊm, hiː wʌz bˈɔːɹn ɪn wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd sˈɛvənhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti tˈuː æt ðə "bˈækstɛɹz" ˌɔn pˈɑːɹləmənt klˈoʊs ɪn ˈɛdɪnbʌɹə, ˈɔf ðə ɹˈɔɪəl mˈaɪl.
The son of Daniel Lizars Sr (1754–1812), a publisher and engraver, and his wife Margaret Home, he was born in 1792 at the "Backstairs" on Parliament Close in Edinburgh, off the Royal Mile.