printing plates
Ink transfer surfaces
Printing plates are flat surfaces—typically metal, polymer, or rubber—that carry an image to be transferred to paper or other material during printing.
Each plate holds a single color; full-color printing requires separate plates for cyan, magenta, yellow, and black.
The term appears in discussions of commercial printing, newspapers, and publishing: The printing plates are ready for the press run.
Figuratively, stop the printing plates means halt production to make last-minute changes.
- copperReddish-brown metallic element
- metal platesFlat sheets of alloy
- etchingAcid-incised metal print
- intaglioCarving cut below surface
- steelCarbon-hardened iron alloy
lithography · zinc · gravure · photopolymer · offset printing · letterpress · halftone · image transfer · aluminum · anodized · press · bimetallic · platemaking · engraving · book publishing · printing industry · ink · flexography
printing platesprinted matter
Published text materials
publications · impressions · prints · finished products · newspapers
printing plateshandwritten manuscripts
Texts inscribed personally, not printed
calligraphy · hand lettering · illuminated manuscripts · typesetting