stereotype

stereotype stĕrˈĕətīpˌ [key], plate from which printing is done, made by casting metal in a mold, usually of paper pulp. The process was patented in 1725 by the Scottish inventor William Ged. Firmin Didot improved the process, named it, and extended its use. Cylinder presses, by which newspapers were traditionally printed, use curved stereotype plates that fit the cylinders. For other applications, stereotype has largely been replaced by electrotype.

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