A cliché is a solid metal printing plate produced by stereotyping or electrotyping. Instead of printing directly from fragile movable type, a mold (often made of papier-mâché or flong) is taken from the original typeform, and molten metal is poured in to cast a single, durable block. This allows the printer to run long editions without wearing out the original type, or to distribute the type back to the cases while keeping the plate for future reprints.
Heard on the job
Mount the cliché on the block and check the height to paper before we lock it up.
Also heard as
- stereotype