An electrotype is a durable copper-faced printing plate made by taking a wax or lead mold of original letterpress type, then using electrolysis to deposit a thin shell of copper into the mold. The copper shell is backed with heavy type metal to make it rigid. Printers used these plates for long press runs because they withstood wear much better than the original lead type.
Heard on the job
Send the locked-up form to the foundry so they can make an electrotype for the main run.
Also heard as
- electro
Do not mix it up with
- Stereotype: A stereotype is cast directly from molten metal into a papier-mache mold, while an electrotype uses electroplating for a harder, sharper copper face.