An aluminum or zinc plate that has been chemically treated or photographically exposed to hold the image to be printed. It transfers the inked image onto a rubber blanket cylinder, which then presses the image onto the paper. Metal plates are preferred for long print runs because they withstand wear much better than paper or polyester alternatives.
Heard on the job
The paper plates are breaking down after a thousand impressions, so we need to burn a metal master to finish the run.
Related terms
Plate
A flat, flexible sheet of metal or polymer that carries the image to be printed.
Lithographic
Pertaining to a printing process based on the chemical repulsion of oil and water.
Photo-offset
A lithographic printing process that uses photographically produced plates to transfer images to a rubber blanket.