letterpress
letterpress Lexical Profile
letterpress Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A technique of relief printing using a printing press to make many copies by repeated direct impression of an inked, raised surface against sheets or a continuous roll of paper.
"The wedding invitations were crafted using traditional letterpress, leaving a deep tactile impression in the heavy cotton paper."
A machine or press used for relief printing from movable type or plates, or historically for copying letters.
"The local print shop restored a nineteenth-century cast-iron letterpress to produce limited-edition posters."
British The printed text in a book or periodical, as distinguished from the illustrations.
"While the botanical engravings in the antique volume were exquisite, the accompanying letterpress contained several outdated classifications."
• verb
To print or impress (text or a design) onto paper using the relief printing method of a letterpress.
"The artisan decided to letterpress the book covers on handmade cardstock for a vintage aesthetic."
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the mid-18th century as a compound of 'letter' and 'press', originally referring to the mechanical printing press used to transfer inked movable type onto paper, as distinguished from copperplate engraving.