imposition

"Sheet imposition" is a printing process where one side of a sheet is printed from one set of forms, and the other side is printed from a different set. This is a specific type of "imposition," which refers to the arrangement of pages for printing.12

Early printing methods, like those used with the Gutenberg press, involved locking composed type into a frame, inking it, and pressing it onto paper. This allowed for sharp impressions and printing on both sides of a sheet.3

Another related technique is "imprinting," which is the transfer of writing from a master copy to another form using methods like spirit hectograph masters, stencil cards, or embossed metal/plastic plates. Metallographic printing, a precursor to typography, involved engraving letter dies, striking them into a mold, and then casting lead to form plates with text in relief.45