stereotype

stereotype, type of printing plate developed in the late 18th century and widely used in letterpress, newspaper, and other high-speed press runs. Stereotypes are made by locking the type columns, illustration plates, and advertising plates of a complete newspaper page in a form and molding a matrix, or mat, of papier-mâché or similar material to it; the dried mat is used as a mold to cast the stereotype from hot metal. A stereotype plate is...