flatbed press
Definition
Noun: A flatbed press is a type of printing press. Its defining feature is a flat, level surface (the bed) that holds the inked type or printing plate. A cylinder, which holds the paper, rolls over this flat surface to apply pressure and transfer the ink onto the paper.
Usage
The term is used specifically to describe a category of printing machinery based on its mechanical operation. It distinguishes this press from other types, such as rotary presses. * The antique flatbed press was still operational, used for creating fine art prints. * Early newspapers were printed using a flatbed press before the invention of faster rotary models.
Advanced Usage
- Historical Context: The flatbed press was a significant advancement from the screw press and was the dominant form of printing press for centuries, notably used in the Gutenberg-style press and later steam-powered models.
- Modern Application: While largely obsolete for high-volume commercial printing, flatbed presses are still used in specific areas like proofing, tabletop printing, and for printing on thick or irregular substrates that cannot bend around a rotary cylinder.
Variants and Related Words
- Cylinder press: Another name for a flatbed press, emphasizing the role of the cylinder.
- Platen press: A different type of press where a flat platen presses the paper against the flat type bed.
- Rotary press: The technological successor, where both the printing surface and the paper are carried on cylinders, allowing for continuous, high-speed printing.
Synonyms
- Bed-and-cylinder press
Antonyms
- Rotary press
Noun
-
a printing press where the type is carried on a flat bed under a cylinder that holds paper and rolls over the type
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