photomechanical

American  

[foh-toh-muh-kan-i-kuhl] / ˌfoʊ toʊ məˈkæn ɪ kəl /

adjective

1. noting or pertaining to any of various processes for printing from plates or surfaces prepared by the aid of photography.

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photomechanical British  

/ ˌfəʊtəʊmɪˈkænɪkəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to any of various methods by which printing plates are made using photography

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noun

1. a final paste-up of artwork or typeset matter or both for photographing and processing into a printing plate

Other Word Forms

• photomechanically adverb

Etymology

Origin of photomechanical

First recorded in 1885–90; photo- + mechanical

Example Sentences

A Renaissance man, Paris was also a violinist with the Georgetown Orchestra, and several of his watercolors and photomechanical reproductions are owned by the Smithsonian Institution.

From Washington Post • Mar. 3, 2023

Improvements in photomechanical reproduction techniques have made it easier for forgers to produce deceptive fake prints.

From New York Times • Jan. 24, 2020

As Zatlin notes, “Beardsley showed the way to bring art to the public speedily and with a lowered cost of production: he exploited the photomechanical technique known as ‘process’ or ‘line-block.’

From The New Yorker • Jun. 14, 2016

At this lower wavelength, the laser cleans by causing photomechanical surface expansion.

From Scientific American • Jun. 28, 2014

Its use, therefore, multiplied increasingly until just before 1900, when it was superseded for these purposes by the photomechanical halftone.

From Why Bewick Succeeded A Note in the History of Wood Engraving by Kainen, Jacob