photomechanical

[ foh-toh-muh-kan-i-kuhl ]

adjective

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

photomechanical

/ ˌfəʊtəʊmɪˈkænɪkəl /

adjective

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

noun

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

Derived Forms

• ˌphotomeˈchanically, adverb

Other Words From

• photo·me·chani·cal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of photomechanical¹

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

The fakes, on the other hand, are typically photomechanical reproductions of the originals.

From New York Times

“We did a thorough analysis and have found evidence that supports assertions that a photograph was used to create a photomechanical reproduction,” said Julian Wilson, a specialist with the auction house’s Books & Manuscripts Department.

From Seattle Times

This one treats Dada — specifically later Dada, from the end of the war to its evaporation in the early 1920s — as an international network, linked by the mail and photomechanical reproduction.

From New York Times

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