key plate

American  

noun

Printing.

1. (in color printing) the plate providing the greatest definition of detail, usually the black plate, on which the other plates are registered.

---

Etymology

Origin of key plate

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

key plate

Before us was a wide, arch-shaped wooden door, painted glossy gray, with a brass key plate.

From The New Yorker ● Jan. 15, 2017

He hit .375 in 32 at-bats and had key plate appearances as a pinch-hitter.

From New York Times ● Aug. 2, 2016

Nearly all three-color process houses are now prepared to add a fourth, or key, plate, to be printed in black, in case the subject seems to need it.

From The Building of a Book A Series of Practical Articles Written by Experts in the Various Departments of Book Making and Distributing by Frederick H. Hitchcock

It consists of an uncoloured figure on a circular ground of colour, and is printed by the key plate.

From Gambia by Frederick John Melville

An attractive knocker, simple brass knob and exceptionally large key plate indicating the great rim lock within, lend a quaint charm to a doorway distinctly pleasing in its entirety.

From The Colonial Architecture of Philadelphia by Frank Cousins