All Topics  
Copperplate

 

   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link






 

Copperplate



 
 
Copperplate refers to the use of inscribed sheets of copper in printing. The engraved
Engraving

Engraving is the practice of incising a design onto a hard, usually flat surface, by cutting grooves into it. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or glass engraving are engraved, or may provide an intaglio printing plate, of copper or another metal, for printing images on paper as prints or illustra...
 or etched
Etching

Etching is the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio in the metal ....
 sheets of copper are inked and then have paper rolled over them to produce a copy.

In Southeast Asia
History of Southeast Asia

The history of Southeast Asia has been characterized as interaction between regional players and foreign powers. Though 11 countries currently make up the region, the history of each country is intertwined with all the others....
, the use of copperplate for important documents was a stage in the writing system
Writing system

A writing system is a type of symbolic system used to represent elements or statements expressible in language....
; they served as durable documentation in a climate which destroyed other documents. In Java, for example, the copperplates were heated until they were soft, and then inscribed with an implement.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Copperplate'
Start a new discussion about 'Copperplate'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


Copperplate refers to the use of inscribed sheets of copper in printing. The engraved
Engraving

Engraving is the practice of incising a design onto a hard, usually flat surface, by cutting grooves into it. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or glass engraving are engraved, or may provide an intaglio printing plate, of copper or another metal, for printing images on paper as prints or illustra...
 or etched
Etching

Etching is the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio in the metal ....
 sheets of copper are inked and then have paper rolled over them to produce a copy.

In Southeast Asia
History of Southeast Asia

The history of Southeast Asia has been characterized as interaction between regional players and foreign powers. Though 11 countries currently make up the region, the history of each country is intertwined with all the others....
, the use of copperplate for important documents was a stage in the writing system
Writing system

A writing system is a type of symbolic system used to represent elements or statements expressible in language....
; they served as durable documentation in a climate which destroyed other documents. In Java, for example, the copperplates were heated until they were soft, and then inscribed with an implement. Skill in metalwork in Southeast Asia apparently spanned multiple metals during the epoch of copperplate inscriptions.

A notable example is the Laguna Copperplate Inscription
Laguna Copperplate Inscription

The Laguna Copperplate inscription is the first written document found in a Languages of the Philippines. The plate was found in 1989 by Alfredo E....
 of the Philippines
Philippines

The Philippines, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, is a country in Southeast Asia with Manila as its capital city. It comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean....
.

Copperplate script and typefaces

Gravura Sample
Copperplate, or English round hand, is also the name of a style of calligraphic
Calligraphy

Calligraphy is the art of writing . A contemporary definition of calligraphic practice is "the art of giving form to signs in an expressive, harmonious and skillful manner" ....
 writing, using a sharp pointed nib instead of the flat nib used in most calligraphic writing. Its name comes from the fact that the copybooks from which students learned it were beautifully etched ]. Copperplate script was prevalent in the 19th century, but was used as early as in the 16th century in Europe. As a result, the term "copperplate" is mostly used to refer to any old-fashioned, tidy handwriting.

This style of calligraphy is different from that produced by angled nibs in that the thickness of the stroke is determined by the pressure applied when writing, instead of nib angle in relation to the writing surface. Formal copperplate script is written close to a 90-degree angle when linking letters.

In Australia in the 1980s, the state of Victoria
Victoria (Australia)

File:Map Victoria Aboriginal tribes .jpgVictoria is a States and territories of Australia located in the southeastern corner of Australia. It is the smallest mainland state in area but the most Population density and urbanised....
 prescribed a new form of handwriting which lacked the loops and curious capital letter forms that appear in standard cursive
Cursive

Cursive is any style of penmanship that is designed for writing down notes and letters quickly by hand. In the Arabic, Latin languages, and Cyrillic writing systems, the letters in a word are connected, making a word one single complex stroke....
 to be taught to children in government schools. There "copperplate" is sometimes understood to mean the old-fashioned cursive.

Copperplate Gothic

Unlike the calligraphic fonts, Copperplate Gothic
Copperplate Gothic

Copperplate Gothic is a typeface designed by Frederic W. Goudy and released by the American Type Founders in 1901. While termed a "Gothic" , the face has small glyphic serifs that act to emphasize the blunt terminus of vertical and horizontal strokes....
 was designed by Frederic William Goudy for American Type Founders
American Type Founders

American Type Founders was created in 1892 by the merger of 23 Type foundry, including Binny & Ronaldson, Boston Type Foundry, Central Type Foundry, Cincinnati Type Foundry, Dickinson Type Foundry, and Farmer, Little & Co....
 in 1901. Gothic appears at first to be a sans serif, but actually has very small, fine serifs. Copperplate Gothic was originally designed for stationery and society printing, and is now used in many varieties of commercial printing.

See also

  • Calligraphy
    Calligraphy

    Calligraphy is the art of writing . A contemporary definition of calligraphic practice is "the art of giving form to signs in an expressive, harmonious and skillful manner" ....
  • Eternity (graffito)
    Eternity (graffito)

    The word Eternity was a famous graffiti which was written numerous times in chalk on the streets of Sydney, Australia from the 1940s through to the 1960s....