More print trivia! Did you know that the words "stereotype" and "cliché" originated in old printing practices? The word "cliché" is a French term dating to around 1825, meaning "to produce or print in stereotype." A stereotype was a printing plate used to create many versions of the same design. Printers heard a "clicking" sound during this process, which gave birth to the onomatopoeic word "cliché." Cliché - the sound made when using a stereotype. The term "stereotype" was first used in the printing trade in 1798 to describe a printing plate that duplicated typography. The duplicate plate, or the stereotype, was used instead of the original for printing. By the end of the 19th century, the word "cliché" started to take on the meaning we know today. The word evolved from describing the process of repeating printed designs to describing repetitive and overused phrases or ideas. Outside of printing, the first reference to the word "stereotype" in English was in 1850, as a noun meaning "image perpetuated without change." The word was first used in the modern psychological sense in 1922 by American journalist Walter Lippmann in his work 'Public Opinion.' Note: the photo shows a stereotype mold ("flong") being made. #PrintHistory #DesignHistory #Typography #GraphicDesign #DidYouKnow | 21 comments on LinkedIn