platen

Meaning

1. The part of a printing press which presses the paper against the type and by which the impression is made.
2. The part of a typewriter or printer on which the paper rests to receive an impression.
3. The movable table of a planer or other machine tool, on which the work is fastened, and presented to the action of the tool.
4. The flat glass surface of a scanner or photocopier on which operators place items to be scanned.

Synonyms

carriage

cylinder

degree

drum

🥁

grade

layer

level

plane

pressure plate

quality

rate

roller

sprocket

tier

trundle

press plate

bedpiece

press head

bed-plate

holddown

pressure back

sheet bar

semifinished flat

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈplætən/

Etymology

From French platine, from plat (“flat”). See plate, and compare platin.