Hectograph

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A machine that creates replicas of texts or images by transferring ink from a gelatinous medium to paper
2. A device that reproduces copies by pressing paper onto a gelatin pad coated in ink, transferring the image or text onto the paper
3. An apparatus for making duplicates by depositing ink on a gel surface and then pressing sheets against it to create copies

Etymology: The hectograph was a practical office tool, and its name tells you its promise: "hecto-" comes from the Greek for "hundred," and "-graph" means something written or drawn. The idea was that a single original, written in special ink, could yield roughly a hundred copies, which was a useful number for schools, offices and clubs that needed a handful of sheets quickly and cheaply. The method worked by transfer. The original was written or drawn with aniline ink, which lifted onto a gelatin pad. Blank sheets were then pressed against that gel, picking up a fraction of the ink each time, and the copies faded gradually with every pull. The gel surface is the part that makes the apparatus distinctive, since it was the layer that held and released the ink.