In typography, a style of type dating from the days of copperplate engraving characterized by fine serifs at the end of each stroke. Copperplate type was originally produced by etching a copper plate with a steel scribe, creating depressions in the surface that held ink (a form of printing known as intaglio and is the basis of modern gravure printing). In order to obtain sharp corners on the strokes, a final scribe was made perpendicular to the main stroke and was allowed to extend just a bit beyond, creating the copperplate serifs. After printing—or in small point sizes—copperplate serifs often became indistinguishable. Copperplate typefaces often do not have a lowercase; smaller point-size caps are used in their stead. Copperplate faces therefore are rarely used for text, as all-cap type is difficult to read. In the days of metal typesetting, copperplate typefaces were widely used for business cards, stationery, and other such uses. With the advent of modern typesetting equipment and the widespread availability of many different typefaces, the use of copperplate faces has declined.
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