Ged, William (1690-1749), a Scottish jeweler, developed the process of stereotyping. In 1725, he made a plaster of Paris cast of a page of rows of individual type characters. He then used the cast as a mold, from which he cast printing plates using an alloy similar to that used for making type. This method produced a one-piece plate sturdier than one made from individual type elements bound together. Ged’s system led to the use of papier-mâché molds in the production of printing plates. Ged was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. He died on Oct. 19, 1749. See also Stereotyping .
