platen

English · Français

AI In plain words

Writing a short explanation…

Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.

platen

/ˈplætən/

Rhymes with -ætən

Where it comes from

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

noun platens

The part of a printing press which presses the paper against the type and by which the impression is made. And the form is inked, the paper is applied, the bed is slid, and the platen is levered down and the proof is printed.
The part of a typewriter or printer on which the paper rests to receive an impression.
The movable table of a planer or other machine tool, on which the work is fastened, and presented to the action of the tool.
The flat glass surface of a scanner or photocopier on which operators place items to be scanned.

Talk about this word

Cite this

MLA

"platen." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/platen. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

platen. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/platen

Chicago

"platen." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/platen.

BibTeX

@misc{platen_2026,
  title = {platen},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/platen},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}