A technical dictionary of printmaking, André Béguin.
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printer's balls
Balls made of horsehair covered with leather that used to be used by printers to ink typographical forms and engraved plates before the invention of rollers, brayers and dabbers. The balls were pressed onto the inking slab so as to pick up some ink and were then rubbed against eachother in order to distribute the ink evenly.
Then the form or plate was dabbed with the inked balls so that the printing could proceed.
[inking, frotton, dabber]
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