overprint

over- +‎ print

• (noun) IPA^(key): /ˈəʊvə(ɹ)ˌpɹɪnt/

  • Audio (Southern England)

    (file)

• (verb) IPA^(key): /ˌəʊvə(ɹ)ˈpɹɪnt/

  • Audio (Southern England)

    (file)

overprint (plural overprints)

1. (philately) The addition of new text on a previously printed stamp, usually to add a surcharge or change the face value.

overprint (third-person singular simple present overprints, present participle overprinting, simple past and past participle overprinted)

1. To print over what has already been printed.
   • 1982, Steven Vickers, Robin Bradbeer, Sinclair ZX Spectrum: BASIC Programming:

     This is the way overprinting works on the ZX Spectrum: two papers or two inks give a paper, one of each gives an ink. This has the interesting property that if you overprint with the same thing twice you get back what you started off with.

2. (transitive, philately) To add an overprint to (a stamp).
3. (transitive) To print too many copies of.

   The unpopular comic book was overprinted, leaving many retailers with dozens of unsaleable copies.

4. (printing) To overlap different colours to avoid gaps.