carbon paper

Definition

A thin sheet coated with dark pigment (traditionally carbon or wax) on one side, placed between sheets of paper to create duplicate copies when written or typed on. Used before photocopiers became widespread.

Example Usage

The cashier placed carbon paper between the receipt and the copy so you'd get a duplicate.

Origin

Invented by Ralph Wedgwood in 1806 as a method to create duplicate documents without rewriting them.

Fun Fact

Carbon paper made office work dramatically faster in the 19th and early 20th centuries, but became largely obsolete after photocopiers and digital scanning emerged.

Source: Definition backfill (hailey)

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