Agency Dictionary

Plywood

nounPronunciation: /ˈplaɪ.wʊd/

In Portuguese: Compensado

Design

What does “Plywood” mean?

A manufactured timber sheet made of multiple thin layers of wood veneer glued together under heat and pressure. In studio design, it provides an accessible textured backdrop.

Etymology

Formed from ply (a layer or thickness) and wood. The name describes the structure of the board: thin wood veneers bonded together in layers with alternating grain directions, which distributes stress and prevents warping. The compound names both the construction method and the resulting panel.

Usage note

Plywood is typically made with an odd number of layers so that the outer faces have parallel grain and the board is balanced.

Often confused with

MDF: MDF is made from compressed wood fibers bonded with resin and has no grain layers; plywood is built from whole wood veneers with alternating grain directions.

Word family

Rhymes with

good
hood
stood
could

Usage examples

Every shot starts out with 2 saw horses and a piece of plywood.

Concept

Tactile StagingTactile staging is the manual preparation and physical construction of studio backdrops, surfaces, and lighting props to support a photographic subject. In commercial…

Source editions

Where this entry comes from in the Agency editorial.

Creative.8 - Keith RomanowskiJuly 24, 2023Read the edition

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Also from these editions: terms

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Sawhorsenoun: A four-legged wooden or metal trestle frame used to support lumber during sawing or to hold makeshift table surfaces. In photo studios, sawhorses serve as versatile modular tables.
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