had been printed

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had been printed" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used to indicate that something was printed in the past before another event or time. Example: "The report had been printed before the meeting started."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Science

Encyclopedias

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

54 human-written examples

On some of the skirts and shawls, a white man's face had been printed, his eyebrows raised, his mustache curled.

The Washington Post

It had been printed and put in the document book.

Yale University

A brand name had been printed on the box: "Italy".

The New Yorker

They had been printed in pairs on small cardboard squares.

The New York Times

By 1700 grammars of 61 vernacular languages had been printed.

Encyclopedia Britannica

By 1600, 31 Latin or Italian editions had been printed.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Marcia's photos had been printed and were ready to be picked up.

The New Yorker

The cheap drone had been printed on shore and then assembled on the ship.

MIT Technology Review

"They had been printed in England because it was much cheaper and much better quality.

The Guardian - Books

The document, however, had been printed in Calibri, which was not widely available until 2007.

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

1 human-written examples

By 1970, Atheis had been printed in Malaysian three times.

Wikipedia

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "had been printed" to clearly indicate that the printing occurred before a specific point in time or another event in the past.

Common error

Avoid using "was printed" when you need to emphasize that the printing action was completed before a subsequent event. "Was printed" simply describes a past action, whereas "had been printed" establishes a sequence.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had been printed" functions as a past perfect passive construction. It indicates that something was printed at some point before another event in the past. As Ludwig AI confirms, this phrase is grammatically sound and suitable for use in writing.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

55%

Academia

20%

Science

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

5%

Wiki

5%

Formal & Business

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "had been printed" is a grammatically correct and widely used past perfect passive construction. Ludwig AI confirms its suitability for various writing contexts. Its primary function is to establish the timing of a printing event relative to another event in the past. It appears most frequently in news and media, academic, and scientific sources. When using this phrase, ensure it accurately reflects the sequence of events you are describing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

was printed

Omits "been" to form a simple past passive construction, altering the tense slightly to focus on a single event.

had been published

Replaces "printed" with "published", emphasizing the distribution and availability of the printed material.

had been reproduced

Substitutes "printed" with "reproduced", highlighting the act of creating a copy of something.

had been typeset

Replaces "printed" with "typeset", focusing on the arrangement of the text before printing.

was in print

Uses an idiomatic expression to indicate the availability of something that has been printed.

had come off the press

Replaces "printed" with a more descriptive phrase about the printing process.

had rolled off the presses

Similar to "had come off the press", but with a more vivid image of the printing process.

had been impressed

Uses "impressed" to suggest the physical act of transferring an image or text.

had been duplicated

Focuses on the act of making identical copies, rather than the printing process itself.

had been transcribed

Replaces "printed" with a term that refers to handwriting converted to printing.

FAQs

How is "had been printed" used in a sentence?

The phrase "had been printed" indicates that something was printed before another event in the past. For example, "The document "had been printed" before the meeting started".

What are some alternatives to using "had been printed"?

Depending on the context, you can use phrases like "was printed", "had been published", or "had been reproduced".

Which is correct: "was printed" or "had been printed"?

Both phrases are grammatically correct, but they convey different meanings. Use "was printed" to describe a past event, and use "had been printed" to describe an event completed before another event in the past.

What's the difference between "had been printed" and "was printed"?

"Was printed" describes a simple past action, while "had been printed" indicates that the printing occurred before another event in the past, establishing a sequence of events.