The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word MONOTYPE
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Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "printer’s old system" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case printer’s old system = monotype.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does MONOTYPE mean?
MONOTYPE noun- A print made by creating the design using oil paint or printer's ink on metal or glass, then transferring the image directly to paper.
- The technique of making such prints.
- A monotypic taxon.
- A keyboard-operated typesetting and casting machine that makes and sets separate characters.
- A sailboat designed to be crewed or raced by a single person.
- In the Hindley–Milner type system, a single specific data type.
- To produce a monotype of.