Acetate

The common name for a type of strong, transparent or semi-transparent sheets of plastic, available in various thicknesses, and used in making covers for artwork, as the basis for photographic film, in color separation, in retouching, as cels in animated filmmaking; as a material for printing plates (see cellocut), and as an ingredient in some plastics, textile fibers, and lacquers. It should not be expected to be a permanent material.Also see acetate color, Lucite, and Plexiglas.