'matte-printed' is a compound formed from the adjective 'matte' + the past participle of the verb 'print'. 'matte' originates from French 'mat' meaning 'dull' or 'blunted', and 'print' comes from Middle English (from Old French and ultimately from Latin roots related to pressing).

The element 'matte' entered English via French 'mat' (borrowed into English in the early modern period) meaning 'dull'. 'Print' comes from Middle English 'printen' (from Old French forms derived from Latin 'premere' 'to press'). In modern English, these elements combined productively to form compound adjectives like 'matte-printed' to describe printing finishes.

Originally 'matte' meant 'dull' and 'print' meant 'to press or impress text/image'; combined as 'matte-printed' the meaning became the specific modern sense 'printed with a dull (non-glossy) finish', a semantic narrowing tied to printing/finishing techniques.