Druck

Druck is a German noun with two primary meanings: pressure and printing. In general usage, it denotes the force per unit area exerted on a surface, as well as the act or result of applying ink to a substrate in the production of text and images. In scientific and engineering contexts, Druck describes a scalar quantity that can be measured relative to a reference pressure. The standard SI unit is the pascal (N/m²); other common units include bars and kilopascals. Terms related to Druck include absolute pressure and gauge (or relative) pressure, as well as concepts such as hydrostatic and dynamic pressure.

In the field of printing and typography, Druck refers to the process of applying ink to material to reproduce text and graphics. It appears in compound terms such as Druckerei (printing house), Drucktechnik (printing technology), and Druckverfahren (printing methods). Major printing methods include Offsetdruck (offset printing), Digitaldruck (digital printing), Siebdruck (screen printing), and Tiefdruck (gravure printing). The word also appears in expressions describing the print run (Druckauflage) and printing inks (Druckfarben).

Etymology and usage: Druck derives from the German verb drucken, meaning to print or press. As a noun, it is capitalized in German and commonly used across contexts to denote either physical pressure or the act and industry of printing. The dual meaning reflects a shared concept of applying force or reproducing content through a transfer process.