Kõrgtrükki

Kõrgtrükki, also known as relief printing, is a printing technique where the image or text is produced by raised surfaces. The printing areas are the parts of the printing plate that are higher than the non-printing areas. Ink is applied to the raised surfaces, and then paper is pressed against these inked areas to transfer the image. This contrasts with intaglio printing, where the inked image is in recessed areas.

Historically, kõrgtrükki is one of the oldest printing methods. Woodblock printing, where an image is carved into a wooden block, is an early form of relief printing. Later, movable type, developed by Johannes Gutenberg in the 15th century, also utilized relief printing principles. Each letter or symbol was cast as a raised metal character that could be arranged to form text.

Common modern forms of kõrgtrükki include linocut and rubber stamp printing. In linocut, a design is carved into a linoleum sheet. In rubber stamp printing, the image is etched onto a rubber surface. In all kõrgtrükki methods, the key principle is that the ink adheres only to the raised portions of the printing surface, creating a distinct impression on the substrate. This technique is often characterized by its bold lines and textural qualities.