Massitrükk

Massitrükk refers to industrial-scale printing of large quantities of printed matter, using mechanical presses to produce uniform content across copies. It covers several printing technologies and is a foundation of mass distribution in media, publishing and advertising.

The term is Estonian, built from trükk meaning print and a prefix suggesting mass production. Mass printing developed with industrialization and the advent of offset and web presses, enabling rapid production of newspapers, books, magazines, catalogs and packaging.

Common technologies include offset printing (lithography), web-offset for newspapers, rotogravure for high-volume magazines and packaging, and increasingly digital printing for short runs. Key aspects are sheet-fed versus web-fed formats, printing plates or digital files, color management, and finishing steps such as binding.

Impact and trends: massitrükk lowered per-unit costs and expanded access to information, supporting literacy and commerce. In the digital age it faces competition from electronic media, but remains essential for large-volume, high-coverage printing; sustainability concerns and recycling are central to modern practice.

See also: printing, publishing, offset printing.