Tisku

Tisku is a Czech term derived from tisk, meaning printing, the press, or printed matter. In grammar, tisku is the genitive and dative singular form of tisk and appears in phrases such as ve tisku (in the press) or k tisku (toward printing). In common usage, the word denotes the process of reproducing text and images on paper or other media, as well as the industry and materials produced by it.

In modern Czech, tisku encompasses both traditional and contemporary forms of printing. Technological methods include offset printing, letterpress, screen printing, and various digital processes such as inkjet and laser printing. The term also covers the range of printed products—books, newspapers, magazines, packaging, posters—and the businesses that provide printing services, design, and prepress work. The phrase v tisku is often used to refer to printed media or the state of something being printed, while a distinction is sometimes made between the print media and online media.

Historically, printing in the Czech lands began in the 15th century with the spread of movable-type technology brought from broader Central European centers. Printing played a key role in the Reformation and in the dissemination of Czech literature and language. A notable milestone is the Bible kralická (the Bible of Kralice), printed between 1579 and 1583, which became a landmark in Czech publishing and linguistic standardization. Over the centuries, Czech printing evolved through modernization in the 19th and 20th centuries, contributing to literacy, education, and cultural life.

Today, tisku remains a central term in discussions of publishing, media, and visual communication, while also appearing in everyday references to printed materials and production workflows.