Trükivormi

Trükivorm is a term used in Estonian to denote the printing form, a rigid carrier that holds the image or text to be printed and is used in various printing processes. In traditional letterpress printing, the trükivorm consists of assembling movable type, blocks or engravings in a chase to form a complete page. The form is inked and pressed onto paper, transferring the raised image. After printing, the form can be reused to produce additional copies.

Historically, trükivorms evolved from wooden blocks and metal movable type to more advanced systems such as stereotype and electrotype plates, which allowed producing many copies from a single metal plate. These forms were designed to withstand repeated inking and impression and were locked into printing presses for efficient production. Over time, improvements in embossing, impression, and plate-making contributed to greater consistency and speed.

In modern printing, the concept remains, though the physical form is typically a printing plate. Today’s trükivorms are often aluminum or zinc plates or polymer plates created by photographic or digital workflows (computer-to-plate). The image information is stored digitally and transferred to the plate, which carries image or text areas that accept ink. In contemporary production, trükivorm can also refer to plates used in letterpress studios, as well as to archival or historical contexts where traditional methods are preserved.