druktypen

Druktypen refers to the individual types used in traditional movable type printing. These are small blocks, usually made of lead alloys, on which the characters are shaped in mirror image. When ink is applied to the raised surfaces and paper is pressed onto them, a printed page is produced. Each type represents a single character or symbol and must be arranged with other sorts to form words, lines and pages.

Historically, druktypen were arranged by hand in composing sticks and trays to create lines of text for a printing press. Types are categorized by their design, including serif and sans-serif styles, and by size, measured in points. In addition to letters, types include numerals, punctuation marks and special symbols. The craft involved in selecting and spacing these sorts—along with leading, kerning and justification—was central to producing readable and aesthetically consistent text. In the 19th and 20th centuries, mechanical and later electronic typesetting systems, such as Linotype and Monotype, automated some of these processes, but movable type remained the physical basis of printing for many centuries.

With the advent of phototypesetting and, later, digital typography, the production of printed text shifted away from physical type. Today, the term druktypen is often used in historical, typographic or Dutch-language contexts to describe typefaces or fonts in a broader sense, while the concept of movable metal types is studied mainly in history and museums. Modern fonts continue the legacy of druktypen, adapting classic letterforms to contemporary media and technologies.