käsikirjatrükist

Käsikirjatrükist is a term used in Estonian-language bibliographic descriptions to indicate that a book or document was produced by hand-press printing directly from a manuscript or from hand-set type, as opposed to machine-printed editions. The word combines käsikiri (manuscript) and trükk (printing), with the genitive suffix -ist, and is used to describe the mode of production rather than the content.

In practice, käsikirjatrükist describes a publication produced in a traditional artisanal workshop, often using a hand-operated press, movable type, ink, and hand binding. Editions produced this way are typically limited in number and may show typographic variability, such as irregular spacing or ligatures, reflecting the hand of the compositor or printer. The term is especially relevant to bibliographers and historians studying historical print culture in Estonia and nearby regions, where it helps distinguish these editions from later mechanically produced ones.

In modern contexts, käsikirjatrükist is also associated with the artisanal book arts movement, where contemporary printers create hand-printed editions for artistic or scholarly purposes. Related concepts include letterpress printing, movable type, and bibliographic description, all of which help classify and study printed works by their production methods.