Obchodní tiskárny Kolín or OTK, today known as OTK Group, a.s. or OTK printing & packaging a.s., is a Czech printing firm based in

Kolín Kolín (; ) is a town in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 33,000 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an Cultural monument (Czech Republic)#Monument reservations, urban monume ...

founded in 1879. Today it produces a wide range of paper and card products including labels, and packaging.

History

The company was founded in 1879 by

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

typographer, J. L. Bayer as a lithographic printing office producing calendars and colour pictures. It became the biggest domestic producer of calendars, but also expanded its operations to manufacture books for business. During the first half of the 20th century the company exported to eastern and central Europe. After the

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the firm was rebranded and nationalised under communism as ''Obchodní tiskárny Kolín'' and it continued to expand its range, producing forms for computer technology, labels,

playing cards A playing card is a piece of specially prepared card stock, heavy paper, thin cardboard, plastic-coated paper, cotton-paper blend, or thin plastic that is marked with distinguishing motifs. Often the front (face) and back of each card has a Pap ...

and calendars. New premises were built. The firm was denationalised in 1989 and has since continued to expand. In 2006, the OTK Group was formed with subsidiaries in Germany, Romania and Russia.

Products

Today, OTK's products include: flexible packaging, graphic labels, self-adhesive labels, mercantile products, shrink-sleeve labels, in-mould labels and 'smart pack'.

Playing cards

OTK was a major manufacturer of traditional playing cards of the Bohemian pattern, some marketing under a Pegasus motif that was inherited from the cardmakers, Ritter & Cie., of Prague. However, OTK discontinued this activity, and the Pegasus branded cards are now since 2010 manufactured by the Společnost Hrací karty 1884 company.

References

{{Reflist Manufacturing companies of the Czech Republic Playing card manufacturers Manufacturing companies of Czechoslovakia 1879 establishments in Austria-Hungary Czech companies established in 2006