Video: The press in action

The web offset press (rotary press) was invented by William Bullock in 1863.  Back then, it was driven by a large belt that turned the press units and paper rolls.  The invention transformed the speed with which printing could be done.  Newspapers in particular benefited from this great boost in speed.  The news could be more timely and more copies could be distributed.

Mr. Bullock unfortunately was killed in 1867 by his own invention.  While trying to kick the drive belt on to the pulley, his leg was caught and crushed.  He developed gangrene and died during an operation to amputate his leg.

Many improvements both in safety and print speeds have been made over the years.  Presses today can print at very fast speeds, some printing newspapers at the rate of 60,000 or more copies per hour.

You may not know, but groups come through the newspaper office frequently for tours.  Boy Scouts even have a requirement to tour a newspaper as a step toward a badge.  It is interesting to see how the excitements builds as the group moves through the office areas and makes their way to the press room.

There is something about a printing press - the aroma of the ink, the noise of the gears and rollers I suppose - that demands the group's attention. 

The production of a newspaper, starting with the stories, headlines, ads and photos is a magical process. The last few steps in the process are amazing.  The ends of the press have large rolls of paper turning, the middle of the press has a stream of completed papers coming out - and in between is where the production magic happens.

The video shows the press in action, and you can get a sense of what it is like to be in the room as the papers come out, but really, you need to see it in person to get the true impact.  (We stay a safe distance away while it is running)

We'd love to give you a tour, so feel free to contact us today to schedule your chance to see it up close and personal.

Printing, Sales and Newspapers

Newspapers have a rich history in the United States and all over the world.  Specifically in the United States, they provide information to the public about events and politics with a protection from government interference.  It is a huge responsibility and there are those who would say one side - conservative or liberal are not being given enough importance.

Regardless of your perspective about the content, the production of a newspaper is, as a former boss portrayed it - "a daily miracle".  What other industry takes the majority of their content from the public, organizes it, designs it neatly, produces 30,000 or more copies and delivers it to homes within 24 hours? 

You could say that radio, TV or the internet provide some of that content, but it isn't delivered to the place you live in tangible form like a newspaper is.  It is a huge production undertaking and one missed deadline in any department jeopardizes on time home delivery - and it happens every day of the week in some cases.

Many homes have a scrapbook where they cut out articles or photos of family members and keep it for years...can your ipad do that?

My role with newspapers began after working in printing for a few years.  I was hired to work with the print shop of my home town newspaper selling and managing the printing.  Over time I also began to fill that role for the newspaper side of the business as well.

I learned a lot about printing, meeting deadlines and selling.

Probably the most important aspect I learned about is relationships.  Terry Block used to stop by my office every week on Friday to shoot the breeze and see if we needed any of the supplies he sold.  It wasn't a high pressure sales visit, it was a friend coming to see if I was stocked up for the next week of business.  He had my business - I didn't buy anything from anyone else unless Terry's price was way too high or he didn't offer the item I needed.

Terry took care of me and I took care of Terry.

Who has your back?  Is there someone who prints for you now that "has your back" and looks out for your best interests?  (Keeping you making money, keeps them making money by the way) 

Look for a supplier that is on your team, cares about your product and goes the "extra mile" to help you when you are in a pinch, those relationships are mutually beneficial and they last!

Printing: The Offset Process

I think most people understand that you can't mix oil and water.  They are kind of like magnetic poles that repel each other.

These fundamental physical characteristics provide the basis for offset printing.



Plate and Blanket with Cyan ink

The ink which is made up of an oil based pigment - typically soy oil now days - is transferred from an ink fountain on to rollers that spread the ink evenly across a metal plate.  The plate has areas where the ink tries to stick - the image, and areas where water washes the ink away.  The remaining ink is transferred through a rubberized blanket to the paper.  On a newspaper press this happens very quickly - approximately 13 impressions every second for our press. 

Sometimes the ink overpowers the water and you see the result on a printed page.  It can appear as smudges around the edge of the paper, or a shading of the background - we call this scumming, or tinting.  If the water overpowers the ink, the ink appears light and "washed out" or disappears all together.  The paper can even stretch and develop wrinkles and other problems.

Ink and water balance is a huge part of high quality printing.  You must find that sweet spot where the ink and water, though fighting each other, work together to create a clean, vibrant image.

If you are printing black and white - this happens once on the sheet of paper.  When you print in full color, you now have Cyan ink and water balance to control, Magenta, Yellow and Black - all at the same time.  Not only do you need to control the ink and water balance on all four, but now you need to make all four of these colors line up on the page - called registration.  If a photo looks like a person has a second set of eyes, or you can see one of these colors "hanging out" of the photo frame, then the printing is said to be "out of register".

You can probably imagine how difficult it is to balance ink and water for four colors while simultaneously making sure the four colors line up precisely all while printing 13 copies per second!

Newspaper printing presses also use very thin paper.  Have you ever taken a magic marker and held it to a piece of toilet paper?  The ink spot continues to grow while you hold it on there.  What happens when toilet paper gets wet?  It loses its shape.  Those same things also happen to a lesser degree with newsprint.  The first time newsprint comes in contact with water it gets a little less stable and stretches.  That means the first ink you put on the paper actually grows slightly before the next ink is put on.  Fan out is the term we use to describe this process and there are methods to help control it, but thin newsprint compounds the complexity of printing four colors at the same time and balancing your ink and water.

Fan out, registration and ink and water balance is a problem for all presses and papers, not just a newspaper press. 

The next time you see a full color printed piece, now you'll understand a little more how much skill it requires to make it look that good.