How's your printing?
Judging newspaper print quality isn't a subjective undertaking but a matter of determining how well a paper meets a set of industry standards, according to Kevin Conner, quality assurance manager for The Washington Post.
"The key always rests on ink density and color registration. Those are the key components," he said.
Contest entrants with SNPA's annual Print Quality Contest are evaluated on how closely they meet the standards of SNAP, Specifications for Newsprint Advertising Production. These can be measured objectively with tools such as a densitometer for ink density.
Conner has chaired the SNPA contest for 15 years. Conner said SNAP standards not only make for a fair and objective contest, they offer individual publishers a way to judge for themselves how well their printers are doing the job.
A state-of-the-art printing press certainly helps, but the skills needed to make any press perform are paramount.
"No 1, know how to set ink and water balance correctly," Conner said. "No. 2, color registration: Be able to keep all the color pages in perfect register.
"And then, something that's kind of an intangible but extremely important: You need to have a press that's well maintained. These are the factors that are behind good printing. You have a workforce of highly skilled press operators who know their jobs inside and out."
More
Association for Print Technologies launches new online APTech community forum
The Association for PRINT Technologies has launched the APTech Connect Community Forum, a new and free online resource designed to foster engagement, collaboration and information-sharing across the print industry's value chain.
MORENewspapers upgrade prepress workflow solutions to ProImage NewsWayX
ProImage, an AGFA Company, is helping several newspaper publishers streamline their prepress operations and centralizing their production by modernizing and upgrading their workflow management systems. Essential in the streamlining processes is ProImage's new generation of production workflow system NewsWayX.
MORE
LNP buys NewsXtreme Workflow
Presteligence has announced that LNP (Lancaster, Penn.) has purchased NewsXtreme Prepress Production Workflow Solutions to manage its print production.
MOREA. H. Belo Corporation announces changes to commercial printing business
A. H. Belo Corporation, the parent company of The Dallas Morning News, has implemented changes to its commercial printing business based out of the company's printing facility in Plano, Texas.
MORE
You're hired! Koenig & Bauer (US) launches new unique apprenticeship programs
In light of the tight labor market and the acute need for qualified candidates to join the printing industry, Koenig & Bauer (US) is taking a decisive step to invest in its future and develop new unique apprenticeship programs to fill its technical positions.
MORE
ECRM and Southern Lithoplate announce new LifeXtender program
Citing the dilemma facing newspaper printers who need to replace their old, out-of-date CtP devices, yet have a freeze on capital spending, ECRM and Southern Lithoplate have partnered to provide a simple solution.
LifeXtender is a new program launched by ECRM and Southern Lithoplate. LifeXtender is for owners of popular, but aging ECRM CtP units that may not be quite as efficient as previously or simply are out of warranty.
MOREGateHouse Media, Savannah Morning News acquire printing facility operations
GateHouse Media and the Savannah Morning News have acquired from Morris Communications Company the printing operations located on Chatham Parkway in Savannah. The announcement was made by Savannah Morning News Publisher Michael Traynor.
MORESouthern Lithoplate unveils two new CtP models
Southern Lithoplate and CRON-ECRM have introduced two new platesetting devices that redefine and refine CtP technology for today and tomorrow.
Steve Mattingly, senior vice president of Southern Lithoplate, announced the launch of the CRON-ECRM G+ and H Series CtP solutions: “We began our journey with CRON-ECRM well over three years ago following initial planning that dated back to Autumn 2007. Over that timeframe, we listened closely to what the market said it needs and wants in prepress CtP."
MORECanadian newspaper sees $213,000 in ink savings since using ProImage
Canadian newspaper Winnipeg Free Press recently added ProImage's OnColor ECO Ink Optimization Software to reduce ink consumption and ink cost on its press while improving print quality.
MOREPresstek announces definitive agreement with Southern Lithoplate
Presstek LLC has entered into a definitive agreement with Southern Lithoplate, Inc. to sell certain assets related to its CTP portfolio of wet offset thermal and violet plate products: Nytro, GemPlate, GemPlate HC, NuVio and HSUV.
MORE
Cox Media Group Ohio enters into production agreement with Gannett plant
Cox Media Group Ohio has entered into an agreement in principle with Gannett Publishing Services to handle production work for CMGO's three daily newspapers and weekly publications at Gannett's Indianapolis newspaper production plant. The daily publications affected are The Dayton Daily News, Springfield News-Sun and Journal-News.
MoreSouthern Lithoplate expands production capacity
Southern Lithoplate, Inc. has recently completed a significant expansion of production capacity at its North Carolina headquarters campus.
Comprehensive investments in R&D and manufacturing capabilities were made to accommodate the demand among printing companies for Southern Lithoplate's Liberty NXP no-process plates.
MoreProImage's ink savings solution OnColor ECO gets thumbs up
The Albert Lea Tribune, Albert Lea, Minn., is the latest newspaper to purchase the ink-saving solution from ProImage called OnColor ECO Saas.
More