Duh in the pressroom

So often what we do in our pressrooms when a problem arises is to just do anything to get through the job - and hope that the problem doesn't show up again. But press problems will not go away if we just keep ignoring them. Fixing problems using guesswork is not a solution. The key is to determine and define precisely what the problem was, as well as its cause through an organized diagnostic process.

Some key steps:

• Ideally you would have a "Golden Reference Press Sheet". This is a press sheet (and its corressponding proof) that was technically documented and archived when the press print condition was first calibrated/set up. It's a snapshot of all the print manufacturing factors when the press ran in an ideal condition. It can be used to compare with the current problem problem sheet to see what has changed.

• Press on your suppliers for help. Ask them for troubleshooting charts and technical guides. Provide them with sheets and ask them to give an evaluation of the problem with possible solutions. Typically suppliers have labs with technicians who have seen and dealt with most of the issues related to their products.

Death of the Newspaper or Death by Newspaper

A clip from the great 1952 noir film: Deadline USA which includes great shots of a newspaper press and an unfortunate chap taking too close a look at the press.

Futureworld Goss newspaper press

The opening scene of Futureworld 1976 - the sequel to Westworld - has a wonderful walk by of a Goss (Metroliner?) newspaper press.



More printing in the movies can be seen HERE

Instructions for making your own pressman's hat can be found HERE

Dead at 141 years of age

After a valiant battle with Internet News the Nanaimo Daily News, a resident of this city for 141 years, has, as some feared it would, sadly passed away. The Nanaimo Daily News was pre-deseased by its younger brother - The Oceanside Star, resident of Parksville, B.C., and sister - The Courier-Islander, resident of Campbell River, B.C.

The Nanaimo Daily News was a well respected and active member of this Island community of nearly 150,000. It will be especially missed by its advertisers, existing and recent subscribers, and by those few who picked up their copy at newspaper stands.

There will be no funeral service and so, in lieu of flowers, please visit the Nanaimo Daily News memorial page by clicking HERE or make a donation to your local community newspaper by purchasing a copy (while you still can).

"No news is sad news"

Artisan Books - Melding leading edge digital printing with traditional craftsmanship

Artisan Books is a unique melding of leading edge digital book printing with traditional book creation craftsmanship that delivers premium limited edition books for creative professionals, artisans and individuals.

The new digital printing technologies have finally made individual as well as limited edition book printing affordable, accessible, and able to meet the highest standards for fidelity in image reproduction and permanence.

Artisan Books extends that capability by completing the book, by hand, using the craft techniques of traditional book publishers.

As a result, Artisan Books works with some of the most creative and demanding design consultancies and individuals in the world. Their books are available in three popular sizes, digitally printed on Mohawk archival paper, then case bound, hand sewn and protected within an an attractive box. The books may optionally be embellished with bespoke book cloths and papers, embossing, or foil blocking. Pages of a specialist nature or papers such as metallics, hand made sheets, pressed flowers or foils may also be included.

Artisan books can be built from their design templates or, more popularly, by the client - making their book presentations unique works of art.

More information on this unique service is available by clicking HERE.

Marketing 101

Everyone in town knows where the church is - but every Sunday the church still rings its bell.

Revolutionary 3D Printing inspired by the movie Terminator 2

A TED Talk by Joseph DeSimone March 2015 - amazing.

You know that film is dead...

... when you have to say that what was being put into a camera is a roll of film as this clip from the recent "Sin City - A Dame to Die For" did because otherwise the modern audience wouldn't know what it was.

Weights and Measures Craziness

I was comparing the nutrition information of two bags of cheese at the grocer's today.
And noted that the information was based on the amount of cheese by cup and gram.
Somehow, although they are both using 30 grams as the measure - one has 30 grams being 1/3 of a cup but with the other the same 30 grams is 1/4 of a cup.
Hmmmmm. So what does a web-based converter say?
Apparently 1/4 of a cup isn't 30 grams - it's 59!
I give up.

Liberal Wastage

I received this mailer from the Liberal Party of Canada in my mail today.


It's a "Special Invitation" to join the Laurier Club for a suggested donation of between $225 and $325.


Inside is a "personal video message" which can be viewed by using the enclosed USB stick.
To my surprise the "personal video message" was identical to the one that could be viewed at the URL listed just below the attached USB stick. So, the Liberal Party marketeers created a very expensive way to communicate a simple URL. Also, because the USB stick does not show up as an attached device on the user's computer desktop - it can't be reused for any other purpose.

What a waste.

You can't do this with a tablet or PC

The GeoBender Hypercube:

Beautiful and amazing. For more information click HERE 

The Drinkable Book

An innovative solution to the problem of securing drinkable water that is unlikely to ever be replaced by an eBook.

For more information visit: http://www.waterislife.com/

A printshop in the Center of the Cosmos - Lewes, England

At the top of the High Street in the bustling market town of Lewes, East Sussex, sits the Tom Paine Printing Press.

Click on images to embiggen
Printer Peter Chasseaud set up his letterpress shop just five years ago after a career in fine art and graphic design.


Now he does short run printing for other artists as well as specialty work for commercial printers.


Rather than carving the images into wooden plates as was originally done for letterpress printing, Peter etches his designs into modern photopolymer plates.

The Tom Paine Printing Press is actually a not-for-profit educational organization. It is based around a working 18th-century-style wooden ‘common press’, as used to print Thomas Paine’s pamphlets and books. Together with the trappings of an 18th century print room, type cases, cabinets, frames and the compositor’s ‘stone’, the shop is an excellent educational resource and tourist attraction. Local writers and artists use the press for the production of their own books, pamphlets, broadsheets and prints. As well, the press is used to instruct students of all ages in the complexities of letterpress technology and the crucial importance of the printed word in disseminating ideas.

If you ever find yourself in the Center of the Cosmos - the town of Lewes, England - take the time to visit Peter at the Tom Paine Printing Press and discover the living craft of printing. The shop's web site can be found by clicking HERE

The Wayback View

A modern newspaper press from the 1940 Green Hornet TV series. For more print in movies videos check out this LINK

Prepress patent troll hearing

A number of printshops have been hit by an extortion letter from an alleged patent troll. The issue was discussed at the "Protecting Small Businesses and Promoting Innovation by Limiting Patent Troll hearing in Washington DC December 17, 2013.

These three short audio files contain the testimony of: Michael Makin, 
President & CEO, 
Printing Industries of America and Dana Rao
, Vice President and Associate General Counsel for Intellectual Property Litigation
, Adobe Systems, Inc. made at that hearing.

NB: My use of a video of an operating Ryobi 754 offset printing press was only in order to embed the audio files in a way that Blogspot would allow me to upload.

The eternal conflict - ink/water balance - the tale of the tones

An AM/XM halftone screen has a builty-in conflicting ink/water balance requirement on press. The highlight dot and quarter tone range from 1-35% requires minimal water and maximum ink in order to prevent those dots from being washed away. The three-quarter tone range from 65-99% requires the opposite - a larger volume of water in order to prevent the shadow dots from filling in and disappearing. On the other hand, the mid-tone range from 35-65% is more of a balance between ink and water.

Halftone dots and the tones range they represent are affected differently by the condition of the ink on press - assuming of course, that the plate, press, and chemistry are set up correctly. Unfortunately, if the press operator attempts to fix tone reproduction in some areas, that built-in difference in ink/water requirement can exaggerate the inherent conflict and cause problems in other parts of the tone range.

1 - 1-35% This tone range is primarily affected by the body/viscosity of the ink. If the body is too soft the highlight area will print too full which may cause the press operator to decrease solid ink density in order to reduce the dot size. Alternatively the fountain solution may over-emulsify this tone range causing poor ink transfer and loss of highlight detail. If the ink body is too heavy the dot may print too sharp causing the press operator to increase the density or blanket pressure.

2 - 35-65% This tone range is primarily affected by the strength (pigment load) of the ink. If the ink is too weak the press operator will increase solid ink density which will cause increased dot gain and result in presswork that appears too full. If the ink is too strong the midtones may print too light. Also, the strength of the ink also impacts how well the inks trap, which in turn affects the color gamut the press should be able to achieve. Varying the strength and stiffness of the ink to achieve good tone reproduction in presswork is a method press operators, who don't have good communication with prepress, often employ. It's almost always better to use tone reproduction curves applied in plate imaging than to modify inks.

3 - 65-95% This tone range is most strongly affected by mechanically induced dot gain or chemistry issues i.e. (poor ink water balance). If the tone range from 1-65% is evenly balanced then excessive gain in the shadow tones is usually caused by running excessive water, too much blanket pressure, and/or mechanical slur.

Paper - from another most unusual and environmentally friendly source

Paper made from poopPlant fibers (typically from trees) are the usual base material used in making pulp for paper production. However those plant fibers don't have to come unprocessed directly from the plant. The fibers can actually be gathered after being processed by certain animals and delivered for paper-making in their poop.

Paper products can be made from the poop of a variety of different fiber-eating herbivores including elephants, cows, horses, moose, pandas, and donkeys. These animals eat lots of vegetation everyday and they are prolific poopers. Since the digestive systems of these animals don’t break down the vegetation very well, their poop contains plenty of fiber even after their meal is consumed. They are basicaly doing the first stage of any paper making process – getting the fibers. Elephants, for example, can eat upwards of 250kg per day of fiber-filled meals with much of that passing through their systems largely intact. It is estimated that one elephant can produce enough poop to make about 115 sheets of paper per day.

From poop to paper

Although the source may be different, the process of making paper is not that different from making it from conventionally acquired fibers.
First, the poop is collected, then rinsed and boiled to a pulp. The solution is then blended or spun to soften and cut the fibers. Other things such as dye and/or other fibrous materials may be added to give the solution the proper consistency.
The slurry is then sifted onto rectangular sieves and allowed to dry. When dry, the thin layer of plant fibers is peeled off the sieve and made into raw sheets and rolls of paper.

Using paper made from poop is a fantastic example of sustainable and recycling practices and solutions to our environmental challenges.

Paper - from a most unusual and environmentally friendly source

Paper can be made from a variety of materials, but perhaps one of the most unusual and environmentally friendly is paper made from stones.
Stone paper is known by many names including rock paper, limestone paper, eco-stone, and synthetic paper.

How it's made

Stone paper is made with a mixture of about 80% calcium carbonate which is also used in the manufacture of conventional tree-based paper. The calcium carbonate usually comes from limestone, marble and other stones collected as waste material from existing quarries for the building and construction industry. The stones are ground down to a fine chalk-like powder then a small quantity (about 20%) of non-toxic resin (HDPE- High Density Polyethylene) is added as a binder for the calcium carbonate. Together these materials create a soft, smooth, bright white paper that is tough, durable and both water and tear resistant. The paper is chlorine free, acid free, and safe for the environment.


The ECO benefit

• One ton of virgin paper uses 20 trees, 36,000 BTU’s of energy, creates 16,000 gallons of contaminated waste water, uses bleach, and contains 20-30% calcium carbonate (stone).
• One ton of recycled paper uses 4 trees, 22,000 BTU’s of energy, creates 9,000 gallons of contaminated waste water, uses bleach, and contains 20-30% calcium carbonate (stone).
• One ton of stone paper uses 0 trees, creates absolutely no waste water, and uses half the energy of virgin paper and 1/3 the energy of recycled paper. Stone paper does not require bleaching chemicals and generates no air pollution.

Stone-based paper is recyclable with both paper and plastic. Since it is stone it is not biodegradable. On exposure to UV light, e.g. from the sun, and moisture, the High Density Polyethylene breaks down after about a year returning the calcium carbonate to a power form. Egg shells are 95% calcium carbonate and decompose in a similar way. The HDPE is also recyclable and has the number "2" as its recycling symbol. Much of household waste is sent to WTE (Waste to Energy) plants where it is incinerated, scrubbed of carbon, and ‘recycled’ into energy.  Even conventional paper waste ends up in WTE plants.  If stone paper ends up at a WTE plant it actually is a great contributor since it burns more cleanly than many other materials and does not produce toxins.

The calcium carbonate itself is the most abundant natural mineral on earth making up 70% of all minerals on the planet.  Mining and quarrying operations already existing in the world scrape away tons of calcium carbonate each year in an effort to get at the ‘more precious’ minerals.  This excess material makes calcium carbonate a great ‘filler’ for papers, plastics, some food products and many household products.

Stone-based papers are:

•  Water Proof

•  Grease Proof

•  Tear Resistant

•  Weather Resistant

•  An alternative to synthetic papers such as Yupo, Tyvek and polypropylene films

•  A great grease barrier

•  A great outdoors product (with the addition of UV blockers)

Some stone-based paper brands include: FiberStone® Natural Stone Paper, Terraskin, and Rockstock.

Marketing 101 - "Weasel" words

Whether you're a marketing services provider or a consumer you need to be aware of the use of "weasel" words in advertising and marketing verbiage.

Weasel words, or phrases, are used in marketing/advertising in order to avoid making a direct statement or promise. I.e. they are used as a way to say something that legally, or truthfully, cannot be said. They're also used to make you think you've heard something that hasn't actually been said, to accept as truth something which has only been implied, and believe things that have only been suggested.

A short guide to marketing and advertising "weasel" words.

Sale - Often used in newspaper advertising flyers and at point of purchase in the store. "Sale" or "sale price" is intended to make you think that the product's price has been discounted. But in reality, unless the original price is also displayed, "sale" simply means that this is the normal price that the product sells for.

Help - Often used with health and beauty products e.g. "Helps prevent cavities" "Helps make wrinkles disappear." The word "help" simply means "assist" and nothing more. No advertiser can say: "Our product makes wrinkles disappear" so instead they qualify it with "help" and can say: "Our product helps make wrinkles disappear." Our minds skip over the qualifier "help" and just hears "makes wrinkles disappear."

"Helps prevent..."
"Helps fight...."
"Helps you look..."

Like - "Like" is a qualifier that has a comparative element to it. It is used to stop the consumer from looking at the actual product being sold and instead start thinking about something that is bigger, better, or different.

"It's like getting another one free."
"It's like a vacation in Hawaii."
"Cleans like a white tornado."

"Like" is intended to make you believe that the product or service is more than it actually is by likening it to something else.

Virtual/virtually - This word just means "in essence" or "in effect," but not in actual fact.

"Virtually never needs service"
"Virtually the same as"
"Virtually handmade"

"Virtually" is interpreted by most people as meaning "almost or the same as...." But it really means "not in actual fact" so, for example, "Virtually never needs service" really means that it actually needs service.

Can be/may be - E.g. "Brand X can be of help in reducing cavities" or Brand Y may be effective in your weight loss program." Can be/may be is basically saying that the advertiser doesn't know if their product does anything.

Up to - This is used to imply an ideal situation but actually qualifies it. E.g. "Up to 50% off our regular prices." Well that could mean that discounts range anywhere from 0% to 50% - but they've got you in the store looking for all those 50% discounts.

As much as - E.g. "You'll reduce your ink consumption by as much as 28%." See "Up to."

Feel - This word expresses a subjective opinion. E.g. "This fabric feels like the finest silk." "Feels" like in this example is the advertiser's opinion of their product. Counter "feels" by completing the thought - "This fabric feels like the finest silk - but it isn't."

Free - Rarely is anything actually free. Free usually just means that it is included in the total price rather than listed as a separate item.

The Wayback View - Printing: Dead or Alive

I just love how printing is portrayed in the media. Here are two scenes from 1958's TV show Wanted Dead or Alive starring Steve McQueen. Despite the equipment shown (which is still used today for specialty work) the characterization of printers and their customers is not too far off what still happens today.

The press in the TV episode is similar to this one:

Movie by Thomas & Erik Desmyter
A Liberty platen press invented and patented in 1859 by Frederick Otto Degener in New York.

BTW, "Josh" mentioned Horace Greeley (February 3, 1811 – November 29, 1872). He was an American newspaper editor and a founder of the Liberal Republican Party. The New York Tribune (which he founded and edited) was America's most influential newspaper from the 1840s to the 1870s and "established Greeley's reputation as the greatest editor of his day."

Crusading against the corruption of Ulysses S. Grant's Republican administration, he was the new Liberal Republican Party's candidate in the 1872 U.S. presidential election. Despite having the additional support of the Democratic Party, he lost in a landslide. He is the only presidential candidate to have died prior to the counting of electoral votes.

Click HERE for more examples of printing in the movies.