Newspapers Meet Colour Demand With Goss Press

French local weekly newspaper La Manche Libre has placed an order for a new four-tower shaftless double-width Goss Uniliner press.

French local weekly newspaper La Manche Libre has placed an order for a new four-tower shaftless double-width Goss Uniliner press.

The purchase has been made in response to a significant rise in customer demand for colour advertising and higher production levels, said Goss.

The press will be installed at the end of the year and will come in to production beginning of 2007.

MJ Peron, technical director at La Manche Libre, commented: "The French newspaper market is changing, and newspapers need to be able to print in full colour.

We also have a requirement to produce more pages, without compromising our delivery deadlines.

The double-width, two around format of the Uniliner press will deliver the precise productivity we need to remain one step ahead of our customers' requirements." Said to be designed for medium-sized newspapers looking for greater flexibility, the Uniliner press is claimed to be capable of straight and also collect production and speeds up to 75,000 copies per hour (37,500 copies in collect mode).

The new 560mm cut-off press for La Manche Libre will be configured as four four-high towers with a 2:3:3 folder featuring straight/collect push-button change-over and quarterfold capability.

The press has been specified with a range of features to ensure higher quality output, faster job turnaround and reduced make-ready waste, added Goss.

They include level three press controls with job data storage capability, self-learning motorised ink keys with remote control and pre-setting, automatic independent circumferential and lateral register controls on every couple and three-roller dampening.

In addition, the press incorporates web tension controls and web-break detectors, remote diagnostic access to the entire press and a dust extraction system.

Once installed, the new press at La Manche Libre in St Lo will be able to produce 128 pages in full colour - double the company's current capacity.

Independently owned, La Manche Libre is looking to improve its print quality and differentiate itself from other local newspapers.

As Peron explained: "The Goss Uniliner press will enable us to stay ahead in this very competitive market well in to the future by providing the flexibility to adapt to developing trends.

In addition to this, Goss International has a very good reputation for delivering excellent technical support - we feel we have purchased much more than just a web offset press." La Manche Libre has been investing consistently keep pace with the best that technology can offer for improved quality, efficiency and productivity, said Goss.

Since implementing CTP in the 1990s, pre-press production at the company has been 100 per cent digital.

The company also has what is described as a 'state-of-the-art' distribution system and with the Uniliner press in operation, according to Peron, La Manche Libre's entire production process will be far more efficient.

An independent family business founded in 1944, La Manche Libre is currently France's first locally distributed weekly newspaper.

It is also the first information media in the Manche region.

Other titles printed at the facility include, Courrier de la Mayenne, Journal du Pays de Vitre, Le Haut Anjou, L'informateur and several free newspapers such as NOTA (500,000 copies).

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