Newspapers Make Use Of Idle Press Time

Equipping individual press sections or entire presses with heatset dryers and peripherals for semi-commercial production is one of the current trends in the newspaper industry.

Equipping individual press sections or entire presses with heatset dryers and peripherals for semi-commercial production is one of the current trends in the newspaper industry.

That is according to German press manufacturer KBA, which said that the developments are driven by a desire to make use of idle daytime capacity by printing flyers, supplements and inserts, in addition to routine newspaper production at night.

Over the past 10 years, KBA said it has shipped 50 such press lines, both single-width and double-width, but newspaper presses in the classic four-high configuration with a thermal air dryer and a heatset package should not be confused with heatset commercial presses.

Nor should newspaper publishers fall in to the trap of expecting the print and process quality of semi-commercials to compare with conventional commercials, such as high-gloss magazines, added the company.

In semi-commercial production the emphasis is on immediacy and the rapid dissemination of information, rather than on the visual enjoyment provided by browsing.

And, like daily or weekly newspapers, semi-commercials have a relatively short life of mere days.

Semi-commercials are often free publications, so readers tend to be less critical of quality than readers of (and advertisers in) upmarket commercials.

At the same time the reproduction of food and other consumer goods on a semi-commercial press must be realistic enough to promote an urge to buy, said KBA.

So, even for the most critical production manager, what it comes down to is achieving a printed image that is adequate for the purpose, added the company.

Therefore, the deciding factor should not be one that lives up to the premium standards delivered by a dedicated commercial press with its more sophisticated inking and dampening systems, alcohol additives in the fount solution, diverse auxiliaries and high-precision pin or gripper folder.

Any semi-commercial printer who believes that, by installing a newspaper press with a dryer, he will be able to compete with the printing and processing quality attainable in commercial web offset, is bound to be disappointed, believes KBA and competition amongst commercial printers is even fiercer than in the newspaper market.

However, whilst the commercial quality achievable - under favourable circumstances - with a semi-commercial press is no more than average, there are plenty of products for which the use of costly commercial presses is simply not cost-effective, in KBA's opinion.

Many newspaper publishing houses that previously used to run commercial operations but have since taken to outsourcing commercial work, such as newspaper supplements or similar, are once again in a position to cut costs and expand their business base by investing in a well-equipped semi-commercial press.

What is more, heatset sections in a web press can be used to enhance the existing core of newspaper titles by adding a heatset (and therefore rub-resistant) cover, editorial sections, or supplements, or to print contract work, added KBA.

Examples of this can be seen in the Middle East, Scandinavia, the Netherlands and other markets where this is a long-standing practice.

Another option is to go for a hybrid press, which runs coldset and heatset copies through the same folder.

Heatset dryers have mainly been fitted on single-width newspaper presses like KBA's Comet or Continent, with a web width of no more than 1,000mm (39.5").

This approach is most noticeable amongst the contract printers which have taken up semi-commercial production: they appreciate the greater flexibility and easier handling of single-width presses.

As far as quality is concerned, one of the major technological benefits delivered by single-width presses is that fan-out on narrower webs, and subsequent shrinkage in the dryer, are less pronounced in four-over-four production than with double-width presses.

On top of that it is easier to change the web width, which is often a decisive argument for contract printers.

Having said that, KBA added that it has also delivered Colora and Commander double-width semi-commercial press lines to the Netherlands, Germany, Hungary, India and the USA, with further shipments scheduled.

KBA said that semi-commercial presses capable of handling coated stock weighing up to 80gsm (50lbs) must be configured with stronger reelstands than standard newspaper presses because the reels are that much heavier.

By comparison, commercial presses with folders can handle a maximum stock weight of 135gsm (87lbs) or, with a sheeter, 250gsm (160lbs).

Semi-commercial presses must also feature in-feed units with accurate web-tension control (65daN/m minimum); web aligners prior to the printing couples and after the chill rollers.

Reinforced inking units with undershot ink knives and a third ink forme roller are also necessary, together with cylinder-washing systems with the option of interim washing during extended production runs and colour and cut-off register controls (plus additional controls for lateral web or ribbon shift).

Shrink wheels for fan-out control (KBA is currently working on this in association with QI) full-circumference double-spread plates, a heatset web-catching device and a full-circumference porcupine roller are also common.

A remotely adjustable first chilling roller, a silicone unit and gluing device with softening and web-width adjustment via double turner bars or a moveable former, also feature.

For hybrid presses a few more features are recommended, such as dual ink feed for coldset and heatset production.

Semi-commercials are normally printed in the colour sequence KCMY.

In practice, it has generally been found that trained commercial web offset printers find it easier to handle semi-commercial presses than coldset newspaper printers who have no experience in handling coated stock and no knowledge of how it reacts in the dryer, the superstructure and folder, added KBA.

Assessing the printing and folding quality is more or less subjective, believes the company.

Some printers speak of a 'good quality' even where relatively basic magazines or catalogues are concerned, whilst others reserve this for more challenging jewellery catalogues.

As a rule it may be said that a commercial quality (to Fogra standards) is virtually impossible to achieve with semi-commercial presses because their inking and dampening units are simply not designed for it.

Typical commercials, such as luxury magazines are classed as quality group I, a standard that can reliably be achieved in web offset only with the relevant equipment, said KBA, whilst semi-commercials are classed as quality group II.

More specifically, this indicates a screen of around 54 lines per centimetre (lpc) (133 lines per inch - lpi).

However, KBA claimed that its Cortina press is an exception as it is said to handle a stock weight of 38gsm to 80gsm (24lbs - 50lbs) limited full-solid density, higher tolerances with regard to ghosting and registration accuracy (depending on the inking unit) and a maximum tonal value of 270 per cent, in addition to higher folding tolerances than with a commercial press.

Because the press equipment is not quite as sophisticated as on a classic commercial press, start-up waste levels are generally slightly higher, advised KBA.

The most successful semi-commercial printers are those who clearly define their quality limitations in advance and then focus on boosting margins by pulling in work where they can make the most of their capabilities within these parameters.

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