Making newspapers

Last year Pilot Publishing Inc. installed the latest plate imaging system from CRON-ECRM. Completed page layouts are sent digitally to the machine, which produces finished aluminum printing plates ready to be clamped onto the press cylinders after the edges are bent.

Prior to the new system, printing plates were sensitive to room lights and had to be processed using orange "safelights." Two chemicals (a developer and a finisher) were required to produce printing plates. With the new system, no chemicals are required to make plates and the plates can be handled under regular room lights. This system replaces the need for the light tables, sinks, film processors, process camera, chemicals and plate scrubber pictured in the darkroom in 1995.

Following final proofing, the Sentinel pages are formatted and sent to the CRON-ECRM machine where the images are transferred to the printing plates. Prior to that, production employees and the reporter complete advertisements, stories and photos before they are assembled onto pages digitally.

Co-Publishers Ron and Anne Loesch check page proofs before they are sent to the CRON-ECRM platemaker.

Pilot Publishing, Inc. operates a 6-unit Goss Community Press to print its newspapers. The press is capable of printing up to a 32-page newspaper with full color on up to 4 pages of the paper. Each press-run takes about 25 minutes depending upon how many paper roll changes are necessary. Make-ready (work required before the press-run begins) takes another 30-40 minutes. Two to 3 people are needed for each press run.

Ola Richards bends the edges of the aluminum printing plates so they can be clamped onto the plate cylinder on the press.