Thanks for the question Geoff.
The answer is that we are still fine-tuning our settings. When we ran the paper here in Freeport, our pressmen made manual adjustments to get the right colors in the paper - including the right shading on our text. Rockford uses digital profiles. So, basically we are working on calibrating our settings - what we see on the screen - for that press. It's an adjustment that we will continue to make over the next month or so.
There is a similar explanation for the "smaller" font. Our press used a 50-inch "web." Rockford's uses a 48-inch web. You can see the difference yourself if you place a copy of the paper from the past two days on top of a copy from an older date. You'll find that it's not an exact fit. The Rockford-printed copy is smaller. So, the problem for the newsroom is how we fit a paper designed on a 50-inch template into a 48-inch space.
In the early stages of the transition, the answer has been to electronically scale our pages at Rockford. They get a bit smaller - not much. And I think the paper is still very readable.
Here is what J-S Publisher Steve Trosley had to say about the print issue. "The difference is only 3 percent. On 11-point time that’s actually less than a point – and there are 12 points in one-sixth of an inch or in one pica, the standard printer’s measurement. Picas and points are base six math whereas most Americans work in Base 10."
"Geoff has exceptional vision. I want him as a gunner on my B-25."
Scaling is a temporary solution: we are in the middle of a redesign that will change all of our templates along with the fonts used in the newspaper. Readability is a huge concern for us, so you'll probably see us return to a larger font size.
And that brings me to my next point: this is your hometown newspaper. we need to know what you like - and don't like about the Journal-Standard. Any thoughts on the increased use of color throughout the newspaper?
For those interested, here is a bit of information about Rockford's press.
2 comments:
Yes, readability is a big problem. You need a larger and bolder print. I compare it to my copy of the Chicago Tribune and there is a world of difference.
If Steve lost 3% of his private parts, he would find that percentage is a lot bigger than he thinks it is now.
Post a Comment