Notes
Volume 8, Number 3
Click here for a printable version (.pdf) of this edition of Notes

Michael Keene, President
In this issue of JR Notes, we take a look at web and sheetfed printing technologies and the benefits of leveraging their combined assets for quality, innovation and value. At JR we offer a balanced blend of sheetfed and web printing under one roof – something very few printing companies provide. We also offer expert technical support, in-house finishing and mailing, and a service ethic that distinguishes us from other commercial printers. We are proud of our environmentally sound production practices. As you move your projects from design to production, remember we’re here to answer questions and offer guidance. We’ll take time to talk about the technical implications of design decisions and work with you to ensure a successful product.

Sheet Fed and Web Presses

Cast away your old belief that web printing is somehow lower in quality than sheetfed printing. Today, thanks to digital technology and equipment advancements, printers have eliminated the quality gap. Take a minute now to review web and sheetfed basics and consider the possibilities.

Harness the combined power of Sheet Fed and Web Presses.

Sheetfed press facts

• A sheetfed press prints on individual sheets of paper, as opposed to the continuous rolls of paper used on a web press.
• Best suited for short to medium runs.
• Prints on a much wider selection of paper stocks and other substrates than a web press (such as plastic - see page six).
• Available in many sizes; some presses print both sides of the paper in one pass

Web press facts

• A web press operates at a much higher speed than a sheetfed press while providing consistent, high-quality printing for medium to long runs.
• Web is ideal for high volume printing, generally becoming cost-effective when the number of impressions exceeds 15,000. (For example, a brochure that fits ‘six-up’ on a sheet is 1/6 of 15,000 impressions.)
• Paper selection is limited to what is available on rolls.
• Heat sets the ink (heat-set web).
• Available in many sizes, the most common being half web (8-page) and full web (16-, 24- and 32-page).
• A web press can be equipped with finishing capabilities (folding, numbering, perfing, gluing, etc.) which greatly speed up production.
• Jobs that require multiple versions and premium stock can now be practically and effectively printed using web technology.

Which press is best?

Ideal Sheetfed Projects
Short-run inserts • cover-wraps • brochures • covers • posters • direct-mail pieces and envelopes • book components including cover mounts, end sheets and dust jackets • business cards • flyers • pamphlets • booklets • specialty products (including printing on plastics, metal and other substrates)

Ideal Web Projects
Magazine and catalog covers, including those with a single or double gatefold • body pages of magazines, catalogs and books • newsletters • direct mail promotions

Ideal Crossover Projects
Annual reports • magazines • catalogs

It can be cost-effective to print a publication’s cover on a sheetfed press and the inside pages on a web press. If you are unsure about which press or combination of presses to use, rely on the expertise of your JR account rep to help select the best options.

Papercuts
Ordering tips & tricks

Paper is critical to the quality of your job and can account for thirty percent (or more) of its total cost. With so many features and options to consider – surface, color, brightness, opacity, grain, weight, caliper, bulk, size and quantity – selecting the right paper for a particular job can be daunting. The good news is that your John Roberts team understands these issues and will walk you through each consideration so you get what you want.

Essential differences: web & sheetfed papers

• Web paper is primarily white and is available only on rolls.
• Paper for sheetfed presses is available in a wide variety of stocks, including various weights, colors and textures.
• Web stock is manufactured with a higher moisture content than sheetfed stock because it is exposed to a heat-set dryer during production.
• While papers used are different for web and sheetfed presses, a skilled printer can use both presses and achieve identical printed pages for a single job.

The earlier you order paper, the better.

• Price and availability are influenced by fluctuations in the paper market.

In general, the more unique the sheet or roll, the harder it is to get and the more expensive it is.

• When using paper sample books, be sure to check availability.
• If a special roll size is selected, be sure to consult your sales rep about availability.
• Cover stock is harder to get than text.
• Dull-finished paper is harder to get than matte and gloss.
• When selecting non-domestic paper, availability and paper characteristics should be carefully reviewed.

Whenever possible, have your job quoted using a house sheet.

• Standard web roll sizes are reasonably priced and readily available on the floor.
• John Roberts offers excellent stocks at competitive pricing, and with a house sheet there’s no restocking fee if paper quantity for your project drops.

When you choose paper, consider the parameters of finishing and bindery.

• If your project requires folding, it should be folded with the grain or the fold may crack.
• If your job will run on a sheetfed press, we will order the grain of paper that works best for your project — long grain (runs length of paper) or short grain (runs width of paper). Early in the project, give us a mock-up of the piece. Later, be sure to make a mock-up of your design on selected stock as well. We can help.

At first glance, ink selection seems basic. Choose an appropriate color palette for the project, decide on process vs. spot color, then you’re finished, right? Wrong. Especially if you’re selecting ink for high-end, color-critical jobs.

Inkspots

Tips for choosing the right ink

Understand ink’s interaction with other components and processes.

• As a rule, the same ink will look different on different paper stocks due to surface coatings and the color and brightness of the stocks.
• Some inks are transparent and some are opaque; be sure you know which ink is right for your project.
• Be aware of the different drying properties of ink. At JR, we are here to help you determine how they will effect folding, finishing, design and your project schedule. Remember...

– Inks formulated for sheetfed presses dry via air.
– Inks formulated for web presses dry via heat.
– Some ink colors and densities dry more slowly than others.
– UV ink cures instantly, on top of the sheet, without soaking in.

When you need unique, show-stopping effects for your end product, talk with your sales rep about the characteristics of special inks and coatings (such as varied varnishes and UV inks) — effects that can give you just the right pop!

Inksystems,inc.

John Roberts employs and houses an independent company, Ink Systems, Inc., to supply ink for JR jobs. It offers exceptional quality, service and value. “Ink Systems doesn’t sell retail ink directly,” said Jon Dojan, Ink Systems manager at JR. “We sell ink rooms and focus on serving high-end commercial printers, like John Roberts, who want the best for their customers.” Value-added services provided by Ink Systems include:

• Helping you choose custom colors, inks and finishes.
• Providing color proofs/draw downs on the selected paper for a job in order to check color accuracy. This happens prior to going on press so changes can be made economically, if needed.
• Charging only for the ink used on press. Unused ink is restocked at no charge. This allows potential savings to be passed on to you.
• Mixing and testing different formulations of the same color(s) and/or finishes so projects printed on different presses will perfectly match.

New regenerative thermal oxidizer improves air quality, consumes less energy at JR

John Roberts recently installed a state-of-the-art regenerative thermal oxidizer (RTO), which provides VOC removal well above current standards. This new system keeps the air in the plant even fresher for employees than it was before, while meeting stricter ETA emissions standards and reducing energy consumption.

Resources & Links

“Getting it Printed” by Mark Beach for those who plan, design and pay for printing “Designer’s Prepress Companion” by Jessica Berlin et.al. – order from www.napl.org

americanprinter.com – general printing information
gain.net – Graphic Arts Information Network
ideaexchange.sappi.com – printing industry information
napl.org – National Association of Printing Leadership
trendwatchgraphicarts.com – trends and changes in the graphic arts industry

Impassioned by Color & Quality

Color Guru Dave Peterson Says JR is Tops for Color Management, Cross-Platform Accuracy

Ad agencies and design firms from coast to coast know Dave Peterson from 38 years as co-owner of Watt/Peterson, a premier printer known for pulling out all the stops in order to reproduce the most demanding creative pieces – many that won multiple awards. During that time, Dave was the creative guru of printing and color management – areas he is still passionate about today.

Dave is an advocate for quality and attention to detail in the industry, and a fan of The John Roberts Company. In his words: “I think they’re the best-kept secret in the industry!”

Dave describes John Roberts as the best-equipped, high-end commercial printer around. “The company offers a very balanced blend of sheetfed and web presses under one roof – something very few printing companies offer. This is what differentiates them from other commercial printers.”

Dave says one of the greatest challenges for print buyers today is getting past dated perceptions about color and printing. With today’s advances in digital technology and equipment, one part of a job can be printed on a sheetfed press and another on a web press with perfectly matched color.

“John Roberts is a printer that can manage color so customers never have to worry about it,” Dave said. “Their extensive printing capabilities make it possible for them to carry high-end commercial work without a hitch,” he said. “Customers get the power of the whole platform under one roof.”

He says John Roberts takes pride in saving customers money while making print needs easier to manage, as well as staying competitive while maintaining a quality standard.

“They want customers to know they’re going to listen, do the best job they can, and meet their deadlines,” Dave said. “They are putting the human touch back into the process. While I am very much into technology, I also believe we should never lose the craftsmanship of the industry.”

Spoken like a true artist.

Show and Tell

Three catalogs showcased here demonstrate how a partnership between customer/designer and printer can work to your advantage.

In each case, the customer brought us into the process early, making it possible for us to advocate for distinctive quality and optimal pricing. In two of these projects the availability of web and sheetfed printing under one roof made a difference. For all three, we pushed the creative envelope while respecting the limitations of materials and technology.

These conversations with your printer will help.

• Early in the process, show a mock-up to your account rep. This helps us understand the project and what you’re trying to achieve. We will then advise about the production realities of presses, paper, ink, varnish, folding and other processes so that you get what you want.
• Once a design is selected, talk to your rep about how to build your digital files to avoid two common problems printers have with customer-supplied files: fonts and color.

Web & Sheetfed
Kathryn Beich

This catalog is designed to withstand the rigors of school-based sales. For durability, the 6-page fold-out cover was printed on 80# Fortune Gloss Cover and given complete coverage of gloss UV coating—except for matte highlights on the red “Holiday Wishes” cards in the photograph. To extend the budget without compromising quality or color consistency, 44 inside pages were printed on a 70# Finch Opaque sheet on 2 presses: full web and half web.

Sheetfed
Wilson leather PR Kit

This showcase catalog says ‘quality’ with hip design and subtle, varied textures. Three stocks enhance the mix—111# Curious Touch Milk Cover for the folded, glued, double-thick cover; Curious Irridescents Morphing Mauve Text as a fly sheet and Utopia 100# Gloss Book for the 20 inside pages. The piece was mailed in a pink anti-static reclosable plastic bag with 60# Gloss Permanent Pressure Sensitive label. UV inks were used throughout, including: 4 color process, 3 spot colors (1 metallic) and 3 UV coatings (satin, gloss and dull). Due to quantity and stock considerations the project was produced on sheetfed presses.

Web & Sheetfed
Howard Miller

Three presses were used to print this catalog on 80# Opus Gloss Text. The cover ran on a sheetfed press (4-color process + spot color + spot gloss varnish). The 24 inside pages were printed on both a half web and a full web press (4-color process). Efficiency was optimized through the use of multiple presses.

Click below to read other editions of "Notes":
Volume 8, Number 2, UV Printing
Volume 9, Number 1, Direct Mail