By: E&P Staff The Baton Rouge Advocate made the transition from letterpress to offset recently with the help of a team of MAN Roland veterans who provided a benchmarking and training program designed specifically for the Louisiana daily's press crew. Dubbed the Print Process Optimization Program, it is a value-added service that MAN Roland has begun to offer new and existing newspaper and commercial customers.
The Advocate began operations with its MAN Roland Regioman doublewide, one-around press four months ago (see E&P, Nov. 2004, and E&P Online, Jan. 24, 2005). One month prior to start-up, the PPOP team went to the paper to bring press crews up to speed, initially focusing on print quality, performing a pre-press audit, according to a the press manufacturer.
The team evaluated all processes involving input, starting with photographers and their equipment. Photo specs such as file size and enlargement resolution were standardized in order to ensure consistent print reproduction, while monitors, scanners, proofers and platemaking were tweaked to print to the press specifications.
The MAN Roland team will return to the Advocate every six months over the next two years to continue training and benchmarking.
The press maker said it intends to offer similar services to other customers, emphasizing the program's customizable qualities. Some customers may want a compressed program, say, in a two-month timeframe, while others may need to schedule periodic visits over a longer period of time. The schedule and scope are flexible, and can be tailored to the needs of the individual customer.
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