How I Scaled The Printing Industry

Having been in the print and litho business for 29 years I have had the joy of witnessing the revolution of digital evolution.

I have climbed the ropes in this industry

In 1978 I started as a clean-up man which involved sweeping floors, tables, toilets, sinks, you name it I kept it clean. At the same time I found myself obsessed with the entire printing process. I loved to interact with graphic designers, pre-press experts and pressmen. My interest was quickly noticed by management and I was offer a job as a guillotine cutter in the finishing department. This is a process where I would prepare paper, pre-press by back trimming stock if required or cut finished press sheets after they were printed. This was a great opportunity for me and I gladly accepted. I won’t bore you with all the details but over the next decade here are the positions that I became accomplished in:

  • Press feeder- Kept the presses feed with paper and removed finish product into appropriate finishing department.
  • Pressman- Perform set-ups and was responsible for my own printing unit.
  • Stripper- I took my clothes off—Joking ;-) . This function in pre press has been completely digitized now. All stripping (imposing) is performed using programs such as Adobe Illustrator, Quark, Corel Draw plus many more. In the 80′s the way we used to do it was using chemistry to develop negatives which then had to be placed into a stripping mask prior to plate making. This would basically ensure that that image was burned in the proper position of each plate. We used to use a term of plate edge to 1st trim to determine where we would burn each image on a plate. Once the plate was burned we would use a developer solution that would create the lithographic plate the printing press would use.
  • Graphics and Print- Although I did not have my own artist table I worked very closely with artists Roseanne, Virginia, Kim and Tim. I became a liaison from prepress to press in order to streamline production and maintain quality.
  • Salesman- This is where I spent the remainder of my employed time in the printing industry. By far the most rewarding and challenging of my commercial printing career so far. During my 7 years in sales I won a few sales competitions and became top dog. Not that I am bragging, but when I have passion for my work I strive to become the best. If someone is better I will mentor them until I surpass them. At one point my employer said that they could not afford to cut me a check for earned commissions, even though all my clients had paid in full. I was a straight commission (15%) salesman at the time and if I did not sell I did not eat. My employer owed me a commission check for $9880.00 that they had already delayed for 2 weeks. It really left me with no choice
  • Reprotech Print and Digital Media Services- I explored my options and had many attractive offers for employment elsewhere. After serious thought I could not help but thinking about taking my knowledge with me and starting my own business. In 1989 I started this business and have never looked back.

I thought I’d give just a little history so you can; hopefully understand that I write these articles out of passion for the subject. I want to talk about one of the most confusing areas in printing that has plagued the industry for decades. To this day, consumers of commercial printing still do not understand it. Even the most qualified salesmen in commercial printing have trouble offering an explanation for this!! Can you guess what I am going to say next? If you guessed paper weight (thickness) you got it. The reason that it is confusing is simple. The Americans! For some reason our big brother won’t make the transition to the European measure of paper. Why?

Paper Thickness Measurement Rant From the Eighties

Regular Sizes vs. Irregular Sizes

How Prices and “M” Weights Work

How Paper Thickness is Measured in the USAHow Paper Thickness is Measured in the USA

Instead of answering why, let me try to explain how paper thickness is determined and measured:

First of all you always want to work within standard sizes that are available to avoid paying a premium for irregular sizes. The following table will be of help in figuring the advantageous size to buy.

REGULAR SIZES IN THE US BUYING TIPS

  • 38 x 50″- If an irregular size in between 38 x 50″ and 36 x 48″ is required, use 38 x 50″ pricing. For example: 36½ x 48½” with the 10% differential added will cost more than 38 x 50″.
  • Be aware of this 36 x 48″- The regular size 36 x 48″ is cheaper than an irregular 35½ x 45½”. 35 x 45″- If 32½ x 44½” is needed, you can use 35 x 45″ for the same price or slightly less.
  • 28 x 40″- The 28 x 40″ is cheaper than any irregular size down to the next regular size. 26 x 40″- Any irregular size in between 26 x 40″ and 25 x 38″- will cost more than 26 x 40″. Use 26 x 40″ as a saving.
  • 25 x 38″- Use the 25 x 38″ size as more economical than any size in between these two. 24 x 36″- Use 24 x 36″ as cheaper than any irregular size in between these two. 23 x 35″

So now we understand a little more about paper standards in the US we can determine as a general rule that an irregular size may cost us an additional 10% and that you may be better off wasting paper in many cases. Often, it is cheaper for the customer to order the next larger regular size.

How to Determine M weightsHow to Determine “M” weights

Use the trade basis weight to calculate the ream weight using three decimal places.

EXAMPLE: To calculate the ream weight for 80 pound overstock 7½ x 81/8″ : 71/8 x 81/8″ = 57.890 x 80 = 4631.2 520 = 8.906/500. For sheets 24 x 36, 864 square inches and larger, adjust the ream weight to the nearest whole pound and Multiply by two. EXAMPLE: Ream weight ” 149.4 adjusts to 149 pounds per ream And is doubled to make an M weight of 298. Ream weight ” 149.5 adjusts to 150 pounds per ream And is doubled to make an M weight of 300. For sheets less than 24 x 36″, 864 square inches down to and including 11 x 17″, 187 square inches, adjust the ream weight to the nearest half pound and multiply by two. EXAMPLE: Ream weight ” 73.24 adjusts to 73.0 pounds per ream and is doubled to make an M weight of 146. Ream Weight 73.25″ adjusts to 73.5 pounds per ream and is doubled to make an M weight of 147. For sheets less than 11 x 17, 187 square inches, adjust the ream weight to the nearest two decimal places and multiply by two. EXAMPLE: Ream weight ” 10.77 pounds per ream is doubled to make an M weight of 21. 54.

REAM WEIGHT AND M WEIGHT OF IRREGULAR SIZES

To calculate the ream weight of any sheet size multiply the sheet length by the sheet width by the basis weight and divide by the number of square inches associated with the basis weight, i.e. BOOK = 950 (25 x 38); COVER 520 (20 x 26); BRISTOL = 641.25 (22V2 x 28½); INDEX = 777.75 (25½ x 30½); TAG = 864 (24 x 36); BUSINESS PAPERS = 374 (17 x 22) EXAMPLE: To calculate the ream weight for 20 x 30 Basis 80# Cover: 20 x 30 x 80 ”Adjust results as outlined in calculation of M Weights. This will give the adjusted ream weight. To calculate the M-weight multiply the adjusted ream weight by two.

Now, did you get all that? I was unable to find current data on how paper weight is calculated but since they (USA) have not converted to the European (metric) method of measuring paper I will assume it is calculated the same as it was in the 80′s.

Is that Confusing or What?

The best way to measure paper thickness is ‘grams per square meter‘ (gsm) as the commercial printing industry in Europe does—it’s all about paper density. A very simple measurement can be applied to any size or thickness of 1 square centimeter weighing .XX grams…NICE!

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