NEWSPAPER PRESSES -- Pressing Issues

Another factor driving newspaper publishers to upgrade their printing capabilities is the industry trend toward expanding into the printing of advertising circulars, free-standing inserts (FSIs), supplements and the like, says Richard Kerns, president of Solna Web in Lenexa, KS.

Newspapers may upgrade their existing press equipment or take the plunge and purchase new presses better suited for the so-called "semi-commercial" market, Kerns adds. Typical upgrades, he says, include the addition of motorized plate cylinder register, remote ink fountain control, automatic color-to-color register guidance and spray dampening systems.