What was your first job in the newspaper business?

I worked at The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer as an editorial graphic artist constructing informational graphics and also worked in the photo department as the imaging specialist.

I toned photos for editorial advanced sections and sports pages while training photographers and the sports copy desk how to use (Adobe) Photoshop to tone black-and-white photos in preparation for the start of pagination with the Harris front-end system. I was also fortunate to implement the process of adding color to grayscale photos and illustrations to print on letterpress.

What do you like most about your job?

The challenge of producing a newspaper on a daily basis with very high company standards for print quality. I enjoy the interaction with co-workers from each department that help bring together a daily newspaper.

The people that work for me, as well as everyone involved in production, have taken a greater ownership in doing what’s physically possible to ensure that all deadlines are met and the paper looks good for the readers and advertisers.

What do you like least?

When mistakes are made in the printed product that may put doubt in the readers’ minds about the integrity of The Star. Failing to satisfy readers, advertisers and internal customers by not taking the “go the extra mile” approach.

What was The Star’s most recent purchase/installation?

The Star is closing in on the one-year anniversary of launching our new 28-unit MAN Roland double-wide press with the capability to print quarter-fold products and tab products secured with either staples or glue. The new press has increased color capacity available for news and advertisers.

What is the biggest challenge The Star is facing in production?

Communicating the importance of having a proofing system in place to catch problems prior to the start of the press run and producing proofs early enough to have ample time to make corrections. More often than not, mistakes are caught during the trial run on press instead of at the proof stage.

What trend are you keeping your eye on?

Computer-to-plate technology. The Star recently purchased the Creo Trendsetter 100 plate unit to help produce plates for quarter-fold products and products that require producing one plate per page. Live production is slated for Sept. 22.

The FM screening feature is something that is available with thermal technology. FM screening will allow random dot structure to print photos on newsprint that won’t display the halftone dots, but have the look of a continuous tone. FM technology will also help achieve perfect registration because of random dots, the slightest hint of misregistration won’t be noticed.