Newspapers across the country are rethinking content, deciding what should move online and what can stay in newsprint. As Internet technology advances and more of the population enjoys the benefits of cyberspace, the trend will accelerate.

As general news and time-sensitive information such as stock tables move off the printed page, what remains will transform the newspaper to be more like a magazine. There will be a greater variety of shorter runs to please more advertisers.

That will also mean using a wider variety of printing technology. Juggling multiple workflows will be the rule, not the exception. This is where workflow automation comes in; it allows you to manage different technologies with ease. But don’t wait too long to begin the automation process. Once a transformative technological trend such as the Internet takes hold, advances happen exponentially. You will need to be ready to respond, delivering different editions to new audiences. Implementing automation technology today will allow you to move rapidly when time demands.

Automation in action

Many newspapers are already reaping the benefits of workflow automation. The Tampa (Fla.) Tribune is one. Systems analyst supervisor Rich Catalano says the software is an essential piece of the prepress puzzle. His NewsXtreme workflow software from Presteligence Inc. readies the operation for whatever the future holds. Referring to the paper’s online and print offerings, he said The Tribune is “on the cusp of being one of the first truly ‘converged’ news campuses in the country. This facilitates the need for a workflow system that can grow with the business,” he said. “One of the reasons for choosing this software was its flexibility, allowing for multiple configurations.”

The Winston-Salem (N.C.) Journal already manages multiple workflows. According to Production Director Frank Clayton, his Agfa Arkitex software provides a window on the entire operation. With 50 to 55 print jobs each week, “the software definitely helps manage these processes,” he said, with the key benefit being the processing speeds and the ability to see where pages are during processing.

“Having the ability to track the commercial jobs and also resend plates if need be are huge advantages,” Clayton said. “Automation is the wave of the future and newspapers not having this workflow will struggle.”

Other benefits of this software include the ability to control and track advertising - both print and Web ads.

Commercial printer Evergreen Printing and Publishing Inc. of Bellmawr, N.J., is a veteran at managing multiple workflows. Steven Weissman, pre-manufacturing manager said his Kodak Prinergy workflow software uses process templates to automatically instruct one platesetter to output at 1,200 dpi and the other at 2,400. It even changes the ink densities to match press technology.

A necessity, not an option

From Agfa’s Arkitex to MAN Roland’s printnet, just about every prepress and press vendor in the industry has a workflow solution. At Nexpo, Southern Lithoplate Inc. announced an alliance with ProImage, whose NewsWay workflow software is a staple at many newspapers.

This allows Southern Litho to offer customers large and small a comprehensive computer-to-plate solution, according to Chief Executive Officer Edward A. “Trip” Casson III.

When a company such as Southern Litho, known primarily as a plate manufacturer, gets on the bandwagon, you know that automation technology is no longer an option. It is recognized across the board as a mainstream necessity.
 

Rosemarie Monaco is the president of Group M Inc., a marketing communications and consulting firm specializing in the graphic arts. Send comments and questions to rmonaco@groupm.org.