Increase ad revenues! Find out how on page 4
The Greener Newspaper –read all about it on page 5
What do newspaper readers want? See study results on page 5
i n - l i n e s t i t c h i n G n e w s yo U c a n U s e | n o 1 2 0 0 9
case stUDy / paGe 6
news International’s Incredible new Print works buy tolerans case stUDy / paGe 10
metro uk celebrates 10 years of stitched Papers ask the expert / paGe 8
mario garcia speaks out for in-line stitching
keeP It togetheR
How In-line Stitching Can Transform Your Newspaper why stitch? 3 reasons in-line stitchinG helps innoVate yoUr newspaper, paGe 4 The World Leader in In-line Stitching
2 welcome Table of Contents n benefits
3 In-line Stitching What is in-line stitching?
www.tolerans.com | NEWSBOUND | no 1 2009
dear reader
An industry innovation —with a proven record is facing unprecedented challenges—we all know that. It’s hard to escape the daily reports of falling share prices, declining readership, and the seemingly unrelenting rise of “new media”. But this isn’t a time for despair, it’s a call for innovation. The publications that are succeeding today have continuously reevaluated their newspapers—both content and format—to improve their newspaper in the market and attract more readership. In terms of format, the emerging industry trends are a change towards the handy and cost efficient compact size, segregated content (by theme), and enhanced navigation. So it’s no accident that lately we’ve noticed a significant rise of interest in our high-quality in-line stitching systems for newspapers and commercial products. Inline stitching allows sections and inserts to be printed in a smart way that’s part of the daily print run. Here at Tolerans, our job is to help our customers in improving their competitive advantage—we’ve been leading the development of in-line stitchers in the
The printed newspaper
4 Why Stitch? 3 reasons readers appreciate stitched newspapers.
n C a s e s t u d y : NEWS I NTE R NAT I ONAL
6 State-of-the-Art New Print Facilities “Astonishing” new print facilities in Broxbourne, UK equipped with Tolerans stitchers
n C a s e s t u d y : DAGENS NYHETE R
7 Expanding Ad Possibilities Sweden’s Dagens Nyheter shows how in-line stitching creates greater advertising revenue
n I NTE R V I EW : Dr . M a ri o g a r c i a
8 Stitching a “No-Brainer” News design guru Mario Garcia talks with Tolerans about how in-line stitching could help the newspaper industry
n C a s e s t u d y : MET R O / t h e h i n d u
10 Ten Years of Reading on the Go Metro’s stitched format is a clear winner with UK commuters
10 Stitching Gives Indian Newspaper Publisher Competitive Advantages A broadsheet paper distinguishes itself with six additional compact-format products
print industry for the last 40 years. The following pages detail the various benefits of a stitched paper, including enhanced navigation, a longer lifetime, environmental sensitivity, a quality feeling, and increased ad revenues. We hope that you can find some helpful tips on how you can improve your own newspaper with stitching—take a look at how others have done it. Also, make sure to check out our interview with news design expert Dr. Mario Garcia, he raises some provocative questions about how newspapers embrace change. I encourage you to contact us if you would like advice on how stitching can reinvent your newspaper; I look forward to good cooperation in the near future. n
Jan Melin ceo
n C a s e s t u d y: Dr e s d n e r V e r l a g s h a u s Dr u c k
11 An Economical Solution German printer Dresdner Verlagshaus Druck makes more money with stitching capabilities
n R ESOU R CES
12 Stitching Solutions Portfolio Overview
13 Product News Cutting Edge Techonology: the Double Motorized Tab Slitter Introducing the SPEEDLINER S60 Compact Coming This Fall: SPEEDLINER 2.0
14 Stitching Possibilities Suggested press configurations for various printing objectives
15 Worldwide Contacts
The World Leader in In-line Stitching
Newsbound is published by Tolerans AB Box 669, 135 26 Tyresö, Sweden Visit: Vindkraftsvägen 6, Stockholm Phone: +46 8 448 70 30 E-mail: mail@tolerans.com Web: www.tolerans.com ISO 9001 certified Member of IFRA.
Publisher: Jan Melin, Tolerans AB Editor: Linas Alsenas Editorial team: Charlotte Banning, Linas Alsenas, Steed Styles, Mårten Dahlstedt Graphic design: Raring Design Print: Upsala Nya Tidning Tryckeri AB Cover photo: Stig Kenne, FotoKenne
”The following pages detail the various benefits of a stitched paper, including enhanced navigation, a longer lifetime, environmental sensitivity, a quality feeling, and increased ad revenues.”
photo: Gunnar Ask
Tolerans sales representatives all over the world are ready to take your call
In-line stitching 3
no 1 2009 | NEWSBOUND | www.tolerans.com
In-line Stitching: Innovating the Print Industry How two small staples are revolutionizing newspapers all over the world
T
o some people, the term “stitched newspaper” may conjure images involving needles, thread, and a very steady hand. In reality, it refers to something quite simple: a publication held together with steel staples, or “stitches”. Accordingly, an “in-line” stitching machine fastens the publication together while the product is still being processed on a production line, at full press speed.
An unexplored opportunity
At a time when newspaper volumes and profits are declining and the industry is seeking for solutions, the simple stitch may seem an unlikely savior. But as traditional media integrates with new media, in-line stitching presents an
innovative way for print publications to retain their readers and advertisers. Remarkably, few newspapers around the world today are stitched. Olof Aurell, Vice President at Tolerans, a Swedish firm specializing in in-line stitching, says “The process is proven and inexpensive, but I would dare say that less than 3% of the newspapers are stitched.” In places such Olof Aurell, Vice as Scandinavia, President at Tolerans. stitching has already become the norm, and stitching advocates believe that the tide is set to turn.
Many newspapers have embraced the benefits associated with transitioning to a stitchable compact format (formats such as tabloid, Mini Berliner, and even A4)—not least of which is proven higher reader satisfaction, especially among younger readers. A scientific study tracking the eye movements of readers was recently conducted at the Media Science Faculty of Trier University in Germany to compare the relative appeal of broadsheet and compact-format newspapers. The results found that “the compact format has a major potential of becoming the readercompatible newspaper of the future.” Several other studies show that broadsheets converting to compact formats have increased their circu-
lation figures by an average of 8%, and as many as 80% of newspapers saw increases in their number of subscriptions. THE OPTIONS
Format change is a hot topic, not the least in the U.S. Which compact format should a two-around broadsheet adopt: tabloid, or three-around broadsheet? Alan Flaherty, a senior consultant in newspaper operations with 44 years of experience, argues in favor of going tabloid. “You’re doubling the availability of color pages that attract readers and advertisers, and it’s less than half the cost to convert a press for tabloid than for a three-around broadsheet production—with virtually identical page dimensions as the tabloid. The 3
4 In-lIne stItchIng
www.tolerans.com | newsBoUnD | no 1 2009
”By going tabloid, we gained two things: we could start printing earlier, and we started to staple it. Looking back, we should have made the move much earlier, because there have mainly been benefits, and very few drawbacks.” 3 tabloid format won’t accommodate sectioning in the traditional broadsheet manner, but it is possible to produce multi-section tabloids by installing multiple stitchers on each press. That approach has been widely adopted in Scandinavia and Britain.” Peo Lovén, technology officer at Sydsvenska Dagbladet, told IFRA Magazine that his newspaper made the switch to a tabloid format in order to print more efficiently: “By going tabloid, we gained two things: we could start printing earlier, and we started to staple it. Looking back, we should have made the move much earlier, because there have mainly been benefits, and very few drawbacks”. alternatiVes
Even broadsheet newspaper publishers who are hesitant to make such a drastic format change to their product are following survival strategies
that include increasing the number of compact sections and inserts in the paper, as well as adopting designs that simplify navigation. Advertisers in this competitive market environment are demanding more exposure for their ads, so newspapers benefit from a demonstrably longer lifetime. Stitching goes a long way in addressing those challenges. Accordingly, more and more printers are offering stitching as an option for newspapers and special sections (special issues, supplements), as well as commercial products. Stitchers can operate at—and beyond—full production speed, so installing them on a production line has no negative impact on the performance of the press. And at an investment of less than 0.03 euro cents per copy, no other improvement to the production process can improve the cost/benefit ratio as much as in-line stitching. n
Why Stitch? 3 reasons readers appreciate stitched newspapers
n
ot long ago, the CEO of Swedish stitching manufacturer Tolerans remarked, “We have noticed significant increased interest for having stitched newspapers and distinct stitched sections in many countries worldwide.” Here are several of the many reasons why readers love stitched newspapers – and why publishers benefit from them.
reaDers appreciate:
1
better navigation Perhaps the most obvious—and compelling—reason for stitching is the fact that stitching creates a much more manageable product. Navigating an unstitched newspaper on a bus or an airplane is a skill that has to be mastered, whereas stitched, compact newspapers are simple and
stitched newspapers are easier to recycle.
Increased ad Revenues 1stitching doesn’t just appeal to readers and graphic designers, it makes newspapers a lot more appealing to advertisers, as well. It is demonstrably true that compact, stitched newspapers attract more users per paper and are read much longer, increasing the amount of exposure each advertiser receives from an ad.
When Göteborgs-Posten switched to a compact format, they found that young readers (15-29 years) and women spent almost twice as much time reading the paper every day, from 30.6 minutes to 53.3 minutes. higher exposure value boosts income for the newspaper. With distinct sections, newspapers can foster
consumer commitment among special-interest groups, and advertisements can more accurately target their intended audience. those separate, bound sections create more opportunities for front- and back-page ads, and more page 3s, 7s, etc. the greater design flexibility that stitching provides also increases
the number of advertising options available, from ads that wrap around a cover to the eye-catching draw of variously sized pages. In fact, stitching makes it possible for advertisers to purchase a dedicated section of their own. suddenly, selling ad space becomes a lot easier with a new array of effective arguments. n
straightforward to use, with a more accessible “magazine feel”. Naturally, consumers prefer products that are more user-friendly. When newspapers in Sweden has one of the highest readerships in the world, and when newspapers there changed to stitched, compact formats, 8 out of 10 readers thought the format had improved and customer satisfaction increased by 100%! When Göteborgs-Posten started converting their publication by sections, readers responded by urging them to convert the whole newspaper.
2
longer lifetime Recent research shows that newspapers nowadays are read 2-3 times per day: in the morning, at lunch, and in the evening, not once
In-lIne stItchIng 5
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Printers appreciate:
photo: stIG kEnnE, FotokEnnE
lower Running costs Many of the benefits of stitching apply to printers, as well. Beyond enhancing the quality of their product, direct in-line stitching also improves the profitability of printing works by lowering running costs. In these times of dynamic industry change, the print world is trending toward the consolidation of different phases of production and distribution. In-line stitching offers one way to seamlessly bring together parts of the finishing process with the production phase of printing – it’s proven that stitching in-house provides major financial advantages over stitching outside the press by saving money on additional transport and unnecessary storage. stitching is also one way that will enable you to increase the usage of your press, by taking on products such as internal or external newspapers, weeklies, magazines, supplements, catalogues, brochures, and advertising inserts, at full production speed. stitching doesn’t just add value to the product, it’s an effective way for a printing operation to broaden its market and increase revenue.
readers prefer newspapers that are easy to handle.
as it used to be. Considering this, stitching makes a newspaper stay fresh much longer. That “magazine feel” also applies to sections within the paper. Stitching makes it easier for readers to save those sections and inserts, such as a TV guide or a special section for an event like the Olympics, and use them for a longer period of time. For example, if a reader is looking for a new house, she can remove and hold on to a stitched real estate section to use as reference throughout her search. A more useful and accessible product will attract higher levels of customer satisfaction and loyalty. In an increasingly competitive media market, that’s no small consideration.
3
Quality feeling It’s also hard to ignore the argument that stitched newspapers simply look better than unstitched ones. Stitching proponents ask: which newspaper would readers rather have, one with the “magazine feel” that just two small staples provide, or the splayed, jumbled mess that an unstitched newspaper inevitably becomes? The aesthetic effects of stitching
what reaDers ValUe in their newspaper
86% 74% 67% easy to navigate
has a convenient size
has a modern format
source: soM 2004, Institute for Journalism and Mass communication, university fo Gothenburg, sweden)
can raise the perceived value of the product, and strengthen the newspaper’s brand, keeping it competitively viable. Furthermore, stitching expands the design possibilities of a publication.
Full-spread designs are more attractive when they are fastened together with two handy stitches, and other features become possible, such as a half-height page, or a tear-sheet reply card option. Stitching makes it possible. n
stitchinG secUres recyclinG
1advocates for stitching are quick to point out the environmental benefits it provides. In certain parts of the world, such as in the uk and scandinavia, laws explicitly prohibit the distribution of unstitched newspapers in subway systems. Why? Because unstitched newspapers produce exponentially more litter. When a newspaper is stitched, there is only one item to pick up and recycle. (and during the paper recycling process, even the steel stitches can be separated and recycled, as well.) Moreover, a stitched newspaper is more likely to be picked up and read more than once in a public place, as it doesn’t betray the fact that it has been used—unlike the messy, folded pages of an unstitched paper. In the midst of the “green revolution”, stitching answers the newspaper industry’s call to follow the “three r’s”: reduce, reuse, and recycle. n
competitive bidding In a heated bidding situation between two printers, the added value provided by a stitching option can make the difference. Indeed, stitching —at 0.03 euro cents per copy—is a drop in the ocean compared to any other printing process feature.
6 NEWS INTERNATIONAL
www.tolerans.com | NEWSBOUND | no 1 2009
”I’ve just been on a tour with a group of journalists, and to hear the words “impressive,” “amazing,” “never-seen-anything-like it” from people who are quite used to going around print works is something to behold. It’s a very special place indeed, it has to be said…”
News International’s Broxbourne printing plant is the largest print facility in the world.
State-of-the-Art “Astonishing” new print facilities equipped with Tolerans stitchers
R
oy Greenslade, columnist at The Guardian, says he is “well-known to be somebody who thinks print is dying.” But when he left a press preview tour of News International’s (NI) new Broxbourne printing facility, he was visibly floored: “I’ve seen lots and lots of print works over the years, and I thought, ‘God, I’m going to be bored today—I mean, I’ve seen it all.’ But I’ve seen nothing like this.” The groundbreaking facility is the largest printing plant in the world, taking up 87,000 square meters (the equivalent of 23 football fields) with 12 presses capable of printing one million copies every hour. Each of those presses is the height of four double-decker buses. Brian McGee, Managing Director of Printing Operations likes to point out that construction of the £350-million facility required “twice as much steel as it
took to construct the Eiffel Tower.” The plant’s paper reels are 2.2 meters wide—two pages wider than a normal newspaper reel—making printing 50% more efficient. Incredibly, the Broxbourne plant does not represent the end of News International’s current ambitions: the facility is only one of three print facilities that NI has built throughout the United Kingdom to take their production and distribution capabilities to a whole new level—at a total investment of £650 million. (The other, smaller
sites are Knowsley, near Liverpool, and Eurocentral near Glasgow.) But no cutting-edge facility is complete without in-line stitching capabilities. Sixty-eight stitchers from Swedish manufacturer Tolerans, including both cylinder and ribbon types, were installed on the nineteen MAN Roland presses at Roy Greenslade, all three locations. columnist at The Guardian. Broxbourne prints The Sun, News of the World, The Times, the London Paper and The Sunday Times. But that’s not all—it also prints the competition, Telegraph Media Group’s Daily
Cutting Edge Technology
1News International’s Broxbourne plant began stitching products in June of 2007. The 19 presses at NI’s three print locations have Tolerans stitchers installed. n
The facility cost £350 million.
Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph. (Consider that NI’s own titles alone consume 300,000 tons of paper per year.) The new production changes have allowed newspapers to increase the amount of color editorial and advertising content. greater efficiency will especially appeal to sports fans, says Clive Milner, Group MD for News International. “Monday through Friday you will see The Times and The Sun with later deadlines delivering full football coverage, not only for the Premiership but for those important European games.” Greenslade, for one, remains awed: “This is what at least one News Corp executive called a “step change”, but I think it’s way beyond that. I don’t think that there’s anywhere in the world with as efficient a printing facility as what I’ve seen here today.” n
Moreover, the plant’s
DAGENS NYHETER 7
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advertising—value for the target audience. DN’s decision to offer separate stitched sections was part of a concerted effort to become the “obvious marketplace for both consumers and sellers,” and their weekly motor, real estate, travel, and recruitment sections have been very successful attracting both readers and advertisers. advertising revenue by creating entirely new sales avenues. A dramatic example of this is the fact that distinct stitched sections can be entirely wrapped in an ad page (adding four pages of ad space: front and back sides to a front and back cover). Stiching also enables pages of various sizes and configurations to be included in the paper, expanding the range of advertisements available. Additional special sections—to cover a sporting event like the Olympics, for example—afford multiple advertising opportunities to existing or new advertisers. DN’s Stangel is satisfied that “separately stitched sections have given our sales people more sales opportunities for commercial sections, special sections, and wrap advertisements.” Traditional print media needs to find new, innovative ways to attract advertisers in an increasingly difficult economic environment. Daily newspapers that turn to stitched sections create more targeted advertising space, increase advertising income, and create new interesting advertising products to sell. The bottom line is that inline stitching brings increased ad revenue. And that’s something no newspaper today can afford to go without. n
photo: Johan mård / folio
Stitching also increases
The benefits of in-line stitching are crystal clear to Dagens Nyheter; they now produce 150 commercial inserts in-line every year.
Expanding Ad Possibilities Sweden’s Dagens Nyheter stitches for greater advertising revenue
F
or a number of years Dagens Nyheter (DN), Sweden’s leading morning newspaper, has been stitched and divided into ten different daily and weekly sub-sections of distinct news categories. The paper took this revolutionary step after realizing that by offering its content in separate Henrik Stangel, sections, it could Sales Director for increase its adverDN. tising revenue in several important ways. First of all, separating out brand advertisements from targeted sales advertisements considerably increases the total ad sales volume
for a newspaper. Advertisers are able to build their image and brand with ads in the main news section, while targeted sales ads get placed in selected sections, like sports, culture, or finance. for DN, confirms that his newspaper’s experience shows that “the sales volume goes up as advertisers can distinguish their offer in brand and sales advertisements. This would not be possible without stitched sections.” Moreover, individual sections increase the number of attractive ad placement possibilities. Stangel points out that more sections “mean more premium page space producing higher revenue, like the
Henrik Stangel, Sales Director
front and back page, and more 3, 5, and 7 pages.” Newspapers are able to present the same content, but in a format that offers more space for high-impact, high-revenue advertisements. Moreover, readers are more willing to accept advertising when it is presented in conjunction with corresponding editorial content. For example, financial advertisements placed in the business section of a newspaper have more relevance, and they increase the reading—and
”The sales volume goes up as advertisers can distinguish their offer in brand and sales advertisements. This would not be possible without stitched sections”
Divide and Conquer
1Taking a page out of “new media’s” playbook, print newspapers are increasingly dividing their content thematically. By incorporating stitched sections, readers with special interests can navigate easily toward those parts of the paper that have particular appeal for them. In turn, the advertisers are easier to attract because they are presented with a more specifically defined target demographic. n
8 InteRVIew
www.tolerans.com | newsBoUnD | no 1 2009
news Design Guru Dr Mario Garcia: stitching a “no-Brainer”
“The two stitches on the spine of the newspaper are barely visible, yet their effect is powerful.”
A
s the newspaper industry today faces off against unprecedented economic challenges, what has news design consultant Mario Garcia been advising his clients? Stitch. Recently, Garcia posted an article on his blog (also published in IFRA Executive News) that extolled the benefits of stitching and raised some provocative questions. Swedish in-line stitching manufacturer Tolerans invited Garcia to come visit their factory and headquarters in January. The meeting with Garcia was video-recorded and posted on YouTube, where it has since made the rounds on print industry blogs, notably Editor & Publisher.
Does stitching really make a difference?
As I spend this week in Sweden, I am suddenly aware of how neat the Swedish newspapers are, the pages all together, never falling out as one travels through the newspaper. I was discussing stitching at lunch today with one of the GöteborgsPosten editors. To him, and to most Scandinavians, stitches are as much a part of the newspaper as ink and type. All the Scandinavian newspapers do it. The Guardian and Times in the UK have them for some of their sections. Rarely has a newspaper in the United States ever even considered it. Why is stitching not a common practice, especially
among U.S. newspapers, those giant broadsheets that, especially on Sundays, tend to be like paper cascades in the hands of frustrated readers? When you actually get out of Sweden or places where the papers are stitched, you see people on an airplane in the US or in the rest of Europe reading the newspaper, and it comes apart in their hands. I mean, it’s a no-brainer that stitching works, it holds the whole thing together. Which brings me to the point of what I have heard repeatedly in focus groups worldwide during my almost 40-year career: readers complain about ink on their fingers, and about pages that keep falling out of the newspaper. Well, don’t know how much one can do to keep ink away from the fingers or the bed sheets. But stitching certainly solves the problem of falling pages! The two stitches on the spine of the newspaper are barely visible, yet their effect is pow-
erful. It’s a practice that is relatively inexpensive, easy to implement technically, and which definitely makes the life of the reader happy. so, do you have any theories as to why stitching isn’t more common?
Perhaps stitching is not at the top of the priority list for most publishers and editors I know, especially during these difficult economic times. I confess that I have rarely been involved in a discussion of stitching in any of the more than 500 newspaper companies for whom I have served as a consultant. It is a sort of non-event with most editors and publishers. It is a productionoriented function, and newspapers are driven by the editorial department. If editors, in a choir of editors all over the world, if they had decided that the pages of a newspaper should be held together—hallelujah—then there would have been stitching for one hundred percent
of the newspapers in the world. That’s basically how it works However, it is now that many readers, hard-pressed by the difficult financial times, begin to ponder why they need a newspaper. One that stays together could make a more convincing argument for also staying around the house. what do consider to be the most important benefits of stitching?
First of all, it makes the life of readers easier, as pages will not fall. Stitching actually gives newspapers more of a magazine feel. Second, it holds your advertising supplements together better, so it will increase advertising revenue. Third, it allows those supplements with a shelf life beyond one day to last longer periods. In markets where several readers read one
innoVator of print news worlDwiDe
1Mario Garcia’s experience in transforming newspapers across the world has earned this design consultant the reputation of being an industry “guru”. For more than thirty years, Garcia has dedicated himself to redesigning publications—at last count, 567 news design projects in 87 countries. his credits range from such large projects as The Wall Street Journal, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Handelsblatt, and Die Zeit to medium-sized and smaller newspapers like The Charlotte Observer and kansas’s Lawrence Journal-World. Find out more at http://garciamedia.com. n
no 1 2009 | NEWSBOUND | www.tolerans.com
MARIO GARCIA 9 copy of the newspaper, as in India and Latin America, for example, stitching guarantees that the newspaper will travel better from one reader to the next. So there are all these good reasons to do it. You’ve said before that stitching provides a simple, inexpensive way for newspapers to become greener products. How is that?
“I think that this is what needs to be changed: to create an awareness.” – Dr. Mario Garcia
Well, it reduces littering, which is especially applicable to metropolitan areas where commuters read free newspapers on the trains and leave them there. It’s easier to pick up one piece newspaper than several pages flying around. Ever traveled in the New York City subway system? You see newspapers all over the place. If these papers were stitched, you would have one item to pick up. And chances are that it will get a second reading, and a third reading. A lot of people don’t like to start reading a newspaper that feels touched by somebody else. Well, a stitched newspaper folded on a seat is more attractive to a second or third reader in the subway than a newspaper where all the pages are, like, a big mess. Most editors are trying to be green as well, to join the ecological brigades. So I think that beyond the practicality, beyond not having to read a newspaper that falls apart, it’s important to point out that it’s easier to pick up and throw away a stitched newspaper—to be more ecologically minded and a better citizen.
The small stitches hold the newspaper together.
photo: James powell / the guardian
Do publishers and editors ever make an argument against stitching?
No, they just make a comment that it’s so nice that the Scandinavian newspapers are held together. End of the discussion. It never goes beyond that to say, ‘why don’t we do it?’ They have never felt that stitching was a part of the plan. And I think that this is what needs to be changed: to create an awareness. Nowadays, with the importance of navigation, it’s important to make sure that newspapers are attractive products to people, and that when they are using them, they feel comfortable with them. At the end of the day, stitching solves a great deal of problems. If only readers could act on their wishes and place demands in front of publishers, I am sure the number of stitched newspapers would be much higher. n
10 metRo / the hIndu
www.tolerans.com | newsBoUnD | no 1 2009
Ten Years of Reading on the Go Metro’s stitched format is a clear winner
m
etro was launched in London in March 1999 as a free color newspaper for morning commuters, and it has been a hit with readers and advertisers ever since. With a London circulation of over 540,000, the newspaper delivers an attractive readership profile: 62 percent of its readers are in the average or above average earners category, and 78 percent are aged between 15 and 44. The success of the publication is partly thanks to its stitched, compact format. henrietta macewen, From the very public relations beginning, Metro executive at metro has provided readers with a one-piece publication that is easy to handle. Henrietta MacEwen, Public Relations Execu-
tive at Metro, explains that “Metro is typically read while the reader is in transit—be that bus, tram, car, taxi, or tube. Even in tabloid format, a stitched product is significantly easier to handle in that environment, with all of the pages being kept together.” But of course, it hasn’t hurt that stitching the paper increases its aesthetic appeal. MacEwen agrees: “It makes for a better looking product. Our aim is to give the morning newspaper more of a magazine feel.” of Metro’s launch strategy was to provide a publication specifically suited to the users of the London Underground and overground train systems. Accordingly, the stitched, compact format was the natural choice: not only is it easy to handle in
a maJor component
in-line stitching makes Metro ideal for commuters.
awkward, cramped environments, it also makes distribution easier and more efficient. “Copies are always stacked in the distribution bins with the spine facing out so that single copies can easily be collected by the traveler,” explains MacEwen. “This makes for an easy single-copy pick up and also ensures that other copies in the stack are not spoilt by losing pages.”
The messy disposal of newspapers has become a political issue in London, but Metro’s stitched format mollifies concerns that stray pages would end up littering the streets or transport systems. Plus, stitching extends the life of the newspaper, often encouraging readers to retain a copy for the whole day, or read a paper that has already been read by others. n
Stitching gives Indian newspaper publisher competitive advantages A broadsheet paper distinguishes itself with six additional compact-format products.
t
he Hindu, the leading Indian English-language daily newspaper, is a broadsheet publication with a staggering circulation of 1.3 million copies and over 5 million readers. Founded in 1878, this conservative mainstay of the Indian press has a lot of tradition and history behind it (the American Newspaper Publishers’ Association has awarded The Hindu its World Press Achievement Award, calling it a “model of journalistic excellence”). But that hasn’t stopped the publisher from embracing changing times—they now issue six compactformat products to include with their main publication or sell separately. “Stitching definitely adds values to our product, and combined
with trimming, we can produce magazine-like products directly off the press,” says Mr. Kasturi Balaji, Director at The Hindu. The six papers per week that The Hindu stitches are Sports Star, Cinema Plus (a 16-page tabloid), NXG (a 16-page tabloid focusing on the new generation), Metro Plus (also 16 pages), Smart Buy, and Ergo, an 8-page tabloid catering to IT professionals. Sports Star is a weekly magazine for which stitching is a necessity because it’s sold separately on newsstands. Smart Buy is distributed with the business paper Business Line, and Ergo is a free newspaper that’s distributed five days a week. The other products are included with the main section of The Hindu newspaper.
Balaji is pleased with the results. “With our stitched products we have established a differentiation from our competitors who don’t stitch. It gives our products a better position and a higher value to readers and advertisers. That’s a position we are glad to have achieved—especially since the
competitive edge we are getting significantly overcompensates for the additional cost of stitching.” He says, “If a tabloid product is to have some kind of lasting value and must stay together for a few hours, then I am quite happy to recommend stitching for every publisher in that situation.” n
aBoUt the hinDU
1The Hindu was originally founded in 1878. headquartered at Chennai (formerly called Madras), the newspaper started as a weekly publication, but then began publishing daily in 1889. the citation for the paper’s World press achievement award reads, [ “Conservative in both tone and appearance, [The Hindu has wide appeal to the English-speaking segHindu] ment of the population and wide readership among government officials and business leaders. The Hindu has provided its readers broad and balanced news coverage, enterprising reporting, and sober and thoughtful comment.“ n
DVD 11
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”The cylinder stitcher has had no negative influence on web press performance, nor has it led to any increase in the waste rate.”
Added Value
Photo: SZ/Jürgen Lösel
The printer found that stitching could add significant value to their products with negligible investment cost. It gave their publications a more impressive, magazine feel. “What’s more,” adds Dr. Gerd Papenfuss, Head of Technology at DVD, “stitched products are easier for consumers to read because the books no longer fall apart and they still look attractive after they have been browsed through.” The decision has not been regretted since. According to Papenfuss, reactions from the marketplace have been overwhelmingly positive. So much so, that DVD has gone beyond stitching a series of products from other publishers to stitching many of its own publications, including plusz-Magazin, Sächsische Zeitung’s weekly city guide. The German newspaper Sächsische Zeitung is a leading paper in the Saxony region. The Installation
An Economical Solution German printer makes more money with stitching capabilities
E
very day, more than a million readers all over Saxony, Germany’s easternmost federal state, keep up-to-date with the latest news from Sächsische Zeitung and Morgenpost für Sachsen. These are just two of the many titles published by Dresdner Verlagshaus Druck GmbH (DVD), one of Europe’s top innovators in the field of newspaper production. The publisher regularly endeavors to break into new markets with service-oriented, regional magazines covering a broad spectrum of topics. However, all its various titles have one thing in common: editorial and layout excellence that has made them leaders in their respective segments. Extending the Portfolio
So what makes DVD so innovative? DVD’s production plant is
equipped with four printing lines with an hourly capacity of up to 240,000 newspapers, each up to 48 pages in length (Sächsische Zeitung alone contains appromixately 220 different pages, submitted by the main and local editorial offices). DVD is a subsidiary of Dresdner Druck- und Verlagshaus Mediengruppe (DD+V), a highly diversified media company with
several independent subsidiaries specialized in a variety of fields from printing to delivery. (DD+V is itself a sixty percent subsidiary of Gruner + Jahr AG & Co. KG.) Accordingly, DVD prints a large number of third-party products— and it was this external demand that first persuaded DVD to extend its portfolio by offering in-line stitching for coldset products.
Higher Value at a Low Cost
1In a competitive bidding situation between two printers, the added value provided by a stitching option can make the difference, at negligible cost to the printer. Indeed, stitching— at 0.03 euro cents per copy—is a drop in the ocean compared to any other printing process feature. n
In DVD’s production plant, the publisher chose to install a cylinder stitcher manufactured by the Swedish firm Tolerans. Papenfuss says “The main advantages offered by the Tolerans solution are its compact and rugged design, its simple operating principle, and the excellent quality of the planning, operating, and maintenance documentation.” Two of the four GEOMAN coldset web presses were prepared for the Tolerans stitcher in the folder. The company opted for a Speedliner cylinder stitcher, to ensure that in-line stitching is always possible on one of the two GEOMANs. “This configuration is ideal for stitching tabloid products,” says Papenfuss. Impressively, DVD’s experience at the plant so far confirms that the cylinder stitcher has had no negative influence on web press performance, nor has it led to any increase in the waste rate whatsoever. Papenfuss concludes, “The low investment and operating costs make it altogether a cost-efficient solution.” n
12 stitching solutions
www.tolerans.com | NEWSBOUND | no 1 2009
Product overview 1Tolerans has been the global leader in the area of in-line stitching since the first stitcher was developed in 1968. With almost 40 years of experience within stitching technology, Tolerans SPEEDLINER® stitching system is the most advanced stitching system in the world with high focus on durability, reliability and ease of maintenance. Tolerans in-line stitching systems SPEEDLINER have rapidly become the world’s most sold in-line stitchers in the market. They are modular, reliable, easy to install, maintain and operate. All our stitching solutions are customized
depending on what you want to stitch and what type of press you have. The stitchers can be placed in almost every kind of web press and run at full production speed. Included in the shaftless stitching solutions is a customized, modular control system totally based on standard components. Servodrives, controller, touch screen operator terminal and modem or Ethernet connection to the electrical system are some of the standard features in the SPEEDLINER concept. The flexible design allows integration in most press control systems on the market.
The in-line stitchers The SPEEDLINER stitchers are available as cylinder or ribbon stitchers with shaftless or mechanical drive and fit in almost all presses. They are developed to fit either for newspaper or commercial printing presses. Included in the stitching solutions are spool holders and wire feeding systems for small wire spools and optional for larger wire drums up to 300 kilos. Additionals are wire trolleys and of course spare and wear parts that you need along the way.
Service and Support The Tolerans stitching solutions include on-site training and training at Tolerans office with full documentation and manuals on your specific solution. We also have a worldwide network of experienced service technicians at your service around the clock. On top of this we can offer a variety of services packages available. n more info of the different stitching solutions :
www.tolerans.com
Tolerans SPEEDLINER® cylinder stitcher
Tolerans SPEEDLINER® Ribbon stitcher
Tolerans SPEEDLINER® ribbon stitcher that has a compact format.
Wire trolley, spool holder and wire unwinder.
Tolerans DrumTop.
PRODUCT NEWS 13
no 1 2009 | NEWSBOUND | www.tolerans.com
Introducing the SPEEDLINER S60 Compact
®
A Small Wonder
T
olerans is pleased to launch the revolutionary high-end stitching solution that fits into presses that haven’t had enough space for a stitcher before. The SPEEDLINER S60 Compact, being shaftless and small, opens up various possibilities for placing the machine in different positions around the press. Installation requires very little modification of the folder, so the process is quick and easy. The stitcher’s low weight makes
Producing Staples At full press speed the Speedliner® stitchers produce staples with extreme accuracy and total control during the process.
removal and servicing simpler, too. The patented SPEEDLINER S60 Compact can run in either straight or skip mode. The 14mmwide staples are cut from 0.5mm gauge wire with a minimum length of 560mm. n
1
The wire is fed from spools and guided into the stitcher. After feeding the correct length of wire, the wire is cut to the full length of the staple.
The Tolerans tab knife produces a more scissor-like cut.
Cutting-Edge Technology The Double Motorized Tab Slitter
S
ay good-bye to those standard “crush-type” knives that can’t produce clean cuts of highly-paginated printed products: Tolerans presents the Double Motorized Tab Slitter, a revolutionary technological advance. Thanks to the spring-loaded contact point between its knives,
the Tolerans tab knife produces a more scissor-like cut (one that is almost dustless compared to traditional crush web slitting on an RTF roller). Tolerans double-driven knives dramatically increase the maximum number of webs that can be cut without compromising high cutting qual-
ity. The startup behavior (beginning of the cut) is also greatly improved. Since both knives are driven slightly faster than the web, they minimize the risk of web breakage—and by cutting closer to the former nose, they allow for better control of the web tension. n
2
The cut wire is formed to a U-shape. This is made when the wire is in a fixed position and passes over the former wheel.
Tolerans SPEEDLINER® 2.0 T
oday, the SPEEDLINER series is the world’s most popular line of stitchers in the market—they’re reliable and easy to install, maintain, and operate. Inspired by their own success, Tolerans is developing the next generation’s in-line stitchers that will be even easier to operate
and maintain: SPEEDLINER 2.0. To minimize down-time, the new series of advanced in-line stitchers will operate with a modular service cassette concept where no adjustments are needed when changing wear parts. Those wear parts will be made
from highly durable new materials that represent the latest technology. All major pre-greased bearings will be replaced by open bearings with a central grease system that lubricates them”. Stay tuned for more updates as the launch date approaches… n
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After being formed the wire is pressed through the web stream to hit the clincher dies. The legs of the staple are bent in a bow shape, and the staple is complete.
14 CONFIGURATIONS
www.tolerans.com | NEWSBOUND | no 1 2009
Stitching Possibilities D
epending on what you intend to stitch and what type of press you have, there are a variety of possible stitching solutions. It’s important to consider your future needs, so that you don’t get locked into only one possibility. Stitchers can be installed in almost every kind of web press, and in various configurations, depending on the production needs and the technical possibilities. So exactly where are they installed? Again, this depends on what you want to stitch, your pro-
Whether they are newspapers, accompanying sections, or commercial products, the following formats can be stitched: • Tabloid • Mini-Berliner • A4
duction capability, and the technical possibilities. Consider what you want to stitch: Newspapers? Sections, like sports, business, etc.? TV-section? Real estate inserts? Commercial products? Below are some of the most common solutions. Please note that depending on the folder configuration, these applications could be possible either for double- or single-width presses, and with single or double round stitchers. More examples can be found at our website: www.tolerans.com n
Stithing three tabloid sections in on e print run
STITCHERS RUNNING SKIP
What it does: stitching three tabloid sections in one print run. STITCHERS RUNNING SKIP
Stitching tabloid sections in a broadsheet newspaper
STITCHER RUNNING STRAIGHT
What it does: stitches tabloid sections in a broadsheet newspaper
Stitching one tabloid section and the main tabloid sized newspaper
STITCHERS RUNNING STRAIGHT
What it does: delivers two stitched sections from the press.
Where/when it fits: suitable when you want to have a stitched tabloid in a broadsheet directly from the press without any work in the mail room. Stitching several tabloid sections and the main tabloid-sized newspaper STITCHERS RUNNING STRAIGHT
Where/when it fits: suitable when you want to produce two separate stitched sections. Cylinder stitcher stitching in straight or collect mode
STITCHERS RUNNING STRAIGHT
What is does: produces multiple stitched sections Where/when it fits: suitable when you want to produce more than two stitched sections from the press
Where/when it fits: suitable when you want to have three stitched tabloids. One main section with high pagination, two inner sections with lower pagination.
What is does: cylinder stitcher stitching in straight or collect mode Where/when it fits: suitable when you want to produce one section in the press and want to have the possibility to run in either straight or collect mode for higher pagination.
no 1 2009 | NEWSBOUND | www.tolerans.com
WORLDWIDE CONTACTS 15 South East Asia WRH Marketing ASIA PTE LTD 1 Changi South Lane #02M-02 SGP-486070 SINGAPORE Phone: +65-3 330 330 Fax: +65-3 330 880 www.wrh-marketing-asia.com South Africa Printing Products PTY Ltd Vlaeberg, 8018 8018 Cape Town Phone: +27-2 146 110 38 Fax: +27-2 146 148 16 Spain Ferag Iberia Avenida Quitapesares 31, nave 4 Pol.Ind. Villapark E-28760 Villaviciosa de Odón/ Madrid Phone: +34-91 601 40 86 Fax: +34-91 601 40 88 www.ferag-iberica.com
Tolerans AB P.O. Box 669, SE-12635 Tyresö, SWEDEN Phone: +46-8 448 70 30 Fax: +46-8 448 70 40 info@tolerans.com www.tolerans.com Visiting address: Vindkraftsvägen 6 Stockholm Argentina Ingeniería En Artes Gráficas Julián Navarro 750RA (B1643) Beccar Argentina Phone: +54-11 47 32 05 28 Fax: +54-11 47 32 00 59 Australia Ferag Australia PTY Ltd Sydney Office (HQ) Unit 6B/190 Bourke Road Alexandria NSW 2015 Phone: +61-2 8337 97 77 Fax: +61-2 8337 97 88 www.ferag-australia.com Austria & South East Europe Ferag Ges.M.B.H Kolpingstrasse 11 A-1232 Vienna Phone: +43-1 616 38 90 Fax: +43- 1 616 29 73 www.ferag-austria.com Brazil KNAPP Representacões LTDA Calcada das Bétulas, 97 Centro Comercial Alphaville 06453-000 Barueri / São Paulo Phone: +55-1 141 950 728, Fax: +55-1 141 950 729
Canada Print2Finish LLC 835 Hudson Drive, Yardley PA 19067, USA Phone: +1 215 378 7837 www.print2finish.com China Ekpac Grahpics Ltd Causeway Bay, 255 Goloucested Road 2083 Sino Plaza Hongkong Phone: +852 2555 5555 Czech Partner: Ferag CZ S.R.O.Address: U Stavoservisu 1CZ-100 40 Prague 10 Phone: +42 (0)2 1008 4051 Fax: +42 (0)2 1008 4050 www.feragcz.com Denmark Scan-control Handels & Ingeniorsfirma A/S Postboks 209 DK-2605 Brondby Phone: +45-4 363 15 00 Fax: +45-4 343 0138 www.scan-control-dk.com Finland GR-LITO OY P.O. Box 136, FI-00211 Helsinki Phone: +358-9 684 1361 Fax: +358-9 679 663 www.grlito.fi
France Ferag France S.A. Paris Nord II 66 rue de Vanesses B.P. 52256 Villepinte F-95957 Roissy CDG Cedex Phone: +33-1 493 895 00 Fax: +33-1 486 327 55 www.ferag-france.com Germany WRH Marketing Deuschland GmbH Otto-Volger-Str. 13 D-65843 Sulzbach a. Ts. Phone: +49-619 670 3980 Fax: +49-619 670 3989 www.wrh-marketing.de Italy Ferag Italia Srl Via Grosio 10/10 I-20151 Milano Phone: +39-2 380 027 70 Fax: +39-2 380 067 10 www.ferag-italia.com India S.L. Kulkarni Cyril Graphics Pvt. Ltd.257-260 Udyog BhavanSonawala Road, Goregaon 400 063 Mumbai, India Phone: +91 22 2686 5801 Fax: +91 22 2686 7290 Israel Boris S. Israel LTD Box 2343, 591123 Bat Yam Phone: +972-3 553 06 64 Fax: +972-3 553 07 27
Japan u-Veritas Tech Co., Ltd 2-59-20, Shimo Kitaku 115-0042 Tokyo Phone: +81-3 524 954 41 Fax: +81-3 524 954 48 www.u-veritas-world.com Mexico and Central America Print2Finish LLC 835 Hudson Drive, Yardley PA 19067, USA Phone: +1 215 378 7837 www.print2finish.com Netherlands VPS Oostergracht 6, 3763 LB Soest Post-box 336, 3760 AH Soest Phone: +31-(0) 35 609 64 00 Fax: +31-(0) 35 609 64 10 www.vpps.nl Norway see Tolerans AB Poland Ferag Polska ul. Kurantòw 34PL-02-873 WARSAW Phone: +48-(0)22 855 46 60 Fax: +48-(0)22 855 46 70 www.ferag.pl Russia & GUS States INTRACO Ul. Timirjazewskaja 1/35th floor RUS-127422 Moscow Phone: +7 495 983 30 05 Phone: +7 495 611 34 65 Fax: +7 495 956 12 24 www.intraco-russia.com
Sweden See Tolerans AB Switzerland See Tolerans AB Turkey Pasifik Trading Yüzyil Mah. Mas-Sit Matbaacilar Sitesi 4. Cadde No: 121 34560 Bagcilar -Istanbul Phone: +90-2 124 327 777, Fax: +90-2 124 327 799 www.pasifiktrading.com.tr United Kingdom WRH Marketing UK Ltd 6 Stansted Courtyard, Parsonage Road, Takeley, Essex, CM22 6PU Phone: +44-1 279 635 657, Fax: +44-1 279 445 666 www.wrh-marketing-uk.com United States of America see Tolerans AB
For more countries, please visit our website: www.tolerans.com
www.tolerans.com | newsBoUnD | no 1 2009
ons secti d e h stitc w more nd allo front a ium or prem k pages f bac ertisers. adv
stitching adds value to your newspaper! Ever tried to balance a copy of your newspaper, and had the pages fall out when you turn from one page to another? stitching solves the problem.
stitching makes your newspaper: ✓ easy to navigate ✓ more durable ✓ secures recycling
today, when newspaper marketing is so focused on navigation, stitching is a quick and economical solution. a stitched newspaper with distinct sections appeals to both readers and advertisers—and it packages supplements better, adding value for advertisers and increasing your revenue. tolerans is the global leader in advanced in-line stitching systems for newspaper and commercial printers. In
business since 1947, we have installed stitchers in 70 countries. Contact us today and you can start stitching now! More information at www.tolerans.com
The World Leader in In-line Stitching
need advice on how to reinvent your newspaper with stitching? send us a copy of your newspaper together with your business card to tolerans aB, p.o. Box 669, 13526 tyresö, sweden. we’ll be happy to advise you.