University of Virginia Library

Printing The Daily Progress

By STEVE GRIMWOOD

Along with the numerous
personnel changes, the Progress has
undergone a somewhat painful
transition in their printing methods.
In July of this year they announced
that "The Daily Progress is taking a
bold step into the age of electronics.
We are beginning the conversion to
what's known as a 'cold type'
printing process."

Previously, the Progress had
used the "hot type" method of
publication, a system still favored
by the majority of large city
newspapers. "Hot type" consists of
casting metal plates from molten
lead on which impressions are made
with various characters that are set
by a linotype. This is known as
"direct impression" printing.

'Cold Type'

"Cold type" involves no lead
plates, but is a photographic
process in which a "picture" is
taken of flat type set by a
computer into columns. From this
negative a plate is made which is
used on the press run. This process
is also known as photo-offset
printing.

The advantages of this process
are many, the foremost being that
actual production time is nearly
four times as fast as "hot type"
printing. Consequently, a majority
of relatively small papers in Virginia
and across the country have been
converting to "cold type".

Conversion Not Complete

The Progress, however, did not
at first convert completely to "cold
type". Since August they have been
using a half and half reproduction
method, in which both cold and
hot type is employed. Also in use
was the "new printing process-Dyna
Flex." Used by only two other
papers in the United States. Dyna
Flex is primarily known for being
one of the cheapest and quickest
ways of putting out a newspaper.

Workmen Install Foundation For New Photo-Offset Press

Progress Purchased Half Million Dollar Press After Reader And Advertiser Complaints

As for producing something that is
readable Progress readers soon
discovered that you get what you
pay for; a cheap looking newspaper.

All through the summer and
much of the fall, the Progress kept
running apologetic articles
explaining why people were not
able to read the newspaper. "It will
be a while before we completely
convert to the modern process. And
we will have problems."

These articles also heralded the
day when the entire paper would be
completely done with the "cold
type" process. On August fifteenth
they announced that the next day's
issue would be printed completely
"by the new process." Presumably
it was, but since then they returned
to the half and half method.

It was also during this period
that advertisers and readers began
to complain about the appearance
of the paper. According to the
general manager of Downtown
Charlottesville Inc., the majority of
advertisers were "not happy" with
the "new look" of the Progress, but
that most had adopted a wait and
see attitude, hoping for
improvement but not willing to
desert such a long established
method of publicity.

New Press

Responding to this, the Progress
recently purchased a new offset
press or half a million dollars.
Instead, last week, they hope to
have, once again, the entire paper
published with the "cold type"
process within several months.
According to a printing expert, this
new press is one of the best
available.

Economy and speed seem to be
the two main reasons for switching
to "cold type." Economy in that
photo-offset printing is ultimately
cheaper than hot type, not only in
production costs but it also takes
fewer people to run it. Eighteen
people from the reproduction
department were laid off after the
conversion.

Speed in that production of the
paper is nearly four times as fast as
the old method. Hopefully, the
quality of reproduction should
improve for photo-offset printing is
capable of turning out excellent
work when used properly. But as
the Progress has said, "Please by
patient with us."