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It is the fourth printer the paper has used in its 10-year history. The number of changes can be attributed to the fact that previous printers could not accommodate the Lamorinda Weekly's growing page count over the years. Transcontinental, a Canadian company, specializes in printing colorful newsprint, which fits this newspaper's vision of featuring strong, colorful photography for readers and advertisers.
For part of this paper's anniversary celebration, Transcontinental invited the Lamorinda Weekly staff to its plant to see the paper being printed, a rare opportunity for reporters and editors who spend their time with words, but not the all-important ink that makes the paper come alive every two weeks. (See photo on page A1.)
Producing the Lamorinda Weekly is, as it is for most papers, a complicated process. After the stories are written and edited, publisher Andy Scheck, who also serves as designer, does the layout. After that is finished and approved, electronic files are sent to the printer, and shortly after that the press is ready to print the paper - in less than an hour. The Lamorinda Weekly is printed on one of Transcontinental's three presses.
The staff saw the printing process as well as the quality control system used. After leaving the printing press all 26,600 copies of the paper travel on machines through the plant to dry the ink - the staff could watch 6,000 papers speeding in the air over their heads at the same time. At the end of the journey the papers are buffered and go on to other machines for inserting flyers, postcards and other documents. The last process is bundling and packaging for pick-up by the carriers, who deliver them to readers.
- Peggy Spear
Reach the reporter at:
Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA