8

Printing

After all the pages have been laid out the whole set of them is sent up to our printers (Wanganui Newspapers Ltd) and we have no more to do with until the newspaper arrives on Monday morning - when we gloat over it,

Offset printing, which is used for Salient, is a very complex process and it is not possible to do more here than merely sketch out the basics. When the layout pages arrive, they are photographed and massive, same-size negatives are produced. These negatives are then processed to give a printing sheet which is a "positive" ie black where the layout page was black and white elsewhere.

The printing plate is then transferred to the press, having first been chemically treated so that ink will only adhere to the "black" parts of the plate. The plate is inked and this inked impression transferred to rubber rollers, which in turn transfer the ink to the page. This process happens simultaneously for all the pages (both sides of the paper are printed at once by two sets of rollers, one on top and one underneath). They are then collated, bundled and eventually sent down to your eagerly waiting selves.

Well that's it. Not a comprehensive account at all, but enough to show you the outlines of the various processes. We hone that having at least some idea of how it is made, you will feel more inclined to come in and help on Salient. We don't work on a permanent staff system, we depend on the people who just drop in and help out. Whether for an hour or an evening, it all helps. The Salient office is on the middle floor of the Union Building at the Graveyard end, so why not pop in and have a look around.