Value Added Printing of Newspapers - VAPoN

The global newspaper market is very active with one of the current focus areas being ‘value added’ or ‘hybrid’ printing of higher quality pages or complete publications.

 

Driven by both the competitive advertising market versus the internet and other media, plus increasing interest in higher quality editorial colour to differentiate versus other newspapers, value added printing of newspapers is highly topical.

 

PrintCity members Trelleborg, manroland, MEGTEC, Océ, Sun Chemical, UPM  + 'partner' Eltex have joined together to produce a best practice Value Added Printing of Newspapers (VAPoN) study guide which analyses the current situation in added value or hybrid newspaper printing from several points of view:

 

There is marked trend towards fragmented target markets, the need to acquire new advertising customers, attract younger readers and trends in terms of content. What alternatives are there to satisfy these new opportunities for circulation and revenue?

A knowledge pool has been established combining the expertise of the participating member companies in order to optimise the production process and face the challenges presented by semi-commercial printing

An analysis of the economic differences between added value newspaper production techniques, in terms of investment and lifetime costs

 

This PrintCity VAPoN study includes a complete analysis of the effect of paper, ink, press and alternative drying technology choices to help newspaper printers & publishers make valid investment decisions for the future.

 

 

The PrintCity VAPoN best practice guide is intended to provide printers and customers with information on what technology is best suited to what applications, what heatset options are feasible for integrated coldset and heatset hybrid production, how MFC (Machine Finished Coated) paper can supplement coldset and who is a suitable candidate for UV printing or Electron Beam drying. Additionally actual print samples were assessed by a wide variety of newspaper printers & publishers worldwide to show how higher newspaper print quality is perceived.

 

The PrintCity Activity Group Publishing, Commercial & Web sponsored and initiated this important project which has worldwide implications for newspaper printers and publishers. 

 

The PrintCity VAPoN project was rolled out at IfraExpo, Amsterdam, in October 2006 and continued through until drupa 2008 with additional analysis and work.

 

Since its initial launch it has achieved very high media coverage and has been presented at seminars and conferences in Moscow, Ireland, Hungary, Bulgaria, India, UK and the United States.

 

For additional information about the PrintCity VAPoN study please contact project leader Paul Casey at Sun Chemical. See: Sun Chemical