The New York Daily News put three new triple-wide KBA Commander CT presses into operation last year – and became a member of the WAN-IFRA International Newspaper Color Quality Club just three months later. Baker describes the Commander CT as a highly automated press that enables efficient and high-quality production. A plough device mounted on the press allows for all kinds of inbound and outbound folding. Paper reel storage and preparation are fully automatic, as is CTP plate production.

“Today, to be highly efficient is a must for every company that wants to survive in this competitive environment,” Baker says. Lean production is indispensable.

Quality starts with raw material, which is the biggest cost factor and influences print quality and press performance. At the New York Daily News, papers and inks are tested. An ink sample  of every batch that is delivered to the printing plant is tested in the company's own laboratory to check whether it is within the specified tolerances (viscosity and other characteristics) before the ink is allowed to be pumped into the tanks.

The paper is also tested and web-breaks are tracked back. In reel handling and transport, attention is given to details such as the clamp pressure on clamp trucks, and reels are carefully inspected for possible defects before they are released to the automatic reel storage system.

In CTP plate production, every day a test plate is produced before production starts, dampening solution is checked, blankets are treated with special care and checked for height, and spray bars are checked for even spray. The list could be continued infinitely. “Commitment to check and control is a basic that is independent of the size of the newspaper plant,” Baker says. Another important factor is the training of the staff.

“We are dedicated to quality. Today we are one of the most modern newspaper facilities in the world,” Baker concludes.