why stitch? 3 reasons in-line stitchinG helps innoVate yoUr newspaper, paGe 4

in -l ine st itchinG news yoU can Use | no 1 2009

How In-line Stitching Can Transform Your Newspaper

Increase ad revenues! Find out how on page 4

The Greener Newspaper –read all about it on page 5

What do newspaper readers want? See study results on page 5

The World Leader in In-line Stitching

case stUDy / paGe 6

news International’s Incrediblenew Print works buy tolerans

case stUDy / paGe 10

metro uk celebrates 10 yearsof stitched Papers

ask the expert / paGe 8

mario garcia speaks out for in-line stitching

keeP It togetheR

www.tolerans.com | newsBoUnD | no 1 2009 In-lIne stItchIng 32 welcome

dear reader

An industry innovation —with a proven record

the printeD newspaper is facing unprec-edented challenges—we all know that. It’s hard to escape the daily reports of falling share prices, declining readership, and the seemingly unrelenting rise of “new media”.

But this isn’t a time for despair, it’s a call for innovation.

The publications that are succeeding today have continuously reevaluated their newspapers—both content and format—to improve their newspaper in the market and attract more readership. In terms of format, the emerging industry trends are a change towards the handy and cost efficient com-pact size, segregated content (by theme), and enhanced navigation.

So it’s no accident that lately we’ve noticed a significant rise of interest in our high-quality in-line stitching systems for newspapers and commercial products. In-line stitching allows sections and inserts to be printed in a smart way that’s part of the daily print run. Here at Tolerans, our job is to help our customers in improving their competitive advantage—we’ve been leading the development of in-line stitchers in the

print industry for the last 40 years. The following pages detail the vari-

ous benefits of a stitched paper, including enhanced navigation, a longer lifetime, environmental sensitivity, a quality feel-ing, and increased ad revenues. We hope that you can find some helpful tips on how you can improve your own newspaper with stitching—take a look at how others have done it.

Also, make sure to check out our interview with news design expert Dr. Mario Garcia, he raises some provocative questions about how newspapers embrace change.

I encourage you to contact us if you would like advice on how stitching can reinvent your newspaper; I look forward to good cooperation in the near future. n

”The following pages detail the various benefits of a stitched paper, including enhanced navigation, a longer lifetime, environmental sensitivity, a quality feeling, and increased ad revenues.”

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Table of Contents

n b e n e f I t s

3 In-line Stitching What is in-line stitching?

4 Why Stitch? 3 reasons readers appreciate stitched newspapers.

n c a s e s t u dy: n e w s I n t e R n at I o n a l

6 State-of-the-Art New Print Facilities “astonishing” new print facilities in Broxbourne, uk equipped with tolerans stitchers

n c a s e s t u dy: dag e n s n y h e t e R

7 Expanding Ad Possibilities sweden’s Dagens Nyheter shows how in-line stitching creates greater advertising revenue

n I n t e R V I e w: d R . m a R I o g a R c I a

8 Stitching a “No-Brainer” news design guru Mario Garcia talks with tolerans about how in-line stitching could help the newspaper industry

n c a s e s t u dy: m e t R o / t h e h I n d u

10 Ten Years of Reading on the Go Metro’s stitched format is a clear winner with uk commuters

10 Stitching Gives Indian Newspaper Publisher Competitive Advantages a broadsheet paper distinguishes itself with six additional compact-format products

n c a se s t u dy: d R e s d n e R V e R l ags h aus d Ru ck

11 An Economical Solution German printer Dresdner Verlagshaus Druck makes more money with stitching capabilities

n R e s o u R c e s

12 Stitching Solutions portfolio overview

13 Product News Cutting Edge techonology: the Double Motorized tab slitter Introducing the spEEDLInEr s60 Compact Coming this Fall: spEEDLInEr 2.0

14 Stitching Possibilities suggested press configurations for various printing objectives

15 Worldwide Contacts tolerans sales representatives all over the world are ready to take your call

newsbound is published by tolerans aBBox 669, 135 26 tyresö, swedenVisit: Vindkraftsvägen 6, stockholmphone: +46 8 448 70 30E-mail: mail@tolerans.comWeb: www.tolerans.comIso 9001 certifiedMember of IFra.

publisher: Jan Melin, tolerans aBEditor: Linas alsenasEditorial team: Charlotte Banning, Linas alsenas, steed styles, Mårten DahlstedtGraphic design: raring Designprint: upsala nya tidning tryckeri aBCover photo: stig kenne, Fotokenne

The World Leader in In-line Stitching

Jan Melinceo

no 1 2009 | newsBoUnD | www.tolerans.com In-lIne stItchIng 32 welcome

In-line Stitching: Innovating the Print Industry

t o some people, the term “stitched newspaper” may conjure images involving

needles, thread, and a very steady hand. In reality, it refers to some-thing quite simple: a publication held together with steel staples, or “stitches”. Accordingly, an “in-line” stitching machine fastens the pub-lication together while the product is still being processed on a pro-duction line, at full press speed.

an UnexploreD opportUnity

At a time when newspaper vol-umes and profits are declining and the industry is seeking for solu-tions, the simple stitch may seem an unlikely savior. But as tradi-tional media integrates with new media, in-line stitching presents an

Many newspapers have embraced the benefits associated with transi-tioning to a stitchable compact for-mat (formats such as tabloid, Mini Berliner, and even A4)—not least of which is proven higher reader satisfaction, especially among younger readers. A scientific study tracking the eye movements of readers was recently conducted at the Media Science Faculty of Trier University in Germany to compare the relative appeal of broadsheet and compact-format newspapers.

The results found that “the com-pact format has a major potential of becoming the readercompatible newspaper of the future.” Several other studies show that broadsheets converting to compact formats have increased their circu-

lation figures by an average of 8%, and as many as 80% of newspapers saw increases in their number of subscriptions.

the options

Format change is a hot topic, not the least in the U.S. Which compact format should a two-around broad-sheet adopt: tabloid, or three-around broadsheet? Alan Flaherty, a senior consultant in newspaper operations with 44 years of experience, argues in favor of going tabloid.

“You’re doubling the availability of color pages that attract readers and advertisers, and it’s less than half the cost to convert a press for tabloid than for a three-around broadsheet production—with virtually identical page dimensions as the tabloid. The

innovative way for print publica-tions to retain their readers and advertisers.

Remarkably, few newspapers around the world today are stitch-ed. Olof Aurell, Vice President at Tolerans, a Swedish firm special-izing in in-line stitching, says “The

process is proven and inexpen-sive, but I would dare say that less than 3% of the newspapers are stitched.” In places such as Scandinavia, stitching has

already become the norm, and stitching advocates believe that the tide is set to turn.

How two small staples are revolutionizing newspapers all over the world

olof aurell, Vice president at tolerans.

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Why Stitch?

stitched newspapers are easier to recycle.

1stitching doesn’t just appeal to readers and graphic designers, it makes newspapers a lot more appealing to advertisers, as well.

It is demonstrably true that compact, stitched newspapers attract more users per paper and are read much longer, increasing the amount of exposure each adver-tiser receives from an ad.

Increased ad Revenues

tabloid format won’t accommodate sectioning in the traditional broad-sheet manner, but it is possible to produce multi-section tabloids by installing multiple stitchers on each press. That approach has been widely adopted in Scandinavia and Britain.”

Peo Lovén, technology offi cer at Sydsvenska Dagbladet, told IFRA Magazine that his newspaper made the switch to a tabloid format in order to print more effi ciently: “By going tabloid, we gained two things: we could start printing earlier, and we started to staple it. Looking back, we should have made the move much earlier, because there have mainly been benefi ts, and very few draw-backs”.

alternatiVes

Even broadsheet newspaper publish-ers who are hesitant to make such a drastic format change to their prod-uct are following survival strategies

that include increasing the number of compact sections and inserts in the paper, as well as adopting designs that simplify navigation. Advertisers in this competitive market environ-ment are demanding more exposure for their ads, so newspapers benefi t from a demonstrably longer lifetime. Stitching goes a long way in address-ing those challenges.

Accordingly, more and more print-ers are offering stitching as an option for newspapers and special sections (special issues, supplements), as well as commercial products. Stitchers can operate at—and beyond—full production speed, so installing them on a production line has no negative impact on the performance of the press.

And at an investment of less than 0.03 euro cents per copy, no other improvement to the production process can improve the cost/benefi t ratio as much as in-line stitching. n

not long ago, the CEO of Swedish stitching manu-facturer Tolerans re-

marked, “We have noticed signifi -cant increased interest for having stitched newspapers and distinct stitched sections in many countries worldwide.” Here are several of the many reasons why readers love stitched newspapers – and why publishers benefi t from them.

reaDers appreciate:

1better navigationPerhaps the most obvious—and

compelling—reason for stitching is the fact that stitching creates a much more manageable product. Navigat-ing an unstitched newspaper on a bus or an airplane is a skill that has to be mastered, whereas stitched, compact newspapers are simple and

3 reasons readers appreciate stitched newspapers

straightforward to use, with a more accessible “magazine feel”. Naturally, consumers prefer prod-ucts that are more user-friendly. When newspapers in Sweden has one of the highest readerships in the world, and when newspapers there changed to stitched, compact for-mats, 8 out of 10 readers thought the format had improved and customer satisfaction increased by 100%!

When Göteborgs-Posten started converting their publication by sections, readers responded by urging them to convert the whole newspaper.

2longer lifetimeRecent research shows that

newspapers nowadays are read 2-3 times per day: in the morning, at lunch, and in the evening, not once

”By going tabloid, we gained two things: we could start printing earlier, and we started to staple it. Looking back, we should have made the move much earlier, because there have mainly been benefi ts, and very few drawbacks.”

When Göteborgs-Posten switched to a compact format, they found that young readers (15-29 years) and women spent almost twice as much time reading the paper every day, from 30.6 minutes to 53.3 minutes.higher exposure value boosts income for the newspaper.

With distinct sections, newspapers can foster

consumer commitment among special-interest groups, and advertise-ments can more ac-curately target their intended audience. those separate, bound sections create more op-portunities for front- and back-page ads, and more page 3s, 7s, etc.

the greater design fl exibility that stitching provides also increases

the number of advertis-ing options available, from ads that wrap around a cover to the eye-catching draw of variously sized pages. In fact, stitching makes it possible for advertisers to purchase a dedicated section of their own.

suddenly, selling ad space becomes a lot easier with a new array of effective arguments. n

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no 1 2009 | newsBoUnD | www.tolerans.com4 In-lIne stItchIng In-lIne stItchIng 5

readers prefer newspapers that are easy to handle.

1advocates for stitching are quick to point out the environmental benefi ts it provides. In certain parts of the world, such as in the uk and scandinavia, laws explicitly prohibit the distribution of unstitched newspapers in sub-

way systems. Why? Because unstitched newspapers produce exponen-tially more litter. When a newspaper is stitched, there is only one item to pick up and recycle. (and during the paper recycling process, even the steel stitches can be separated and recycled, as well.) Moreover, a stitched newspaper is more likely to be picked up and read more than once in a public place, as it doesn’t betray the fact that it has been used—unlike the messy, folded pages of an unstitched paper. In the midst of the “green revolution”, stitching answers the newspaper industry’s call to follow the “three r’s”: reduce, reuse, and recycle. n

stitchinG secUres recyclinG

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as it used to be. Considering this, stitching makes a newspaper stay fresh much longer.

That “magazine feel” also applies to sections within the paper. Stitch-ing makes it easier for readers to save those sections and inserts, such as a TV guide or a special section for an event like the Olympics, and use them for a longer period of time. For example, if a reader is looking for a new house, she can remove and hold on to a stitched real estate section to use as reference throughout her search.

A more useful and accessible product will attract higher levels of customer satisfaction and loyalty. In an increasingly competitive media market, that’s no small consideration.

3Quality feelingIt’s also hard to ignore the

argument that stitched newspapers simply look better than unstitched ones. Stitching proponents ask: which newspaper would read-ers rather have, one with the “magazine feel” that just two small staples provide, or the splayed, jumbled mess that an unstitched newspaper inevitably becomes? The aesthetic effects of stitching

can raise the perceived value of the product, and strengthen the newspaper’s brand, keeping it com-petitively viable.

Furthermore, stitching expands the design possibilities of a publi-cation.

Full-spread designs are more attractive when they are fastened together with two handy stitches, and other features become pos-sible, such as a half-height page, or a tear-sheet reply card option. Stitching makes it possible. n

what reaDers ValUe in their newspaper

86% 74% 67%easy to navigate has a convenient size has a modern format

source: soM 2004, Institute for Journalism and Mass communication, university fo Gothenburg, sweden)

Printers appreciate:lower Running costsMany of the benefi ts of stitching ap-ply to printers, as well. Beyond en-hancing the quality of their product, direct in-line stitching also improves the profi tability of printing works by lowering running costs.

In these times of dynamic industry change, the print world is trend-ing toward the consolidation of different phases of production and distribution.

In-line stitching offers one way to seamlessly bring together parts of the fi nishing process with the production phase of printing – it’s proven that stitching in-house provides major fi nancial advantages over stitching outside the press by saving money on additional trans-port and unnecessary storage.

stitching is also one way that will enable you to increase the usage of your press, by taking on products such as internal or external newspa-pers, weeklies, magazines, supple-ments, catalogues, brochures, and advertising inserts, at full production speed.

stitching doesn’t just add value to the product, it’s an effective way for a printing operation to broaden its market and increase revenue.

competitive biddingIn a heated bidding situation be-tween two printers, the added value provided by a stitching option can make the difference.

Indeed, stitching —at 0.03 euro cents per copy—is a drop in the ocean compared to any other print-ing process feature.

www.tolerans.com | newsBoUnD | no 1 2009 dagens nyheteR 76 news InteRnatIonal

State-of-the-Art“Astonishing” new print facilities equipped with Tolerans stitchers

Roy Greenslade, columnist at The Guardian, says he is “well-known to be some-

body who thinks print is dying.” But when he left a press preview tour of News International’s (NI) new Broxbourne printing facility, he was visibly floored: “I’ve seen lots and lots of print works over the years, and I thought, ‘God, I’m going to be bored today—I mean, I’ve seen it all.’ But I’ve seen noth-ing like this.”

The groundbreaking facility is the largest printing plant in the world, taking up 87,000 square meters (the equivalent of 23 foot-ball fields) with 12 presses capable of printing one million copies every hour. Each of those presses is the height of four double-decker buses. Brian McGee, Managing Director of Printing Operations likes to point out that construc-tion of the £350-million facility required “twice as much steel as it

took to construct the Eiffel Tower.” The plant’s paper reels are 2.2 me-ters wide—two pages wider than a normal newspaper reel—making printing 50% more efficient.

increDiBly, the BroxBoUrne plant does not represent the end of News International’s current ambitions: the facility is only one of three print facilities that NI has built throughout the United King-dom to take their production and distribution capabilities to a whole new level—at a total investment of £650 million. (The other, smaller

sites are Knowsley, near Liverpool, and Eurocentral near Glasgow.)

But no cutting-edge facility is complete without in-line stitching capabilities. Sixty-eight stitchers

from Swedish manufacturer Tol-erans, including both cylinder and ribbon types, were installed on the nineteen MAN Roland presses at all three locations.

Broxbourne prints The Sun, News of the World, The Times, the London Paper and The Sunday Times. But that’s not all—it also prints the competition, Telegraph Media Group’s Daily

Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph. (Consider that NI’s own titles alone consume 300,000 tons of paper per year.) The new production changes have allowed newspapers to increase the amount of color editorial and advertising content.

moreoVer, the plant’s greater efficiency will especially appeal to sports fans, says Clive Milner, Group MD for News International. “Monday through Friday you will see The Times and The Sun with later deadlines delivering full football coverage, not only for the Premiership but for those impor-tant European games.”

Greenslade, for one, remains awed: “This is what at least one News Corp executive called a “step change”, but I think it’s way beyond that. I don’t think that there’s any-where in the world with as efficient a printing facility as what I’ve seen here today.” n

1news International’s Broxbourne plant began stitching products in June of 2007. the 19 presses at nI’s three print locations have tolerans stitchers installed. n

roy Greenslade, columnist at The Guardian.

cUttinG eDGe technoloGy

”I’ve just been on a tour with a group of journalists, and to hear the words “impressive,” “amazing,” “never-seen-anything-like it” from people who are quite used to going around print works is something to behold. It’s a very special place indeed, it has to be said…”

news international’s Broxbourne printing plant is the largest print facility in the world.

the facility cost £350 million.

no 1 2009 | newsBoUnD | www.tolerans.com dagens nyheteR 76 news InteRnatIonal

Expanding Ad PossibilitiesSweden’s Dagens Nyheter stitches for greater advertising revenue

f or a number of years Dagens Nyheter (DN), Sweden’s leading morning newspa-

per, has been stitched and divided into ten different daily and weekly

sub-sections of distinct news cat-egories. The paper took this revolu-tionary step after realizing that by offering its con-tent in separate sections, it could increase its adver-tising revenue in

several important ways.First of all, separating out brand

advertisements from targeted sales advertisements considerably increases the total ad sales volume

for a newspaper. Advertisers are able to build their image and brand with ads in the main news section, while targeted sales ads get placed in selected sections, like sports, culture, or finance.

henrik stanGel, sales Director for DN, confirms that his newspaper’s experience shows that “the sales volume goes up as advertisers can distinguish their offer in brand and sales advertisements. This would not be possible without stitched sections.”

Moreover, individual sections increase the number of attractive ad placement possibilities. Stan-gel points out that more sections “mean more premium page space producing higher revenue, like the

front and back page, and more 3, 5, and 7 pages.” Newspapers are able to present the same content, but in a format that offers more space for high-impact, high-revenue adver-tisements.

Moreover, readers are more will-ing to accept advertising when it is presented in conjunction with cor-responding editorial content. For example, financial advertisements placed in the business section of a newspaper have more relevance, and they increase the reading—and

advertising—value for the target audience. DN’s decision to offer separate stitched sections was part of a concerted effort to become the “obvious marketplace for both consumers and sellers,” and their weekly motor, real estate, travel, and recruitment sections have been very successful attracting both readers and advertisers.

stitchinG also increases advertis-ing revenue by creating entirely new sales avenues. A dramatic example of this is the fact that distinct stitched sections can be entirely wrapped in an ad page (adding four pages of ad space: front and back sides to a front and back cover). Stiching also enables pages of various sizes and configu-rations to be included in the paper, expanding the range of advertise-ments available.

Additional special sections—to cover a sporting event like the Olympics, for example—afford multiple advertising opportunities to existing or new advertisers. DN’s Stangel is satisfied that “separately stitched sections have given our sales people more sales opportu-nities for commercial sections, special sections, and wrap adver-tisements.”

Traditional print media needs to find new, innovative ways to attract advertisers in an increasingly dif-ficult economic environment. Daily newspapers that turn to stitched sections create more targeted advertising space, increase ad-vertising income, and create new interesting advertising products to sell. The bottom line is that in-line stitching brings increased ad revenue. And that’s something no newspaper today can afford to go without. n

1taking a page out of “new media’s” playbook, print newspapers are increasingly dividing their con-tent thematically. By incorporating stitched sections, readers with special interests can navigate easily toward those parts of the paper that have particular appeal for them. In turn, the advertisers are easier to attract because they are presented with a more specifically defined target demographic. n

henrik stangel, sales Director for Dn.

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”The sales volume goes up as advertisers can distinguish their offer in brand and sales advertisements. This would not be possible without stitched sections”

the benefits of in-line stitching are crystal clear to Dagens Nyheter; they now produce 150 commercial inserts in-line every year.

www.tolerans.com | newsBoUnD | no 1 2009 maRIo gaRcIa 98 InteRVIew

“ The two stitches on the spine of the newspaper are barely visible, yet their effect is powerful.”

As the newspaper industry today faces off against unprecedented economic challenges, what has

news design consultant Mario Gar-cia been advising his clients?

Stitch.Recently, Garcia posted an article

on his blog (also published in IFRA Executive News) that extolled the benefi ts of stitching and raised some provocative questions.

Swedish in-line stitching manu-facturer Tolerans invited Garcia to come visit their factory and head-quarters in January. The meeting with Garcia was video-recorded and posted on YouTube, where it has since made the rounds on print industry blogs, notably Editor & Publisher.

Does stitching really make a difference?As I spend this week in Sweden, I am suddenly aware of how neat the Swedish newspapers are, the pages all together, never falling out as one travels through the newspaper. I was discussing stitching at lunch today with one of the Göteborgs- Posten editors. To him, and to most Scandinavians, stitches are as much a part of the newspaper as ink and type.

All the Scandinavian newspapers do it. The Guard-ian and Times in the UK have them for some of their sections. Rarely has a newspa-per in the United States ever even considered it.

Why is stitching not a common practice, especially

news Design Guru Dr Mario Garcia: stitching a “no-Brainer”

among U.S. newspapers, those giant broadsheets that, especially on Sun-days, tend to be like paper cascades in the hands of frustrated read-ers? When you actually get out of Sweden or places where the papers are stitched, you see people on an airplane in the US or in the rest of Europe reading the newspaper, and it comes apart in their hands.

I mean, it’s a no-brainer that stitching works, it holds the whole thing together. Which brings me to the point of what I have heard re-peatedly in focus groups worldwide during my almost 40-year career: readers complain about ink on their fi ngers, and about pages that keep falling out of the newspaper.

Well, don’t know how much one can do to keep ink away from the fi ngers or the bed sheets. But stitch-ing certainly solves the problem of falling pages! The two stitches on the spine of the newspaper are barely visible, yet their effect is pow-

erful. It’s a practice that is relatively inexpensive, easy to implement tech-nically, and which defi nitely makes the life of the reader happy.

so, do you have any theories as to why stitching isn’t more common?Perhaps stitching is not at the top of the priority list for most publishers and editors I know, especially dur-ing these diffi cult economic times. I confess that I have rarely been involved in a discussion of stitch-ing in any of the more than 500 newspaper companies for whom I have served as a consultant. It is a sort of non-event with most editors and publishers. It is a production-oriented function, and newspapers are driven by the editorial depart-ment.

If editors, in a choir of editors all over the world, if they had decided that the pages of a newspaper should be held together—hallelu-jah—then there would have been stitching for one hundred percent

of the newspapers in the world. That’s basically how it works

However, it is now that many readers, hard-pressed by the diffi -cult fi nancial times, begin to ponder why they need a newspaper. One that stays together could make a more convincing argument for also staying around the house.

what do consider to be the most important benefi ts of stitching?First of all, it makes the life of read-ers easier, as pages will not fall. Stitching actually gives newspapers more of a magazine feel.

Second, it holds your advertis-ing supplements together better, so it will increase advertising revenue.

Third, it allows those supplements with a shelf life beyond one day to last longer periods. In markets where several readers read one

1Mario Garcia’s experience in trans-forming newspapers across the world has earned this design consultant the reputation of being an industry “guru”. For more than thirty years, Garcia has dedicated himself to redesigning pub-lications—at last count, 567 news design projects in 87 countries. his credits range from such large projects as The Wall Street Journal, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Handelsblatt, and Die Zeit to medium-sized and smaller newspapers like The Charlotte Observer and kansas’s Lawrence Journal-World. Find out more at http://garciamedia.com. n

innoVator of print news worlDwiDe

discussing stitching at lunch today

The Guard-

sections. Rarely has a newspa-

no 1 2009 | newsBoUnD | www.tolerans.com maRIo gaRcIa 98 InteRVIewcopy of the newspaper, as in India and Latin America, for example, stitching guarantees that the news-paper will travel better from one reader to the next.

So there are all these good reasons to do it.

you’ve said before that stitching provides a simple, inexpensive way for newspapers to become greener products. how is that?Well, it reduces littering, which is especially applicable to metro-politan areas where commuters read free newspapers on the trains and leave them there. It’s easier to pick up one piece newspaper than several pages flying around. Ever traveled in the New York City sub-way system? You see newspapers all over the place. If these papers were stitched, you would have one item to pick up. And chances are that it will get a second read-ing, and a third reading. A lot of people don’t like to start reading a newspaper that feels touched by somebody else. Well, a stitched newspaper folded on a seat is more attractive to a second or third reader in the subway than a news-paper where all the pages are, like, a big mess.

Most editors are trying to be green as well, to join the ecological brigades. So I think that beyond the practicality, beyond not hav-ing to read a newspaper that falls apart, it’s important to point out that it’s easier to pick up and throw away a stitched newspaper—to be more ecologically minded and a better citizen.

Do publishers and editors ever make an argument against stitching?No, they just make a comment that it’s so nice that the Scandinavian newspapers are held together. End of the discussion. It never goes beyond that to say, ‘why don’t we do it?’ They have never felt that stitch-ing was a part of the plan. And I think that this is what needs to be changed: to create an awareness. Nowadays, with the importance of navigation, it’s important to make sure that newspapers are attractive products to people, and that when they are using them, they feel com-fortable with them.

At the end of the day, stitching solves a great deal of problems. If only readers could act on their wishes and place demands in front of publishers, I am sure the number of stitched newspapers would be much higher. n

“i think that this is what needs to be changed: to create an awareness.” – Dr. mario Garcia

the small stitches hold the newspaper together.

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Ten Years of Reading on the Go

Stitching gives Indian newspaper publisher competitive advantages

Metro’s stitched format is a clear winner

A broadsheet paper distinguishes itself with six additional compact-format products.

metro was launched in London in March 1999 as a free color

newspaper for morning commut-ers, and it has been a hit with readers and advertisers ever since. With a London circulation of over 540,000, the newspaper delivers an attractive readership profi le: 62 percent of its readers are in the average or above average earners

category, and 78 percent are aged between 15 and 44. The success of the publication is partly thanks to its stitched, com-pact format.

From the very beginning, Metro has provided read-

ers with a one-piece publication that is easy to handle. Henrietta MacEwen, Public Relations Execu-

the Hindu, the leading Indian English-language daily news-

paper, is a broadsheet publica-tion with a staggering circulation of 1.3 million copies and over 5 million readers. Founded in 1878, this conservative mainstay of the Indian press has a lot of tradition and history behind it (the American Newspaper Publishers’ Association has awarded The Hindu its World Press Achievement Award, calling it a “model of journalistic excel-lence”). But that hasn’t stopped the publisher from embracing changing times—they now issue six compact-format products to include with their main publication or sell separately.

“Stitching defi nitely adds val-ues to our product, and combined

tive at Metro, explains that “Metro is typically read while the reader is in transit—be that bus, tram, car, taxi, or tube. Even in tabloid format, a stitched product is sig-nifi cantly easier to handle in that environment, with all of the pages being kept together.”

But of course, it hasn’t hurt that stitching the paper increases its aesthetic appeal. MacEwen agrees: “It makes for a better looking prod-uct. Our aim is to give the morning newspaper more of a magazine feel.”

a maJor component of Metro’s launch strategy was to provide a publication specifi cally suited to the users of the London Underground and overground train systems. Accordingly, the stitched, compact format was the natural choice: not only is it easy to handle in

Balaji is pleased with the results. “With our stitched products we have established a differentiation from our competitors who don’t stitch. It gives our products a bet-ter position and a higher value to readers and advertisers. That’s a position we are glad to have achieved—especially since the

awkward, cramped environments, it also makes distribution easier and more effi cient.

“Copies are always stacked in the distribution bins with the spine facing out so that single copies can easily be collected by the traveler,” explains MacEwen. “This makes for an easy single-copy pick up and also ensures that other copies in the stack are not spoilt by losing pages.”

The messy disposal of newspa-pers has become a political issue in London, but Metro’s stitched format mollifi es concerns that stray pages would end up littering the streets or transport systems.Plus, stitching extends the life of the newspaper, often encourag-ing readers to retain a copy for the whole day, or read a paper that has already been read by others. n

1The Hindu was originally founded in 1878. headquartered at Chennai (formerly called Madras), the newspaper started as a weekly publication, but then began publishing daily in 1889. the citation for the paper’s World press achievement award reads, “Conservative in both tone and appearance, [The Hindu] has wide appeal to the English-speaking seg-ment of the population and wide readership among government officials and business leaders. The Hindu has provided its readers broad and balanced news coverage, enterprising reporting, and sober and thoughtful comment.“ n

aBoUt the hinDU

henrietta macewen, public relations executive at metro

in-line stitching makes Metro ideal for commuters.

competitive edge we are getting signifi cantly overcompensates for the additional cost of stitching.”

He says, “If a tabloid product is to have some kind of lasting value and must stay together for a few hours, then I am quite happy to recommend stitching for every publisher in that situation.” n

1headquartered at Chennai (formerly called Madras), the newspaper started as a weekly publication, but then began publishing daily in 1889. the citation for the paper’s World press achievement award reads, “Conservative in both tone and appearance, [Hindument of the population and wide readership among government officials and business leaders. Hindunews coverage, enterprising reporting, and sober and thoughtful comment.“

aBoUt the hinDU

with trimming, we can produce magazine-like products directly off the press,” says Mr. Kasturi Balaji, Director at The Hindu.

The six papers per week that The Hindu stitches are Sports Star, Cin-ema Plus (a 16-page tabloid), NXG (a 16-page tabloid focusing on the new generation), Metro Plus (also 16 pages), Smart Buy, and Ergo, an 8-page tabloid catering to IT pro-fessionals. Sports Star is a weekly magazine for which stitching is a necessity because it’s sold sepa-rately on newsstands. Smart Buy is distributed with the business paper Business Line, and Ergo is a free newspaper that’s distributed fi ve days a week. The other products are included with the main section of The Hindu newspaper.

no 1 2009 | newsBoUnD | www.tolerans.com dVd 1110 metRo / the hIndu

An Economical SolutionGerman printer makes more money with stitching capabilities

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every day, more than a mil-lion readers all over Saxony, Germany’s easternmost

federal state, keep up-to-date with the latest news from Säch-sische Zeitung and Morgenpost für Sachsen. These are just two of the many titles published by Dresdner Verlagshaus Druck GmbH (DVD), one of Europe’s top innovators in the field of newspaper production. The publisher regularly endeavors to break into new markets with service-oriented, regional maga-zines covering a broad spectrum of topics. However, all its various titles have one thing in common: editorial and layout excellence that has made them leaders in their respective segments.

extenDinG the portfolio So what makes DVD so innova-tive? DVD’s production plant is

equipped with four printing lines with an hourly capacity of up to 240,000 newspapers, each up to 48 pages in length (Sächsische Zeitung alone contains appromix-ately 220 different pages, submit-ted by the main and local editorial offices). DVD is a subsidiary of Dresdner Druck- und Verlagshaus Mediengruppe (DD+V), a highly diversified media company with

several independent subsidiaries specialized in a variety of fields from printing to delivery. (DD+V is itself a sixty percent subsidiary of Gruner + Jahr AG & Co. KG.)

Accordingly, DVD prints a large number of third-party products—and it was this external demand that first persuaded DVD to extend its portfolio by offering in-line stitching for coldset products.

aDDeD ValUe The printer found that stitching could add significant value to their products with negligible invest-ment cost. It gave their publica-tions a more impressive, magazine feel. “What’s more,” adds Dr. Gerd Papenfuss, Head of Technology at DVD, “stitched products are easier for consumers to read because the books no longer fall apart and they still look attractive after they have been browsed through.”

The decision has not been regret-ted since. According to Papenfuss, reactions from the marketplace have been overwhelmingly posi-tive. So much so, that DVD has gone beyond stitching a series of products from other publishers to stitching many of its own publica-tions, including plusz-Magazin, Sächsische Zeitung’s weekly city guide.

the installation In DVD’s production plant, the publisher chose to install a cylin-der stitcher manufactured by the Swedish firm Tolerans. Papenfuss says “The main advantages of-fered by the Tolerans solution are its compact and rugged design, its simple operating principle, and the excellent quality of the plan-ning, operating, and maintenance documentation.”

Two of the four GEOMAN cold-set web presses were prepared for the Tolerans stitcher in the folder. The company opted for a Speedlin-er cylinder stitcher, to ensure that in-line stitching is always possible on one of the two GEOMANs. “This configuration is ideal for stitching tabloid products,” says Papenfuss.

Impressively, DVD’s experience at the plant so far confirms that the cylinder stitcher has had no negative influence on web press performance, nor has it led to any increase in the waste rate whatso-ever.

Papenfuss concludes, “The low investment and operating costs make it altogether a cost-efficient solution.” n

1In a competitive bidding situation between two printers, the added value provided by a stitching option can make the difference, at negligible cost to the printer. Indeed, stitching—at 0.03 euro cents per copy—is a drop in the ocean compared to any other printing process feature. n

hiGher ValUe at a low cost

”The cylinder stitcher has had no negative influence on web press performance, nor has it led to any increase in the waste rate.”

the German newspaper Sächsische Zeitung is a leading paper in the saxony region.

www.tolerans.com | newsBoUnD | no 1 2009 PRoduct news 1312 stItchIng solutIons

tolerans sPeedlIneR® cylinder stitcher

tolerans drumtop.tolerans sPeedlIneR® ribbon stitcher that has a compact format.

1tolerans has been the global leader in the area of in-line stitching since the first stitcher was developed in 1968. With almost 40 years of experience within stitching technology, tolerans spEEDLInEr® stitching system is the most advanced stitching system in the world with high focus on durability, reli-ability and ease of maintenance.

tolerans in-line stitching systems spEEDLInEr have rapidly become the world’s most sold in-line stitchers in the market. they are modular, reliable, easy to install, maintain and operate. all our stitching solutions are customized

depending on what you want to stitch and what type of press you have. the stitchers can be placed in almost every kind of web press and run at full produc-tion speed.

Included in the shaftless stitching solu-tions is a customized, modular control system totally based on standard com-ponents. servodrives, controller, touch screen operator terminal and modem or Ethernet connection to the electrical sys-tem are some of the standard features in the spEEDLInEr concept. the flexible design allows integration in most press control systems on the market.

the in-line stitchersthe spEEDLInEr stitchers are avail-able as cylinder or ribbon stitchers with shaftless or mechanical drive and fit in almost all presses. they are developed to fit either for newspaper or commercial printing presses.

Included in the stitching solutions are spool holders and wire feeding systems for small wire spools and optional for larger wire drums up to 300 kilos.

additionals are wire trolleys and of course spare and wear parts that you need along the way.

service and supportthe tolerans stitching solutions include on-site training and training at tolerans office with full documentation and manuals on your specific solution.

We also have a worldwide network of experienced service technicians at your service around the clock. on top of this we can offer a variety of services packages available. n

moRe Info of the dIffeRent

stItchIng solutIons :

www.tolerans.com

Product overview

tolerans sPeedlIneR® Ribbon stitcherwire trolley, spool holder and wire unwinder.

no 1 2009 | newsBoUnD | www.tolerans.com PRoduct news 1312 stItchIng solutIons

Producing staplesat full press speed the sPeedlIneR® stitchers produce staples with extreme accuracy and total control during the process.

1the wire is fed from spools and guided into the stitcher. after feeding the correct

length of wire, the wire is cut to the full length of the staple.

3after being formed the wire is pressed through the web stream to hit the clincher

dies. the legs of the staple are bent in a bow shape, and the staple is complete.

2the cut wire is formed to a u-shape. this is made when the wire is in a fixed posi-

tion and passes over the former wheel.

Tolerans SPEEDLINER® 2.0

Cutting-Edge Technology

Introducing the SPEEDLINER® S60 Compact

today, the SPEEDLINER series is the world’s most popular line

of stitchers in the market—they’re reliable and easy to install, maintain, and operate. Inspired by their own success, Tolerans is developing the next generation’s in-line stitchers that will be even easier to operate

and maintain: SPEEDLINER 2.0.To minimize down-time, the new

series of advanced in-line stitchers will operate with a modular service cassette concept where no adjust-ments are needed when changing wear parts.

Those wear parts will be made

from highly durable new materials that represent the latest technology. All major pre-greased bearings will be replaced by open bearings with a central grease system that lubricates them”.

Stay tuned for more updates as the launch date approaches… n

say good-bye to those standard “crush-type” knives that can’t

produce clean cuts of highly-pag-inated printed products: Tolerans presents the Double Motorized Tab Slitter, a revolutionary technological advance. Thanks to the spring-load-ed contact point between its knives,

the Tolerans tab knife produces a more scissor-like cut (one that is almost dustless compared to tradi-tional crush web slitting on an RTF roller). Tolerans double-driven knives dramatically increase the maximum number of webs that can be cut with-out compromising high cutting qual-

tolerans is pleased to launch the revolutionary high-end stitching solution that fits into

presses that haven’t had enough space for a stitcher before.

The SPEEDLINER S60 Compact, being shaft-less and small, opens up various possibilities for placing the machine in different positions around the press. Installation requires very lit-tle modification of the folder, so the process is quick and easy. The stitcher’s low weight makes

The Double Motorized Tab Slitter

A Small Wonder

ity. The startup behavior (beginning of the cut) is also greatly improved. Since both knives are driven slightly faster than the web, they minimize the risk of web breakage—and by cutting closer to the former nose, they allow for better control of the web tension. n

the tolerans tab knife produces a more scissor-like cut.

removal and servicing simpler, too.The patented SPEEDLINER S60 Compact can

run in either straight or skip mode. The 14mm-wide staples are cut from 0.5mm gauge wire with a minimum length of 560mm. n

www.tolerans.com | newsBoUnD | no 1 2009 14 confIguRatIons woRldwIde contacts 15

Stitching Possibilitiesdepending on what you intend

to stitch and what type of press you have, there are a variety of possible stitching solutions. It’s important to consider your future needs, so that you don’t get locked into only one possibility.

Stitchers can be installed in al-most every kind of web press, and in various configurations, depend-ing on the production needs and the technical possibilities.

So exactly where are they in-stalled? Again, this depends on what you want to stitch, your pro-

duction capability, and the techni-cal possibilities. Consider what you want to stitch: Newspapers? Sections, like sports, business, etc.? TV-section? Real estate inserts? Commercial products?

Below are some of the most com-mon solutions. Please note that depending on the folder configu-ration, these applications could be possible either for double- or single-width presses, and with sin-gle or double round stitchers.

More examples can be found at our website: www.tolerans.com n

stitching tabloid sections in a broadsheet newspaper

stitching several tabloid sections and the main tabloid-sized newspaper cylinder stitcher stitching in straight or collect mode

stitching one tabloid section and the main tabloid sized newspaper

what it does: stitches tab-loid sections in a broadsheet newspaper

where/when it fits: suitable when you want to have a stitched tabloid in a broad-sheet directly from the press without any work in the mail room.

what is does: produces multiple stitched sections

where/when it fits: suitable when you want to produce more than two stitched sec-tions from the press

what is does: cylinder stitcher stitching in straight or collect mode

where/when it fits: suitable when you want to produce one section in the press and want to have the possibil-ity to run in either straight or collect mode for higher pagination.

what it does: delivers two stitched sections from the press.

where/when it fits: suitable when you want to produce two separate stitched sections.

STITCHERRUNNINGSTRAIGHT

STITCHERSRUNNINGSTRAIGHT

STITCHERSRUNNINGSTRAIGHT STITCHERS

RUNNINGSTRAIGHT

stithing three tabloid sections in on e print run

what it does: stitching three tabloid sections in one print run.

where/when it fits: suitable when you want to have three stitched tabloids. one main section with high pagination, two inner sections with lower pagination.

whether they are newspapers, accom-panying sections, or commercial products, the following formats can be stitched:• Tabloid• Mini-Berliner• A4

STITCHERS

STITCHERS

RUNNIN

RUNNIN

G

G

SKIP

SKIP

no 1 2009 | newsBoUnD | www.tolerans.com14 confIguRatIons woRldwIde contacts 15

tolerans abp.o. Box 669, sE-12635 tyresö, sWEDEnphone: +46-8 448 70 30Fax: +46-8 448 70 40info@tolerans.comwww.tolerans.comVisiting address:Vindkraftsvägen 6stockholm

argentinaIngeniería En artes GráficasJulián navarro 750ra (B1643) Beccar argentina phone: +54-11 47 32 05 28Fax: +54-11 47 32 00 59

australiaFerag australia ptY Ltdsydney office (hQ)unit 6B/190 Bourke roadalexandria nsW 2015phone: +61-2 8337 97 77Fax: +61-2 8337 97 88www.ferag-australia.com

austria & south east europeFerag Ges.M.B.hkolpingstrasse 11a-1232 Viennaphone: +43-1 616 38 90Fax: +43- 1 616 29 73www.ferag-austria.com

brazilknapp representacões LtDaCalcada das Bétulas, 97Centro Comercial alphaville06453-000 Barueri / são paulophone: +55-1 141 950 728, Fax: +55-1 141 950 729

canadaprint2Finish LLC835 hudson Drive, Yardleypa 19067, usaphone: +1 215 378 7837www.print2finish.com

chinaEkpac Grahpics Ltd Causeway Bay, 255 Goloucested road 2083 sino plaza hongkongphone: +852 2555 5555

czechpartner: Ferag CZ s.r.o.address: u stavoservisu 1CZ-100 40 prague 10 phone: +42 (0)2 1008 4051Fax: +42 (0)2 1008 4050www.feragcz.com

denmarkscan-control handels & Ingeniorsfirma a/spostboks 209Dk-2605 Brondbyphone: +45-4 363 15 00Fax: +45-4 343 0138www.scan-control-dk.com

finlandGr-LIto oYp.o. Box 136, FI-00211 helsinkiphone: +358-9 684 1361Fax: +358-9 679 663www.grlito.fi

franceFerag France s.a.paris nord II66 rue de VanessesB.p. 52256 VillepinteF-95957 roissy CDG Cedexphone: +33-1 493 895 00Fax: +33-1 486 327 55www.ferag-france.com

germanyWrh Marketing Deuschland Gmbhotto-Volger-str. 13D-65843 sulzbach a. ts.phone: +49-619 670 3980Fax: +49-619 670 3989www.wrh-marketing.de

ItalyFerag Italia srlVia Grosio 10/10I-20151 Milanophone: +39-2 380 027 70Fax: +39-2 380 067 10www.ferag-italia.com

Indias.L. kulkarni Cyril Graphics pvt. Ltd.257-260 udyog Bhavan-sonawala road, Goregaon 400 063 Mumbai, Indiaphone: +91 22 2686 5801Fax: +91 22 2686 7290

IsraelBoris s. Israel LtDBox 2343, 591123 Bat Yamphone: +972-3 553 06 64Fax: +972-3 553 07 27

Japanu-Veritas tech Co., Ltd2-59-20, shimo kitaku115-0042 tokyophone: +81-3 524 954 41Fax: +81-3 524 954 48www.u-veritas-world.com

mexico and central americaprint2Finish LLC835 hudson Drive, Yardleypa 19067, usaphone: +1 215 378 7837www.print2finish.com

netherlandsVpsoostergracht 6, 3763 LB soest post-box 336, 3760 ah soestphone: +31-(0) 35 609 64 00 Fax: +31-(0) 35 609 64 10www.vpps.nl

norwaysee tolerans aB

PolandFerag polskaul. kurantòw 34pL-02-873 WarsaWphone: +48-(0)22 855 46 60 Fax: +48-(0)22 855 46 70www.ferag.pl

Russia & gus statesIntraCoul. timirjazewskaja 1/35th floor rus-127422 Moscow phone: +7 495 983 30 05 phone: +7 495 611 34 65 Fax: +7 495 956 12 24 www.intraco-russia.com

south east asiaWrh Marketing asIa ptE LtD1 Changi south Lane#02M-02sGp-486070 sInGaporEphone: +65-3 330 330Fax: +65-3 330 880www.wrh-marketing-asia.com

south africaprinting products ptY LtdVlaeberg, 80188018 Cape townphone: +27-2 146 110 38Fax: +27-2 146 148 16

spainFerag Iberiaavenida Quitapesares 31, nave 4pol.Ind. VillaparkE-28760 Villaviciosa de odón/Madridphone: +34-91 601 40 86 Fax: +34-91 601 40 88www.ferag-iberica.com

swedensee tolerans aB

switzerlandsee tolerans aB

turkeypasifik tradingYuzyil Mah. Mas-sit Mat-baacilar sitesi4. Cadde no: 121 34560 Bagcilar -Istanbulphone: +90-2 124 327 777, Fax: +90-2 124 327 799www.pasifiktrading.com.tr

united kingdomWrh Marketing uk Ltd6 stansted Courtyard, parson-age road, takeley, Essex, CM22 6puphone: +44-1 279 635 657, Fax: +44-1 279 445 666www.wrh-marketing-uk.com

united states of americasee tolerans aB

For more countries, please visit our website: www.tolerans.com

www.tolerans.com | newsBoUnD | no 1 2009

stitching adds value to your newspaper!Ever tried to balance a copy of your newspaper, and had the pages fall out when you turn from one page to anoth-er? stitching solves the problem.

today, when newspaper marketing is so focused on navigation, stitching is a quick and economical solution. a stitched newspaper with distinct sec-tions appeals to both readers and adver-tisers—and it packages supplements better, adding value for advertisers and increasing your revenue.

tolerans is the global leader in advanced in-line stitching systems for newspaper and commercial printers. In

business since 1947, we have installed stitchers in 70 countries. Contact us today and you can start stitching now!More information at www.tolerans.com

stitched sections

allow more

premium front and

back pages for

advertisers.

The World Leader in In-line Stitching

stitching makes your newspaper:✓ easy to navigate ✓ more durable ✓ secures recycling

need advice on how to reinvent your newspaper with stitching? send us a copy of your newspaper together with your business card to tolerans aB, p.o. Box 669, 13526 tyresö, sweden. we’ll be happy to advise you.