C3231 - Newspaper and other publishing, with on-site printing

Operational Details
This industry includes the printing and publishing of commercial and/or job printing through various electronic and mechanical means. The purpose is to provide customers with newspapers, leaflets, advertising brochures, flyers, etc.

Printing and publishing newspapers and other periodicals, include the operation of laser printers, computerized high speed colour copiers, and other printing machines to print text, illustrations, pictures and designs on a wide variety of paper products.

Initially the production of the paper is planned, laid out, necessary illustrations and pictures scanned in, or pasted, paginated, and sent to print. This involves setting up the printing machine, such as filling ink, or paint reservoirs and loading paper stock. Codes are input and programming is keyed in on the console keyboard. Printing operations are overseen and checked as printing proceeds. Adjustments as necessary are made to the production run. Two major printing methods are letterset and offset lithography and are described below as:

Letterset

This method uses a blanket for transferring an image from a plate to paper. Unlike offset lithography, it uses relief plates and does not require a dampening system. It is also known in the business as dry offset printing.

Offset Lithography

This method takes an image from a plate and it is then offset onto a rubber blanket of an impression cylinder. It is transferred onto a sheet of paper through an automatic process and the aluminium plates are rolled through water, then ink. The inked image is transferred onto a rubberpad, onto another roller, and it goes through the same process again, using different coloured ink. Where there is no image, water sticks to the plate, and only the ink is absorbed. When printing pictures or brochures, four basic colours are used; yellow, red, black and blue.

Print shops have moved from the traditional mechanical printing to electronic printing, including graphic design, layouts and composing, using computer technology. High speed photocopiers, using sophisticated computers are less costly and more effective.

Workers involved include: editors, reporters, composers, copyworkers, advertising personnel, photographers, computer programmers, technologists, graphics art staff, printing press and machine operators, etc.

Newspaper businesses will also coordinate the distribution of newspapers to stands and newspaper delivery personnel.

SIC Codes
000001001 - Newspaper, with on-site printing
000001017 - Publishing, with on-site printing