The Chicago Tribune, an American newspaper institution, has withstood the test of time and competition to remain one of the top-rated newspapers in the U.S. In business for nearly 150 years, the Tribune is currently the sixth largest daily metropolitan newspaper in the country, with an average daily circulation of 680,000. The company prints other products as well, bringing its weekly print run to 30 million copies.

The Chicago Tribune continues to enjoy success in today's highly competitive information business because the company has vision that looks far beyond today to the trends of tomorrow. Seeing technological and demographic changes on the horizon, management took advantage of the opportunity to lay the foundation for future enhancements to its product mix and printing capabilities. Their goals included offering new product options, more color printing, higher levels of quality and more responsive services to readers and advertisers.

The Chicago Tribune assembled a team whose task was to find the best solution to meet these objectives. The team worked closely with the press manufacturer to map out the best route. The group included Paul Lynch, Manager of Quality and Technical Training; Jay Bogg, Project Manager for the Press Enhancement Project (PEP); Ken Lebo, Technical Training Instructor; and many others.

Equipment Upgrade Provides More Color Options

To provide high-quality color printing with flexible placement, MetroColorÆ four-high towers were added to each of the Tribune's 10 presses in 1993, enabling them to add eight pages of process color to any product. The press manufacturer and Tribune staffers recognized that sophisticated color management techniques and controls were an essential component of this upgrade project, especially to ensure the high quality of color printing they desired. QuadTech's Register Guidance System V Series N was selected to meet this need.

Extensive On-Site Training Speeds Implementation

To enable the Tribune to fully utilize the new technology, an extensive training package was included in the press enhancement plan. Since the Tribune operates three eight-hour shifts, training occurred around the clock. QuadTech trained 270 people over the course of 10 weeks, and worked hard to keep disruptions to production at a minimum. On-site classroom training was scheduled for one hour before each shift. Press personnel used a portable unit to learn system operation and programming. QuadTech's Field Service staff then worked with each crew during their regular shifts. Those involved in this extensive training effort included electricians, press operators and staff in hardware services and system operations. In addition, some staff attended training classes at QuadTech's world headquarters in Wisconsin, U.S.A.

“QuadTech has outstanding representatives; they're very service-oriented,” commented Ken Lebo, Technical Training Manager. Electricians and software engineers also spent one week at QuadTech's world headquarters for additional training. “We're very satisfied with the results,” Ken said.

As the Register Guidance System V Series N was used in actual production, Tribune personnel suggested some changes that would make the system even easier to use. QuadTech responded by implementing those suggestions, and continually worked with the Tribune to assure their complete satisfaction. “We appreciate the willingness on QuadTech's part to listen to customers. We have migrated to the point where people are comfortable that this system provides the quality Chicago Tribune customers want,” Jay Bogg, Project Manager for the Press Enhancement Project (PEP), mentioned.

RGS V Series N Enhances Quality

Along with quality, the ability to obtain proper registration faster and with less waste makes the Register Guidance System V Series N even more beneficial. In the deadline-driven environment of newspaper printing, every second counts. “QuadTech equipment is close off the start, and that's important when you're trying to get the newspaper out the door fast. And crew supervisors have said it helps with waste a lot,” commented Brian Kruse, Tribune maintenance electrician. Jay also mentioned that the register systems nicely complement the Tribune's other equipment and help achieve lower waste. Plus, it really runs well, and according to Brian, “the system is great.”

In terms of quality and advertiser satisfaction, the Tribune is thrilled with the results of its upgrade project. In the first quarter of 1994, the Chicago Tribune's first complete color supplement made its debut. The client was Nordstrom, a prominent retailer with a reputation for quality and service that is second to none. The advertising supplement was extremely successful. Nordstrom was so pleased with the results that they immediately scheduled more advertising supplements.

“This piece spoke positively about our capability of doing more color. Our color work started growing thereafter. This success told us there was a real market for color if it was done right,” according to Jay. “Keeping it in register is important, because our customers demand consistency.”

Paul Lynch, Manager of Quality and Technical Training, was one of the driving forces behind the inclusion of register controls. He believes it's critical to have the necessary process controls on press. He calls the Register Guidance System V Series N “a great police cop.” He also added, “It helps monitor the tight register that customers demand.”

Jay and Paul agree that advertisers have raised the standard on quality. They demand high-quality register throughout the run. “They're not satisfied with just close enough. Close enough is not good enough anymore,” Paul said.

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