On Press

We were very fortunate to print this book at Friesens in Altona, Manitoba. The staff at Friesens take just pride in their craftsmanship as printers and makers of books. Discussions, planning, and print testing began a year before we went on press. We thank Dominic Papineau, Friesens' Montreal representative, and Elvira Filion, customer service representative and production coordinator at the plant, for their patient guidance and generous dedication through the many unusual exigencies of this project. Printing the publication required 90 hours on press, divided on two presses running 24 hours a day. Throughout this time we were in the expert hands of Friesens' pressmen: great thanks to Gaylan Hildebrand, Darrell Hildebrand, Randy Kehler, Wade Linklater, Pat Penner, and Arney Giesbrecht for their care, skill, advice, encouragement, and friendly welcome.

One of Friesens' Rolland 900 sheet-fed presses, with four towers, one for each of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black.

One of Friesens' Rolland 900 sheet-fed presses, with four towers, one for each of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black.

Ink drums

Ink drums with the lines feeding the presses. The inks are 100% vegetable oil based and alcohol-free.

The printing plates.

The aluminum printing plates. These are recycled after use.

A printing plate being inserted into one of the towers.

A printing plate being inserted into one of the towers.

The plate wrapping around the printing cylinder. Beneath it can be seen the blue printing blanket – the cylinder that transfers the image to the paper.

The plate wrapping around the printing cylinder. Beneath it can be seen the blue printing blanket – the cylinder that transfers the image to the paper.

Stacks of our paper, sheeted from rolls and ready for loading into the press.

Stacks of our paper – New Leaf Paper's Reincarnation Matte, custom made for us in a natural off-white – sheeted from rolls and ready for loading into the press.

Paper being fed into the press. In the upper left corner can be seen the black, blue, red, and yellow pipes feeding the inks into the press's four towers can be seen.

Paper being fed into the press. In the upper left corner, the black, blue, red, and yellow pipes feeding the inks into the press's four towers can be seen.

The output end of the press with the sheets of the first few signatures accumulated.

The output end of the press with the sheets of the first few signatures accumulated.

Pressman pulling a test

Pressman pulling a test sheet off the press.

The pressman examining a first-pull test, surrounded by the controls of  the press's sophisticated colour and density management system.

The pressman examining a first-pull test, surrounded by the controls of  the press's sophisticated colour and density management system. The press sheets are 46 x 35.5 inches (116 x 90 cm). They will be folded four times to form 8.5 x 11 inch pages in 32-page signatures.

The pallet turner. Only one side of the large press sheets are printed on a first pass through the book – every other 16 pages. These are stacked  and allowed to dry. This machine then turns the huge stacks upside down so that the dried sheets can be fed back through for a second pass, to

The pallet turner. Only one side of the large press sheets are printed on a first pass through the book – every other 16 pages. These are stacked and left to dry. This machine then turns the huge stacks upside down so that the dried sheets can be fed back through for a second pass, to "back up" the sheets with the alternate half of the signatures.

Rotated pallet of printed sheets ready to go back through the press. The yellow sheets separate the signatures.

Rotated pallets of printed sheets ready to go back through the press. The yellow sheets separate the signatures.

Completed signatures of the book, ready for folding.

Completed signatures of the book, ready for folding.

The printed sheets loaded in to the signature folder.

The printed sheets loaded in to the signature folder.

The central stages of the folder.

The central stages of the folder.

Half-sheets (8 pages) being folded to quarter-sheets (4 pages) on the folder. This is a very cool -- and clattery – machine!

Half-sheets (8 pages) being folded to quarter-sheets (4 pages) on the folder. This is a very cool – and clattery – machine!

Folded signatures accumulating at the end of the folder!

Folded signatures accumulating at the end of the folder!

Signatures stacking up.

Signatures stacking up.

Friesens is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). It was started as a family company in a small Mennonite town in 1907 and is now employee-owned. For more on its history, visit Our Past on their website, which also provides a great deal of additional information on their plant and the printing process.

The paper – 80 lb Cream Reincarnation Matte Text – was chosen for both its aesthetic and its environmental qualities. It is produced for New Leaf Paper in Hamilton, Ohio, USA, with electricity that is offset with Green-e® certified renewable energy certificates, and is 100% recycled with 60% post consumer waste, Ancient Forest Friendly, FSC Certified, and Processed Chlorine Free. For more information on the paper visit New Leaf Paper's Reincarnation Matte.