Job Shadowing at ADS Part 1

During our SpringBreak I got the chance to work for the local ADS affiliate (Associated Desert Shoppers) makers of the real estate and classified newspaper White Sheet/Green Sheet. My involvement with them allowed me to network with their Production Manager and Director Ernesto Lopez. I was glad to be there for 3 days and the experience has been invaluable! I had some idea on how technology has improved the newspaper industry but I didn't know how they had adapted to change. Change in the way of communications, personnel and of course the computer system itself.

For instance, do you know at this location they no longer use Negatives to print the pages? By that you have to understand a little background history here. Back in 1994 for instance, if you worked here creating pages for the classifieds the steps were as follows:

1) Customer places an ad.

2) Sales Rep creates a sample "dummy" of the ad. Once satisfied, the ad designer creates the piece and it goes to..

3) edit/proof reading dept. Fax to sales rep for approval.

4) All ads, along with classifieds get "Pasted" with hot wax, onto a bigger piece of paper (Newspaper size) and it gets ready to be 'Shot' (Camera takes a snapshot)

5) The "Negative" of this whole page(s) that includes the ads, classifieds and page numbers called 'folios' goes into a box along with other negatives to be driven to the designated printer or Regional Press to be born as the newspaper you see on the stands -or- delivered to your door.

Fast forward to the present -

1) Steps 1 and 2 are still in place BUT something else changes. Keep reading.

3) Enter the always changing, always so darn expensive software like Adobe InDesign for instance. The ad designer creates the ad, emails the eps graphic file and another person creates a PDF of the ENTIRE newspaper page alongside the classifieds and the page numbers. ALL of it - in one handy computer file.

Bye-Bye wax, exacto knife, paper, camera, chemicals, Negatives, Negative stripper (Editor), Driver, Company Truck, Gas money, Insurance, Liability, etc... HELLO Internet.!

4) The entire page, as a PDF file or graphic gets sent to the presses via internet.

Presto! Done! easy as that.

Of course, you still have to compensate for human error in this type of business but, rest assured, if there's any corrections to be made communication is the key; and these folks at ADS under the watchful direction of Mr Lopez have that covered.

As you can see the newspaper business is alive and doing alright. Not dead because of the Web; but co-existing with each other. Just like any other type of shop you have to observe the #1 rule in the book: KNOW YOUR CUSTOMER -

Who is it? What do they need? By when? but rest easy - that's another story.

~ Enrique Perez

Digital Imaging and Design Instructor

CTE/CVHS

ps: The picture on top shows how simple it is to transfer a file from a computer to another someplace else in the world. This one went from the ADS offices in Palm Desert to the Imperial Valley Press in El Centro, Ca. in a matter of seconds.