THE PRINTING DEPARTMENT
Nearly all of the larger paper box manufacturers are operating their
own printing departments. Many of the smaller paper box-making
concerns are also operating private printing plants, and when managed
efficiently, the printing department is a profitable investment for
any paper box factory, large or small.
The writer knows of several large printing concerns, of New York
City and Philadelphia, who are specializing in the production of
wrappers and other printed matter for paper box manufacturers. All
of these printing establishments are continually busy, and from all
indications, are earning substantial profits on their work. In fact,
it is certain that these printing concerns are making money on their
specialty lines, for they have been in business for a long time; are
paying their employes the standard scales of wages, and are keeping
their plants in first class physical condition by installing new
machines and labor-saving devices immediately as they are placed
on the market. Now unless a printing firm is earning a fair margin
of profit on all of its product, certainly it would not be in the
financial position to do the things which have just been mentioned.
If a printing company can afford to operate a large plant, running
almost exclusively on work for paper box manufactures, there is no
reason why the box-makers themselves cannot make money by having
their own printing plants. The writer, however, has heard some box
manufacturers complain about not earning any profits from private
printing plants, and in this article the writer will attempt to point
out to the box-makers the ways and means of profitably conducting
a printing department. With my eighteen years experience as a
practical printer and executive, I feel that I am capable of offering
information regarding the printing business which should prove
helpful to paper box manufacturers in general.
EQUIPMENT SUGGESTED FOR A MEDIUM-SIZE PRINTING DEPARTMENT
It is my intention to suggest the newest material and mechanical
equipment for a printing plant rather than material and machines
which are not quite up-to-date, and this will explain why I shall
mention such things as _steel_ composing-room furniture, and
automatic feeders for platen presses.
One 14 × 22 Hartford, or John Thomson press, equipped with
individual motor.
One 10 × 15 Chandler & Price press with individual motor.
[Illustration: No. 2005 Tracy Cabinet--Job Side.]
One 10 × 15 Chandler & Price press, equipped with automatic feeder
and individual motor.
One 12 × 18 Chandler & Price press, equipped with automatic feeder
and individual motor.
One “Pony” cylinder press, equipped with individual motor.
One Oswego, or Seybold paper cutting machine, 44-inch, fitted with
individual motor.
One Bronzing machine--one of the new vacuum models.
Roller Cabinets, Ink Cabinets, Drying Racks, Stock Tables, etc.
Two or Three Steel Type Cabinets, each Cabinet containing two
tiers of Type Cases, Cases filled with a well-selected assortment
of Type Faces, suitable for all kinds of box-maker’s printing.
[Illustration: No. 2005 Tracy Cabinet--News Side.]
One Steel Imposing Table, fitted with galley racks, drawers and
chase racks on one side, and with complete assortment of printers’
wood furniture on the other side.
One Indexed Electrotype Cabinet.
Series of Cases for Leads, Slugs, Labor-saving Metal Furniture,
Brass Rules, Borders, Quads and Spaces.
One Proof Press.
One Lead and Rule Cutter.
A printing plant, equipped with the machines and materials mentioned
in the foregoing, could be classed as ideal. It would be adapted to
any kind of printing which may come to the paper box manufacturing
plant. The 10 × 15 and 12 × 18 Chandler & Price presses, fitted with
automatic feeders, would be capable of handling long runs of wrappers
at high speed, while the Hartford (or John Thomson) press would be
engaged on fine color work, embossing, etc., and the Pony cylinder
press could be used for larger work, printing cartons, two or more
wrappers together on one sheet, and so forth.
Steel composing-room equipment has been suggested because of its
great durability and improved design, but hard-wood printers’
furniture, like that made by the Hamilton Manufacturing Company,
of Two Rivers, Wis., and the Kramer Woodworking Company, of
Philadelphia, will serve just as well as steel equipment in the
average printing office. On pages Nos. 161 and 162 are illustrations,
showing front and back views of the Tracy Type Cabinets (Hamilton
Manufacturing Co.) which are very popular in many composing-rooms.
IMPOSING TABLES.
The new-style imposing tables are made from both steel and wood.
Both the steel and wood imposing tables have planed steel tops.
These tables come in various sizes, and they are made in different
styles so far as the arrangement of drawers, galley-slides, letter
boards, chase racks, and lock-up furniture is concerned. The
following illustrations of a No. 4040 Hamilton Imposing table, made
of hard-wood with a steel top, shows the back and front views of
the table. Note the arrangement of the printers’ labor-saving wood
furniture, letter-boards, galley shelves, chase rack and drawers:
[Illustration: No. 4040 Imposing Table (front view)]
The time-saving advantages of an imposing table of this design
should be apparent to any intelligent person. With a table equipped
like this one, with labor-saving furniture, letter-boards, etc.,
the imposition man can lock-up form after form without finding it
necessary to walk away from the table for lock-up material. On the
letter-boards are kept standing “live” forms ready for repeat orders.
Hundreds of small, live jobs are also kept standing on the galleys.
As the forms are locked up for the presses the chases are placed in
the chase rack, and from there the pressman takes them.
[Illustration: No. 4040 Imposing Table (reverse side view)]
TYPE EQUIPMENT
It would be impossible to specify type equipment which would be 100
per cent suitable for the printing department of a paper box plant,
for the reason that the requirements of every printing department are
different. It is safe, however, to install popular type faces like
Lining Gothic, Caslon Old Style, Bodoni Bold, Caslon Bold, Cheltenham
Bold, Goudy Bold, etc. Much of the label and carton work handled in
the box-maker’s printing office is composed of heavy-face type, like
Cheltenham Bold for example, and that is why the bold faces mentioned
have been suggested. Both light-face and bold-face Gothic are always
useful.
When buying display type of some good face it is always advisable to
buy weight fonts of the entire series instead of job fonts. A weight
font, say 25 pounds, will usually fill a job case, and give the
printer plenty of characters to work with, while a job font contains
only a few duplicates of each character.
Have only a limited number of good type faces, but have plenty of
each size and character. Also have an abundance of 2-point leads,
6-point slugs, 12-point slugs, quads, spaces and metal furniture.
Labor-saving brass rule--1-point face on 3-point body, is of
particular advantage for borders of labels, panels for box-tops,
etc.; 2-point face rule on 2-point body, and 6-point face rule on
6-point body, are also very useful. Running borders of artistic
design, in 6-, 12-, 18- and 24-point sizes, are admirable for borders
for box labels of the larger size.
For the printed matter on the fronts of small-size cartons, the
box-maker will need a number of small, compressed type faces, such as
for example: 6-, 8-, 10-, 12- and 14-point Extra Condensed Cheltenham
Bold. Regular Condensed Cheltenham Bold, in these same sizes, will
also be found very useful. Extra Condensed Gothic, in all sizes
from 6-point to 72-point, is excellent for narrow-measure display
composition on carton work, narrow labels for boxes and bottles, and
so forth. These are facts which must be carefully considered by every
box-maker who may be thinking of installing a printing plant.
Many small labels and fronts of cartons contain “Direction for Use,”
and other information printed in very small type, and this means
that the box-maker having a printing plant must use a considerable
quantity of 5-point and 6-point body type. Old Style Roman is a
good face for this class of composition, and it should be kept in
open news cases on the top of type cabinets so as to make the work
of setting as easy as possible for the compositors. It is the right
thing to keep all job type stored in dust-proof cabinets, but in
the case of small body type which is being used frequently, it is
advantageous to keep it in open cases, despite the fact that open
type cases are “dust collectors.”
[Illustration: Hartford Platen Printing Press.]
Much of the smaller work for labels and cartons is of such an
intricate character as to call for the use of a great deal of
small-size type, like 5-point Old Style Roman, 6-point Extra
Condensed Gothic, etc. Often the forms must be spaced out with the
greatest care so as to make the forms fit small spaces. A complete
assortment of thin copper spaces, and of 1-point brasses, laid out in
small cases, will be found exceedingly useful for the fine spacing
referred to.
It would be a mistake for anyone to be under the impression that
box-makers’ printed matter is of the common-place variety, for many
of the wrappers, box-tops and labels produced for fine candy boxes,
rubber goods boxes, holiday boxes and other boxes are printed in
the best style. The type forms and designs, in many instances, are
works of art. This means that the compositor working in the box
manufacturing factory should be a high grade craftsman, capable of
producing first class display typography.
The typography for all box-makers’ printed matter should be simple
and beautiful and easy to read. No ornaments, with the exception of
borders, should be used. Good, clear-cut type faces are better than
fancy type faces.
THE HARTFORD PRINTING PRESS
The Hartford platen printing press, made by the National Machine
Company, of Hartford, Conn., is one of the best machines of its kind
in the world, being built expressly for the finest class of half
tone and color printing. By reason of its powerful construction,
the Hartford Press, in addition to doing printing, is also capable
of doing cutting and creasing. It may also be used for embossing.
It should be understood by the reader that the National Company are
making three different kinds of presses--printing presses, cutting
and creasing presses, and embossing presses. The proper press should
be used for each particular class of work, but just the same, the
Hartford printing press is strong enough to do light cutting and
creasing, and also embossing, in addition to printing.
The Hartford printing press is well adapted to spacious forms of type
or plates for cartons, wrappers and labels. Often, on this machine,
two or more wrappers, cartons or labels can be printed together on
one sheet of stock. On fine color work, pictures, designs, etc., for
art wrappers, the Hartford is especially useful. This machine is also
adapted to close-register color printing on cardboard, as used for
“set-in” forms for holiday boxes, necktie boxes and suspender boxes.
The “set-in” forms, after being printed, can also be cut out to the
required shape on the Hartford Printing Press.
THE JOHN THOMSON PRINTING PRESS
This is another of the first-class platen printing presses which is
particularly suitable for the printing department of a paper-box
plant. The John Thomson Printing Press is also known as the “Colt’s
Armory” press, and it is famous for excellent color and half-tone
work. The finest embossing, also light cutting and creasing, can be
handled on this machine. For long runs of the finest close-register
color work, for “holly” wrappers, pictures, fancy wrappers, etc.,
there is no better machine than the John Thomson press and many of
these machines are being used on work of this class.
[Illustration: John Thomson Printing Press]
Many of the larger-size paper box wrappers, printed in colors, and
embossed in gold, are produced on John Thomson printing presses,
including the embossed work. Advertising novelties, cardboard fans,
and other kinds of paper “cut-outs” are cut out on these machines.
Cutting and creasing for all kinds of cartons are also done on the
John Thomson printing presses, although heavy cutting and creasing
should be done on regular cutting and creasing presses.
Later on the writer will explain how embossing and gold-leafing are
done on platen printing presses.
[Illustration: Miehle Pony Cylinder Press]
THE MIEHLE CYLINDER PRESS
Miehle cylinder presses are in successful operation in many of the
largest printing plants in America, and the adaptability of these
machines to the finest half tone and color work is too well-known
to require comment here. It is enough to say that for the printing
departments of large paper box concerns, where cylinder presses are
needed, no better machines could be installed than those made by the
Miehle Printing Press and Manufacturing Co., of Chicago.
The Miehle Pony Cylinder Press is very useful for printing cartons,
box wrappers, etc. Large Miehle Cylinder presses are excellent for
printing heavy color plates as applied to the larger sizes of folding
boxes, such as cereal boxes, tea boxes, spice boxes and so on. As
many as a dozen of these cartons are printed on the one sheet of
stock, being cut apart afterwards.
THE KIDDER AUTOMATIC PRINTING PRESS
Some of the larger manufacturers of both folding boxes and cartons
are making good use of Kidder automatic printing presses in their
printing plants. In some instances the Kidder is being used for
printing cartons from large rolls of carton stock, and in other cases
the machine is running on big orders of box labels printed from rolls
of paper. Box labels may be printed in one or two colors on a special
Kidder press, and the machine is equipped with a cutting device for
cutting the labels to correct size as they are printed from the rolls
of paper.
For complete information about these machines, write the Kidder Press
Co., of Dover, N. H.
THE MILLER AUTOMATIC FEEDER FOR CHANDLER & PRICE PRESSES
Recently the writer entered the printing department of a
Philadelphia paper box manufacturing concern, and there were seen
three Chandler & Price presses, equipped with Miller automatic
feeders, running on large orders of box wrappers. One press was
engaged in putting on the final color of a four-color design for a
box wrapper; the second machine was running on a form printed in gold
ink, and the third press was operating on a plain, black-ink job.
[Illustration: Chandler & Price Press equipped with Miller Feeder.
The picture shows the feeder in operating position.]
Two of these Chandler & Price presses were of the 12 × 18 size, and
the other machine was of the 10 × 15 size. The three Miller feeders
were working at high speed, feeding the blank sheets in the presses
with no difficulty whatever. One pressman, assisted by a boy, was
keeping these three platen presses continually busy on long runs of
the wrappers. His principal work was in taking away the finished
work, and in putting up new piles of stock to be printed.
Under the old system of feeding platen presses, it would have
required one pressman and three young men, or young women, to keep
these three presses in continual operation, but with the Miller
feeders, the same amount of work, (or even a larger output of work)
was being done by one pressman and one assistant.
Miller Feeders are now being made in three different sizes--8 × 12,
10 × 15, and 12 × 18--by the Miller Saw-Trimmer Co., of Pittsburgh,
Pa. At the present time they are made only for Chandler & Price
presses of the three sizes mentioned. These automatic feeders
will handle all weights of stock, from onion skin paper to heavy
cardboard, and they will feed the sheets to close register for color
printing.
It should be understood that the Miller Saw-Trimmer Co. will supply
the Miller Feeders separately, so that the buyer may have the
feeders applied to C. & P. presses, or the company will furnish
complete “units,” consisting of the C. & P. press, Miller feeder, ink
fountain, counter, speed pulley, motor, etc.
There is another automatic platen press feeder, called the “Humana,”
manufactured by The Humana Co., of Newark, N. J.
KINDS OF WORK DONE IN THE PRINTING DEPARTMENT
OF A PAPER BOX FACTORY
For those not familiar with the special class of work produced in the
average printing department of a paper box factory, the following
information should prove interesting and perhaps helpful:
The manufacture of fine set-up paper boxes, such as candy boxes
for example, would use the printing department mainly for printing
customers’ business cards, designs, and pictures on glazed paper
wrappers. Here is a special field in itself, for there are many
different kinds of box wrappers, many of them printed in colors, or
printed, gold-leafed and embossed. Many of the fancy wrappers contain
beautiful pictures, done in four or more colors, while other wrappers
have business cards printed merely in one color.
Loose wrappers for toilet articles, perfumery, and other things of
this variety are often printed in tints and colors. Some are done in
colors and gold, and after being printed, are embossed.
Many of the fine loose wrappers are applied to both set-up boxes and
folding boxes, and not a few of them are works of art. By covering a
rough set-up paper box, or a cheap carton, with a handsomely-printed
loose wrapper, the appearance of the box is wonderfully enhanced.
This goes to show the great utility of the right kind of printed
wrappers.
The manufacturer of set-up boxes would also have considerable demand
for glazed labels, to be applied to the tops of writing paper boxes,
rubber goods boxes, and so forth. In many instances, labels of this
variety are printed in several colors and gold.
Some of the fine set-up boxes are first tight-wrapped with white or
tinted glazed paper, and afterwards fancy printed labels are pasted
to the top of the lids and to the sides of the lids.
The demand for holiday boxes, particularly the kind loose wrapped
with glazed paper containing holly designs, pictures of pretty girls’
heads, etc., is constantly increasing, and all of this variety of
printing would also be needed by the set-up box manufacturer. The
same manufacturer would perhaps require printed partitions, cut out
of box-board, for inserts in neckwear boxes, suspender boxes and
other holiday boxes. These cardboard “set-ins” are often printed with
fancy designs in colors and gold.
In the printing department of a folding box factory the style of
printed matter would be different from the fine wrappers and labels
which have been referred to. Here the major portion of printing would
be done on cartons, although plain labels would frequently be needed
for cartons.
Large-size cartons for cereals, tea, dried fruits, spices, butter,
cake, rice, powders, and medicine bottles are often printed in
several colors, no labels or wrapper being needed. Other cartons have
printed labels applied to their fronts, while others still call for
printed wrappers of the “loose” style.
There is always a tremendous amount of printed matter required by
both set-up box-makers and folding-box manufacturers, and therefore
the average box-maker’s print shop is seldom idle.
In the next chapter the writer will take up the subject of practical
printing as done in the box-maker’s plant.