Special Report The 3Ps: Printing, Production and Paper

Also, ask for runability reports, web-break counts per hour and overall ink hold-out.

• Map out a plan of attack. Meet with your merchant or printer to map out a paper-buying strategy based on your circulation plan and press dates. An annual plan is best.

Consider your inventory needs. Work with the mill or paper supplier to determine if its LDC dates are as close to your press dates as possible. This will help you fine-tune circulation counts and accommodate last-minute page additions, if they’re needed. (Ed. note: LDC means last date of change. After you order paper, you have until a specific date, the LDC date, to make final adjustments to the tonnage. The LDC date is set by the mill just before it makes the paper.)