Hot off the Press....literally...

Ok, I'm back.  Yes, I've been back for a while but describing this process is taking longer than I thought. :)  The press check went well.  It's a good day when that happens!!!

Please bear with me with these photos.  As most of you are aware, flourescent lighting isn't the best for  taking photos and I didn't think to bring my big flash.  Everything has a yellow/green haze on it...including me!!!

Anyhow, here we go.

This is an offset printing press (sometimes referred to as litho).  Offset printing refers to the printing technique where ink is applied to a metal plate that is etched with images (my designs), then transferred to a rubber plate and finally imprinted on the substrate (in this instance, paper).  Basically the paper is fed at one end (far right) and it goes through each of the press towers (you can see 6 on this press), picking up a color in each tower.  Depending on the number of colors you are using will depend on how many passes the paper will go through a press.  We print everything in CMYK which means there are 4 main colors (cyan, magenta, yellow and black) which are printed one on top of the other.  Using CMYK is the most economical approach and we have the opportunity to make up thousands of colors.   To read more about offset printing, you can check here.

 

Here's Matt loading the paper to feed into the press. 

Here's the other end that the printed paper (it's worked it's way through each of the towers) is stacked.

There's a stack of "scrap" paper.  Since we're doing a press check, they use old recycled stock to set-up the machine, print the first samples, and re-print samples until we get the colors just right.  You can see there's some kraft paper mixed in with the white. 

This is Tim.  Tim is my buddy.  He has been there from day one helping me with everything.  I knew nothing, and I mean nothing about offset printing before starting Jillibean Soup.  All of my prior work experience is with food.  I could tell you how milk gets processed but not paper.  Tim has basically held my hand through all of this, explaining the process, helping me source products (like corrugated paper), putting together numerous quotes to see what will fit with my budget, just everything...he's the man. 

Sorry for the quality here, there's overhead lights at the press table that my camera did not like.  Anyhow, do you notice that all the papers are on one large sheet?  This is the way they get printed...not in the pretty 12x12.5 size that you buy in the store.  There are both smaller and larger presses that can print on smaller or larger paper (up to 49"x74").  It works well for us with 6 in our collections.  Normally, we do double sided sheets so we have to print the front sides first, wait for the paper to dry and then run the sheets back through for the backside. 

Here's me holding the 26"x40" sheet with all 6 designs up on it. 

Here I am at the press table.  I'm using a tool called a loop to see if everything is "fitted".  When the paper goes through the press and it picks up each color and they have to "fit" perfectly on top of one another.  When you see a magazine that has colors hanging off the side of the text, that means it was not "fitted" correctly or the registration is off.  During a press check I'm looking for lots of things...how it's fitted, if it's clean, if the details print the way I want them too and of course the colors.  With CMYK we can easily manipulate the colors which is nice. 

This is doing some color comparisons.  Because we use so many of the same colors in our lines I usually pull in papers we have printed in the past to make sure the colors are accurate.  We can also bring in a Pantone PMS book as seen above.  This is the book that I use to choose the colors in the first place.  This is the way everyone communicates (designer, designing program, printer) about color. 

Here's the finished product.  Love those colors! 

 
 

Here goes the first pallet of "scrap" paper.  This will not be used to sell but recycled for the next run.  Once the thousands of sheets get run, they sit to dry and then get cut and shrink-wrapped. 

Hopefully you have a better idea of what goes on and why patterned paper costs more than the paper you buy at Staples or Office Max. :) 

If you would like to win some "hot off the press paper" leave a comment telling us what your first job was.  We'll pick a winner bright and early Monday morning.

Good Luck!  Happy Momma's Day to all you Mother's out there!

  

Comments

[kimbermcgray]

THat is SOOO awesome J! Thanks for sharing! Now get some rest!

[Lori m]

Love, love your new paper collection, the colors are beautiful.

My first job was working for Kentucky Fried Chicken, and as I walked home I bet all the dogs in the neighborhood would follow me. Yes, I smelled like finger licking good chicken daily till I was home and showered. Memories!

Happy Mother's Day!

[mia]

omgosh,i am in love!!!!

thanks for sharing the process, so cool!!!!

my first job, aside from babysitting was at a movie store :)

[Katrina]

Ok, this new collection is right up my alley!!!!

My first job was "babysitting", but my first have to file taxes job was working in a grocery store! (and I am still in retail today!)

[Nancy B]

Very pretty! Love those little lanterns. My first job-I worked at an auto dealership answering phones on Saturday & Sunday. Not much of a week-end, but I loved having my own money.

[Shawn Wenrich]

I was a dishwasher at a restaurant located in Pioneer Village. Kind of a museum frontier town. One of my friends at school got me the job as her Mom was the cook there.

[Erika M]

My first job was working in the work study program at college - I worked as a gopher for the department of education at UGA.

[Melanie Shanks]

This is a very interesting process. Thank you for the education! It was fun.

[Lisa]

Interesting process! My first jobs were working at daycares and summer camps/rec centers.

[laurie]

That was very interesting...TY!

One of my first jobs was working in an Art Supply Store...and I always got a laugh when printers would call up and ask if I had PMS! Pantone matching System!

[Amy Oxford]

Wow, this line looks awesome! Love the colors, and who knew that so much went into the process of creating the paper that we love to cut up!! Ohh, my very frist job was when I was 15 at McDonalds. I got it so I could be closet to my boyfriend (now husband) He worked at WalMart and McD's was inside of Wally World...lol Oh so long ago!

[Nikki Sivils]

I know about all this.... so fun! I love the "loop", have you ever looked at your hair in it? I think the guys at my printers think I'm half crazy b/c I pretty much look at EVERYTHING through that loop! Congrats on another press check done! I'm still working on my last collection...
Love your colors Jill!!
(Take me out of the drawing.)

[SarahR]

That is pretty cool!! i love what I can see of the new papers.

[Kim Seldomridge]

My very first job was a car hop in my small town in Indiana. I didn't have to wear roller skates thank goodness. I spilled enough stuff without them! I think it was 1990. Seems like a million years ago.

[Cards4ever]

My first job was house and pet sitting for my neighbors cats.

[Tammy Kist]

Tastee Freeze was my first job...loved working the ice cream side, hated cleaning the french fry machine.

[Tee/sweetandsour]

You won't believe this but my first real job was at a printshop. This post brings back memories big-time. And I had to strip negs by hand, none of this straight to neg or straight to plate stuff, for 4-colour work.

PS - It's "loupe" not "loop" ;-)

[pam bray]

My first job was at a hamburger stand at the "Hillbilly Store" in St Roberts. I worked after school and weekends flipping hamburgers with my mom. Wish I could do that for one day, I would love to spend the day with my mom even flipping burgers.

[Chrisationsink.blogspot.com]

Wow your posts play by play was so kewl! thanks for the tour! I was a high school freshman when I began to babysit for the families of my high school teachers. My first family hired me for their 5 boys at 50 cents per hour. Boy am I dating myself! LOL

[Wendy]

That was really cool to see! Love the new line. :)

My first job - be prepared to laugh. I worked at Wendy's! Ha! That's what happens when you grow up in the middle of nowhere and the closest thing that isn't 30 minutes away is Wendy's! Don't worry - I quickly changed my name tag to avoid the eye rolling jokes. :)

[Karen Nuce]

Wow Jill....this description was awesome...almost as good as being there in person and much quicker, I'm sure. Thanks so much for taking the time to take the pics, post and explain. While you have told me about this before, it is much more clear now. Thanks for all you do to bring us the amazing Jillibean toys we love to play with. Love you!!!

[scrapper al]

Thanks for bringing us along on the press check. So interesting!

My first "real" job (I'm not counting babysitting) was fast food, like a lot of my friends. Have a great weekend!

[Julie Masse]

Oooh pretty!! Love the colors I see in this new line! My first job was at Burger King - I was 15 and I loved it! :)

[Jennifer Hansen]

I was a dishwasher at a local restaurant. It was actually fun, great people to work with!

[Kim]

Love the new collection! My first job was working at the public library while in high school.