A new standard on pallet loading for printed materials was recently approved by the American National Standards Institute. Based on a document submitted by the Committee for Graphics Arts Technologies Standards, the new standard provides functional design, stacking, unitizing and labeling specifications for printing-industry pallets. It also designates four acceptable pallet sizes: 42 inches by 48 inches, 40 inches by 48 inches, 44 inches by 44 inches, and 42 inches by 42 inches.
Newspapers that follow the standard's specifications for pallet design and loading should see improvements in their material-handling processes, with fewer preprints damaged or destroyed by poor pallet quality or improper loading. Implementing the standard will also help advertisers, who currently absorb the costs of accommodating different pallet and preprint-loading demands from various newspapers.
Printed copies of the standard will be available Oct. 1. To increase the standard's visibility and use, newspapers should distribute reference copies to printers with each preprint order and mandate that pallets be bought and preprints loaded according to its provisions.
For information on the standard or to order copies, call NAA's Dave Beck at (703) 648-1315 or email naanetwork!naa!beckd@naaatt.attmail.com
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