- To enhance letterpress quality
- To keep letterpress equipment mechanically sound
- To increase letterpress printing efficiency.
A Big LUG
by Frank Balentine
A new users' group for letterpress printers has been formed by Frank Anthony, vice president and director of operations for the Chattanooga Publishing Co.
Called the Letterpress Users Group, or LUG, its goals are:
The first LUG meeting was held March 1-2 in Birmingham, Ala., in conjunction with the Southern Newspaper Publisher Association's annual meeting. Seventy users and vendors attended the LUG meeting.
This year's SNPA print-quality contest included a division for LUG members. Entries from letterpress and di-litho print sites were judged for print quality by a panel of LUG experts. First place went to the Journal Star of Peoria, Ill.; second place to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; and third place to the Johnson City (Tenn.) Press.
LUG publishes a newsletter, called LUG Nuts, which lists presses and associated equipment for sale. A survey conducted during the first meeting found--to no one's surprise--that press parts are the group's number-one concern.
LUG members would like to start a comprehensive list of presses that have been shut down, or are scheduled to shut down, along with a list of available parts. The list will be distributed to all members. Send your information to: Mel Balch, production director, The Mobile Register, P.O. Box 2488, Mobile, Ala. 36652.
The new group has decided to meet in conjunction with the SNPA again next year. The LUG meeting will be held in Dallas March 7-8, 1998.
Frank Balentine is NAA's press manager. E-mail, balef@naa.org; phone, (703) 902-1849; fax, (703) 902-1842.