The printing process at Century Publishing is classified into five categories : prepress , press , bindery , mailing , and shipping .
In 1979 , Home Seekers , a small real estate publication originally developed out of Kalispell , Montana , began commercial printing in the facility that is now Century Publishing . With an established reputation and two decades of small-scale commercial printing experience , Home Seekers was bought out by Homes & Land magazine located in Florida . Craig Rogers , current president and chief operating officer ( COO ) at Century Publishing , started managing the Post Falls plant in February of 2000 . “ Homes & Land grew it big time ,” Rogers suggests , “ but when the economy took a turn in 2007 and 2008 , it was a road to the bottom .” Advertising dried up , real estate took a hit , and the demand for magazines waned . Meanwhile , the employees at Century Publishing were frequently laid off . “ They let 75 people go in one day ,” says Rogers . With the intention of seeing both “ Century survive ,” and consequently , saving jobs , Rogers and current Chief Executive Officer ( CEO ) David Risdon , bought the company , and began rehabilitating it in 2009 .
Now , Rogers oversees production facilities that produce over 2.5 million different print editions each month , ranging from brochures , trade publications , soft-cover bound books , real estate advertisements , maps , catalogs , and full-color magazines like Art Chowder . “ We are the only heatset web printer from Seattle to Minneapolis ,” remarks Rogers , “ It ’ s a big deal for customers to have a local , Northwest printer .” It seems that the partnerships Century Publishing creates with their clientele manifest a sense of community . “ It ’ s really rewarding work ,” Rogers notes . Even after production slowed during the COVID-19 pandemic , Century Publishing ’ s production capacity is now just about reached , suggesting to Rogers that “ a lot of print has come back post pandemic . “ Publishers are making the effort to grow back their businesses .” Loyal customers , hardworking employees , and the consentaneous agreement to print quality products are what has allowed Century Publishing to flourish . The outcome : business growth and art accessibility .
sections , and as Rogers reveals , “ pitch in whenever , wherever necessary .” Computers with double screens , and what looks like a mammoth office printer can be found in the prepress offices . Technically savvy employees inspect customer digital project files , process them , and after much discussion about aestheticism , send their printing plates — a sheet of aluminum that ’ s essentially used to transfer the customer ’ s image and text onto the paper — to the press .
The printing process at Century Publishing is classified into five categories : prepress , press , bindery , mailing , and shipping .
Through a hallway of navy-blue coveralls , vintage lockers , and a sign that reads : “ If you refuse to accept anything but the best , you often get it ”— a “ loud , stinky , dirty environment ” with an aroma of chemicals , awaits . This is also , per Rogers ’ s insight , “ where the magic happens .” In this case , the term “ magic ” refers to the controlling of variables . Temperatures , pressures , tensions , and humidity are among the several environmental elements one must manage in order to produce a correctly printed page ; in other words , one must play god for the afternoon . The printing plate is inserted into the plant and permeated with ink by metal cylinders – this is when the image is instantly applied to the paper . The paper is then heat-shocked , forcing the ink to dry , and transferred through chilled rollers . “ This is probably the most important part of controlling the press ,” Rogers says , explaining that if the ink isn ’ t entirely dry , “ It ’ ll scuff off , and ruin an entire run .” Lastly , the paper is sent through a silicone
The printing process at Century Publishing is classified into five categories : prepress , press , bindery , mailing , and shipping . Despite the varying demands in each department , Century Publishing ’ s employees work in multiple
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