September 14th 2006 – Goss International now offers a new solution to the most common barrier blocking adoption of the Berliner newspaper format in North America. Utilizing an expanded lap adjustment range now available on Goss folders, the new SuperBerliner format accommodates standard advertising inserts produced on 21-inch presses while preserving the paper savings potential of the shorter-cutoff Berliner format and creating unique editorial and insert placement options. The SuperBerliner format allows off-center folding of newspaper sections. As a result, a Berliner-size section can be folded with a long front portion to fully cover inserts. The unbalanced fold also creates a premium position for an advertising insert headline or an advance form headline to protrude over the corresponding short back portion of the main section. Many European papers are adopting the Berliner format. North American papers have been hesitant because they include a high volume of standard-size preprinted inserts, the vast majority of which are produced on 21-inch presses, explains John Richards, director of newspaper product management for Goss International. “Allowing the 10.5-inch folded inserts to stick out of the top of a typical 9.25-inch folded Berliner newspaper jacket would make the package unattractive and hard to manage,” explains Richards. “With this clever folding capability, we have turned this barrier into a potential advantage for newspapers.” Richards says the shorter back section of the SuperBerliner paper would offer publishers a chance to charge a premium for an insert that would be partially visible from the back of the paper. Alternatively, publishers could also reverse the direction of an advance form, making its header visible above the short section. SuperBerliner folding capabilities are now optional for all Goss presses available in Berliner cutoffs, including Colorliner, Flexible Printing System (FPS), Global Newsliner, Mainstream and Uniliner models. The straight/collect or straight-only Goss folders can produce any format between conventional Berliner and SuperBerliner products and they are motorized for quick changeovers and precise lap adjustments. In addition to fully covering inserts from the front, the unbalanced fold makes SuperBerliner newspapers comparable in appearance to typical broadsheet papers when placed on newsstand display racks. Richards says significant paper savings with the shorter-cutoff Berliner format is appealing to newspapers, and many readers prefer the convenience and modern feel of the smaller size. A typical Berliner press with an 18.5-inch cutoff delivers a 12 percent savings in newsprint when compared with a 21-inch cutoff press and a 16 percent savings when compared with a 22-inch cutoff press. “Switching from a 21-inch press to a Berliner format would deliver an annual savings of more than $800,000 in newsprint costs for a paper with a circulation of 100,000 copies and an average of 72 pages,” according to Richards. Presses with the shorter Berliner cutoff typically run 5-10 percent faster than presses with 21- or 22-inch cutoffs, reducing print windows or potentially the number of presses required. Goss conducted research with several North American publishers and industry experts regarding the Berliner format and the SuperBerliner option. The results encouraged the company to move forward with the engineering changes to its folders to gain the SuperBerliner capacity. “We have considerable experience with Berliner cutoff Goss presses and folders installed in Europe,” according to Richards. “The nearly unanimous consensus among North American publishers that we talked to is that the format would be appealing in this region if there was a way to overcome the problem of accommodating the 21-inch inserts.”