At 60 million impressions, the Leelanau Enterprise's "new" front end for its press was not unpacked from a manufacturer's box.

LEELANAU ENTERPRISE pressman Jeff Lingaur monitors
the newspaper's upgraded press during a "test run."

But it’s relatively young as far as web presses go, and it will eliminate weak spots in the performance of the former — and much older — press.

The Enterprise you are now reading will likely have less “offset” — the spillover of ink between adjacent pages — and be folded where intended. Both were sore spots for Enterprise press operator Jeff Lingaur while using the now-retired front end to the Enterprise press, called a folder, whose parts were wearing thin.

“You can go faster and fold better,” said Lingaur. “Once we get it all dialed in, we will have less offset.”

The folder was purchased from a printing operation in Wisconsin, and was installed over the weekend by J.D. Printing Services of Aspers, Pa. It should serve the Enterprise well for many years, according to Enterprise co-publisher Alan Campbell, who owns the newspaper with his wife, Debra.

A web press “folder” does much more than fold. It also holds the press’ control panel and motor. Retained were the other five “units” of the press, each responsible for printing ink on pages.

The new folder will improve the quality of specialty publications such as the Leelanau Visitors Guide, Campbell added. He thanked Lingaur and press mechanic Dave Houck for making sure the press was running in time for this week’s edition.

“Those guys stuck around to make it work, and there are always unexpected things that happen when you buy a used piece of equipment. We’re thankful that we were able to find a replacement for our old folder, and that the transition went smoothly,” Campbell said.