How The New York Times Is Made | The Making Of

Summary

This video offers an inside look at a New York Times printing plant in Queens, where the intricate process of printing 30,000 copies of the newspaper on a 10-mile-long roll of paper takes place each night. From digital layouts to aluminum plates, ink transfer, and quality checks, the process is both fast and meticulously monitored to ensure that high-quality newspapers are delivered on time. The plant produces nearly 41% of the publication’s daily papers, with employees working diligently through the night to maintain accuracy and efficiency.

Takeaways

• 📰 The 10-mile-long roll of newsprint paper will soon become 30,000 copies of the New York Times.
• 🌃 The shift at the Queens printing plant starts at 10:00 p.m. and runs until 3:00 a.m., producing daily editions of the newspaper.
• 🏢 The Queens printing plant covers 300,000 square feet and produces 41% of the New York Times' daily copies.
• ⏱️ Timing is crucial, with nearly 80,000 copies printed every hour, and delivery trucks are graded daily on their punctuality.
• 💻 A finalized digital version of the newspaper is sent to the printing plant for production, signed off by editors and copy editors.
• 📄 Newspaper pages are transferred to aluminum plates using a laser machine; each plate represents a single page.
• 📚 Plates are grouped by section (e.g., Sunday Arts) to stay organized during printing.
• 🚛 Giant rolls of newsprint, each 10 miles long, are moved by clamp trucks and damaged sections are recycled before printing.
• 🖨️ Ink is transferred from large containers through metal pipes to the press cylinders, where the images are printed onto the paper.
• 🔍 The printed papers are checked for quality at 3:00 a.m., with staff inspecting alignment, color, and layout before the newspapers are shipped.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of the 10-mile long roll of newsprint paper mentioned in the script?

The 10-mile long roll of newsprint paper will soon be used to create 30,000 copies of the New York Times that will be distributed to newsstands and doorsteps.

How many printing plants produce the New York Times, and what percentage of daily papers does the Queens plant produce?

The New York Times is printed in 27 different printing plants across the country, with the Queens plant producing nearly 41% of the publication's daily papers.

What are the main tasks of the workers at the Queens printing plant?

Workers at the Queens printing plant work through the night, carefully overseeing the process of printing newspapers, ensuring the paper is correctly prepared, printed, and checked for quality before distribution.

How are the plates used in the printing process created, and what do they represent?

The plates are created by transferring a digital image of a newspaper page onto a sheet of aluminum using a laser machine. Each plate represents a single page of the newspaper.

Why is special yellow lighting used in the room where the plates are made?

Special yellow lighting is used to protect the muted image on the plates from exposure, ensuring the quality of the image that will be transferred to the newspaper.

What is done to ensure that damaged parts of the paper roll do not affect the printing process?

Wrinkled or damaged parts of the paper roll are removed by hand before the printing process begins, and these damaged portions are recycled.

How is ink applied to the plates during the printing process?

Ink is transported through metal pipes to the printing press and splashed onto the muted image on the plates, which then transfers the image to the newsprint paper.

How do workers ensure the quality of the printed newspapers during the process?

Employees check the alignment, color, and positioning of each page using a large ruler to ensure the columns and images are properly transferred to the paper.

How many copies of the newspaper are printed every hour at the Queens plant, and why is timing crucial?

The Queens plant prints almost 80,000 copies every hour. Timing is crucial because trucks need to leave on schedule for newspapers to be delivered on time, and the plant's performance is graded based on these delivery times.

What happens after the newspapers are printed and checked for quality?

Once the newspapers are ready, they are wrapped and shipped out to be delivered to readers by early morning.