Head foreman Mark Cindric, adjusts a roll of paper on the newspaper press inside the Herald-Standard pressroom on Oct. 16, 2016. Cindric was a pressman for 46-years before getting laid-off when the presses were retired.

Life In Ink: End of a Press Run

As the newspaper industry changes and technology moves forward printing operations at the Herald-Standard will cease. For decades the Herald-Standard pressmen worked diligently on printing a quality product. This video and photos documents the arduous and manual work that went into printing the paper. Video co-produced for the Herald-Standard.

After the last press run on Oct. 16, 2016, the Herald-Standard newspaper was printed in a state-of-the-art facility in Butler, Pa. The paper has since moved printing operations to West Virginia after the Herald-Standard was sold to Ogden Newspapers in July 2017. The old presses have since been removed from the Uniontown facility.

As the newspaper industry changes and technology moves forward printing operations at the Herald-Standard will cease. For decades the Herald-Standard pressmen worked diligently on printing a quality product. This video documents the arduous and manual work that went into printing the paper. Video made by Rebecca Devereaux and Thalia Juarez for the Herald-Standard.

Pressmen John Skelton (top) and Vergil Hendrickson work on the press during a shift October 2016.

Giant rolls of paper fill the frame as pressman Eric McDonough, of Uniontown, makes an adjustment prior to the start of a pressrun for the daily Herald-Standard newspaper in Uniontown, Pa.

Herald-Standard pressmen uniforms are seen hanging in the closet.

Pressman Eric McDonough, of Uniontown grabs for a section of the paper to check the colors during a pressrun in the Herald-Standard pressroom.

Assistant foreman Vergil Hendrickson, operates the presses from the main control center.

Head foreman Mark Cindric, takes a look below the floorboards at a mechanical issue with the presses during a run. The 50-year-old presses often broke down and required frequent maintenance from the pressmen.

Head foreman Mark Cindric, whistles as he watches the web of paper run through the press during its last run on Oct. 16, 2016. Cindric was a pressman for 46-years at the Herald-Standard.

The Herald-Standard Newspaper retired both of it’s presses on Oct. 16, 2016 laying off all of the pressmen and mailroom staff. For less than a year the newspaper was printed in a state-of-the-art-facility in Butler, Pa until the newspaper was sold to Ogden Newspapers in July 2017, moving printing operations to West Virginia. The presses have since been removed from the Uniontown building.

 

Pressmen work diligently on the presses during the last press run on Oct. 16, 2016.

A note seen in the Herald-Standard pressroom on Sept. 29, 2016 describing how many pages are needed for the E section of the newspaper that evening.

Pressmen Mark Cindric (left) and John Skelton (right) work to fix an issue with the press.

John Skelton of Uniontown manually adjusts a piece of mechanical hardware inside the press. Skelton started off working in the mailroom of the Herald-Standard placing inserts into the newspaper and loading papers for eight years before shifting over to the pressroom where he’s served two years.

Pressman Eric McDonough’s hand as he operates the press.

Vergil Hendrickson, a pressman for 25-years checks a newspaper for color correction during a shift in the Herald-Standard pressroom.

Herald-Standard pressmen Eric McDonough (left) and John Skelton, both of Uniontown, work together to remove a piece of aluminum from the press during a shift Oct. 2016.


The number of newspapers printed are shown on the control center in the pressroom.

Pressman John Skelton of Uniontown removes an aluminum sheet from the press during a shift October 2016. Its business as usual leading up to the final press run where the 50-year old press will be retired as of Oct. 16, 2016.

Ink covered towels cover the floor of the Herald-Standard pressroom.