This issue of the Vineyard Gazette is printed upon a new Duplex flat bed web perfecting press, installation of which was completed this week. The new press is of an advanced type, designed for newspaper printing. It feeds from roll paper of a standard size, prints from type forms upon flat beds, an delivers papers of 4, 6 or 8 pages completely folded in either half or quarter page size ready for mailing. Its running speed under actual working conditions in the Gazette pressroom at somewhat more than 3,000 8 page papers an hour. However, it is capable of much greater speed an can be run easily at 3,500 an hour, and in some plants has been tuned up to a speed of 4,200.

The press is the largest piece of printing machinery yet brought to Martha’s Vineyard. An idea of its size may be gained from the following specifications.

Impressive Statistics

Weight, approximately 18,000 pounds. In shipments, the press occupied an entire car and weighed considerably more.

Length of from on floor, 11 feet 9 1/2 inches.

Length over all, 14 feet, 4 inches.

Width of press on floor, 7 feet.

Width over all, 9 feet 7 inches.

Height from floor to upper deck, 31 inches.

Height from floor to highest point of press, 6 feet.

The press is operated by a 7 1/2 horse power electric motor.

With the installation of this modern printing equipment, the Vineyard Gazette is in the front rank of the weekly newspapers in point of mechanical facilities.

The Duplex flat bed web press is manufactured by the Duplex Printing Press Company of Battle Creek, Michigan. It is a type of press ranking between the cylinder presses commonly used for magazine commercial and small newspaper printing and the great rotary presses used by the large daily newspapers. The Duplex Company manufactures a complete range of newspaper presses for all sorts of requirements and has equipped the pressrooms of some of the largest newspapers in the country, such as the New York World and the Boston Post. It is one of the largest press manufacturers in the world.

The new press displaces a Whitlock cylinder press which was put in service in the Gazette office in 1921. The Vineyard Gazette has now been printed upon five different presses through the four score years of its history. The hand press upon which the paper was printed for man years is still in use in the Gazette office. An earlier hand press has disappeared. Subsequently a Fairhaven cylinder press, also operated by hand power, was employed for many years. In its day this was considered one of the outstanding pieces of printing machinery which had been produced. The Whitlock press followed, only to be discarded in favor or the Duplex press to make possible better service and future growth.