The NZZ is looking for a color philosophy
Press: The Neue Zürcher Zeitung exercises varying degrees of restraint when it comes to color photos. There is no clear concept.
Press The Neue Zürcher Zeitung exercises various degrees of restraint with color images. Since September 30, the NZZ has been printed entirely on new rotary presses at the printing center in Schlieren. Long gone are the days when the old printing presses on the first floor shook the headquarters at Falkenstrasse 11. The new press in the Schlieren "cathedral of technology" (NZZ quote) now actually prints the digital image and text data generated in the editorial department, with no color concept in sight.
Until now, the printers have had particular problems where Gutenberg's art is black. The picture reports in the "Zeitbilder" section at the weekend regularly flattened out under a milky veil of clouds in the black image areas. That is now a thing of the past. Recently, the editorial offices have been trying their hand at color. This is no easy task, as the NZZ brand is continuing a tradition of almost 225 years and is meticulous about consistency.
"We will probably never produce a full-color newspaper, otherwise we will no longer be distinguishable from a regional paper," says NZZ coordinator Beat Brenner categorically. So restraint is already the order of the day. However, a color concept is not yet apparent, if one takes a look at last week's editions. The number of color images used in each issue and their placement appear to be random. However, color graphics and maps are already a regular feature. In general, the pages with service and cultural topics as well as the sports section are less afraid of color.
Although, according to Beat Brenner, the change is a "difficult" matter and no explicit instructions have been given to the editorial team, which incidentally also has sovereignty over the image as well as the text, there already seems to be agreement on some points. For example, the front pages of supplements such as "Automobil", "Luftfahrt", "Zeitfragen",
"Literature" and "Art" and so on will contain color pictures. In the main section, the sports section will open in color and in the business section, color graphics will increase readability. Otherwise, Brenner says, color will be used where it is needed. But opinions differ on this. "When in doubt, we do without color," he says. And if the editors disagree with the picture editors or photographers, Brenner decides together with the respective head of department. "We gain experience and still have to develop our color philosophy."
Brenner reckons that the process will have settled into place within six months. However, the NZZ does not want to become as rigid as the Frankfurter Allgemeine with its rigid color concept.
One thing is certain: the NZZ also takes colorblind people into consideration in its headline for the Münsterhof story.
René Worni
Until now, the printers have had particular problems where Gutenberg's art is black. The picture reports in the "Zeitbilder" section at the weekend regularly flattened out under a milky veil of clouds in the black image areas. That is now a thing of the past. Recently, the editorial offices have been trying their hand at color. This is no easy task, as the NZZ brand is continuing a tradition of almost 225 years and is meticulous about consistency.
"We will probably never produce a full-color newspaper, otherwise we will no longer be distinguishable from a regional paper," says NZZ coordinator Beat Brenner categorically. So restraint is already the order of the day. However, a color concept is not yet apparent, if one takes a look at last week's editions. The number of color images used in each issue and their placement appear to be random. However, color graphics and maps are already a regular feature. In general, the pages with service and cultural topics as well as the sports section are less afraid of color.
Although, according to Beat Brenner, the change is a "difficult" matter and no explicit instructions have been given to the editorial team, which incidentally also has sovereignty over the image as well as the text, there already seems to be agreement on some points. For example, the front pages of supplements such as "Automobil", "Luftfahrt", "Zeitfragen",
"Literature" and "Art" and so on will contain color pictures. In the main section, the sports section will open in color and in the business section, color graphics will increase readability. Otherwise, Brenner says, color will be used where it is needed. But opinions differ on this. "When in doubt, we do without color," he says. And if the editors disagree with the picture editors or photographers, Brenner decides together with the respective head of department. "We gain experience and still have to develop our color philosophy."
Brenner reckons that the process will have settled into place within six months. However, the NZZ does not want to become as rigid as the Frankfurter Allgemeine with its rigid color concept.
One thing is certain: the NZZ also takes colorblind people into consideration in its headline for the Münsterhof story.
René Worni
