Le Télégramme

Since 1944, Le Télégramme has continually evolved and broadened its offering through strong local roots, editorial innovation, and diversification into a multi-platform media offering. Today Le Télégramme is one of the leading printed regional daily newspapers in France, covering three sites in Brittany.

Le Télégramme’s printing plant in Morlaix produces 19 daily editions alongside other publications, including weeklies, magazines, specialist publications and advertising materials. In 2022, the plant switched to process-free plates as part of a drive to modernise production and improve sustainability.

Le Télégramme’s printing plant produces high volumes of print, printing between 135,000 and 155,000 newspapers daily and processing over 1,200 plates each night. The newspaper is deeply committed to sustainable development in the Brittany region, and this prompted a switch to a new generation of newspaper plates that would reduce the environmental impact of plate processing.

Coinciding with the replacement of two Wifag rotary offset presses with a Manroland COLORMAN e:line press and a new layout for plate production equipment, Le Télégramme needed a state-of-the-art platemaking solution that would match its sustainability commitments.

Having installed two KODAK GENERATION NEWS Z-speed Platesetters in 2012, Le Télégramme was already a long-standing user of Kodak plates. Switching to KODAK SONORA Process Free Plates to reduce waste and streamline production was a natural evolution.

The main challenge lay in preparing the prepress room, removing the processors, and moving the CTP units, all without interrupting day-to-day production. Kodak supported Le Télégramme throughout the process by temporarily installing an additional KODAK GENERATION NEWS Platesetter to ensure production would be uninterrupted. Local Kodak engineers and maintenance support also played a vital role in delivering a smooth transition.

The benefits of switching to SONORA UltraXR Process Free Plates were immediate for Le Télégramme. In addition to reducing plate production time, removing processors freed up space in the prepress workshop, and removing chemistry created a safer environment for all employees.

Eliminating plate processing also removed costs associated with treating chemical waste, as well as reducing water and electricity consumption. In addition, switching to process-free plates saved operator time, with no need to clean or maintain processors.

Today, Le Télégramme is the only daily newspaper printer in Brittany to use state-of-the-art offset printing technology with process-free plates. “Kodak, the company that launched process-free plate technology and supported us throughout our industrial transition, continues to support our progress toward ever-greater levels of performance and efficiency,” commented Yannick Le Bras, Printing Director, Le Télégramme.