An innovative reprint service at the Grimsby Telegraph looks set to cut the costs by half.

Picture editor Dave Moss has launched the system, which he believes could be a first.

He has succeeded in contracting out the photosales reprint service for Grimsby and Scunthorpe Newspapers – digitally.

The popular reprints service has an annual turnover of £47,000.

The total annual costs of the previous set-up totalled around £30,000, which included wages, materials and machinery.

The new service cost just £6,000 to set up and hasa price-per-print deal which puts the total annual cost of running the new service at £15,000.

Dave is a member of Northcliffe’s Digital Photography Working Group, which paved the way for widespread use of digital cameras.

He first recommended a centralised digital reprint service as part of his management development project for the group in 1999 and has now put his words into action.

He said: “New high-capacity digital printers with a low price-per-print cost were the best but, I thought, why buy one per office when the images can be sent anywhere?”

The Telegraph’s service, developed with IT expert Jon Whattam, now relies on reception staff searching thousands of pictures on screen in seconds.

The customer order info is then added to the picture selection using Fotostation software, and the image is then automatically sent via ISDN to a predetermined destination.

Dave said: “In this case to a camera dealers only two miles down the road with a new digital print machine. The pictures are returned next day at the latest and sometimes the same day.”

The idea is now being considered for use at other offices in the group.

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