Facts and Opinions

This page is devoted to essays, articles, and documents dealing with various aspects of the Sun and its related companies. The topics go beyond reminiscences, often discussing the Sun's trajectory or giving a detailed picture of a particular aspect of the work, policies, or products. Opinions expressed are those of the individual writers.

 

We invite contributions on any subject to do with the Sun or related companies, by anyone who was involved with the company, whether an employee or not.

Overviews and Specifics

•  A Brief History of Sun Engraving

•  Developments and Problems at Sun, 1950s to 1980s

•  The Fire Brigade  (many images)

•  The Ink Factory  (with images)

•  The Ink Factory Closure
•  Inside the Sun

•  Marketing Pressures on Magazine Printers

•  One Customer’s Viewpoint
•  Producing ‘Window’ in WWII

•  Rembrandt between 1955 and 1957
•  
Rembrandt Output/Productivity between 1955 and 1957
•  Sun Clock Tower

•  Sun Departmental Employee Statistics, 1964
•  Sun Printers Manchester Office  (with image)

•  The Background to Lord Southwood's Offer to Purchase Sun Engraving

•  Why Did Watford ‘Lose the Print’?

 

Visual Identity and Marketing

 

•  Marketing Themselves  (NEW! many images)
•  What's in a Name? Why 'the Sun'? (many images)

 

The 1950s Expansion

•  The Decade of Expansion  (many images)

•  Operation 'Sun' Rise: Details of the Plan  (with image)

•  Operation 'Sun' Rise: Les Hodge’s Photo Essay  (many images)

 

Equipment and Methods

•  The Albert TR5  (with image)

•  Automatic Inset Registering  (with image)

•  The Autotron Manual  (with images)

•  The Axel Springer Patent Application
•  Gravure Printing and Gravure Presses Explained

 Press and Equipment Configurations, Manning, and Details

 


Skills – How They Did It


•  The Chargehand’s Duties

•  Colour Retoucher [Rembrandt]  (with images)

•  The Composing Room

•  The Engraving Room, 1983-85  (with images)

•  The Ink Minder’s Duties [Rembrandt]

•  The Reel-Hand’s Duties  (with images)

•  The Register-Hand’s Duties [Rembrandt]

•  The Retouching Room  (with image)

•  Rinco  (with images)

•  The Role of Natsopas (Assistants)
•  Solvent Recovery  (with image)
•  Working in Letterpress