It sounds an obvious solution to reducing print costs - cut the width of the press to match fashionably narrower web widths.

And that is exactly the approach being taken by Indian single-width manufacturer Pressline, with a new version of its Silverline press designed for 700 mm rather than 889 mm maximum web width.

Managing Director Satish Bajwa says that while newspapers in India and many other parts of the world have standardised on narrower web widths, manufacturers have been slow to reduce the width of their machines. He says a ten to 13 per cent reduction in the cost of consumables and inputs such as ink, chemicals, plates, blankets, rollers and water had become "the most wanted factor".

At the same time, production speeds for newspaper have been increased to 45,000 cph, with a new folder capable of handling 12 webs.

The company has just installed a new press at Aurangabad Times, a small Urdu newspaper which "struggles for space" in the advertising market.

"Although the situation in India - with rising literacy, huge multilingual population and limited internet access - is very different to the grim situation in Europe and the US, it remains for innovations and modifications to bring down the cost per copy of the end product," he says.

"Simple logic will also tell you that reducing the width of the machine will mean less metal as the cylinders will be narrower, making the machine lighter and more cost-effective."

That combined with the narrower press, motors of the same rating will deliver faster production speeds is the "icing on the cake".