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The Newspaper Society has launched its digital artwork transmission

service, fulfiling its promise to reduce the cost and problems of

getting ad copy and images from agencies to regional papers.

The industry-owned system, which is called AdFast, has cost the

Newspaper Society’s members more than pounds 1 million to develop. It

was created following a year of consultation between the society and the

media agency community. It became clear that problems with transmitting

artwork were detracting from the relationship between the buyers and the

regional press.

AdFast uses industry-standard software to create and condense files

before sending them over the internet. A pre-flight check ensures the

artwork meets the specification of the destination press, while the

AdFast server automatically sends an e-mail to the publishing centre to

inform it the artwork is ready for collection.

Chris Stanley, marketing director of the Newspaper Society, said:

’AdFast will provide the national advertising community with easier

access to the power of the regional press.’

Communications director Lynne Gardiner added: ’The agencies have been

asking how we hope to make a profit on this pounds 1 million investment,

but that’s not the reason behind it. We have created it to make the

whole ad delivery process quicker, cheaper and more efficient.’

The society hopes the national press and magazine companies will adopt

the same system, making it a media business standard.