New-style cover finish

These remarks apply equally to ME and MEW (but the system allows one or the other).

Is everyone entirely happy with the new cover?

I don't want to bias your comments - but I found a problem as I turned the light out in bed, and put the magazine on top of an earlier edition.

looking forward to your comments -
Regards, Tim

Hi Tim.

The problem was noted quite some time ago when Model Boat magazine adopted the over glossy cover, quite a few subscribers were less than impressed. Stacking them has to be done carefully.

As a subscriber to both MEW and Model Boats i was hoping that the new owners would make the cover finishes the same by going for the less glossy/slippery version that MEW used. It looks like they've jumped the other way unfortunately.

Keith

So, is Keith the only one to have noticed a problem?

Cheers, Tim

Me, too.

It's too glossy, but will I get used to it? The internal pages have a different quality, too.

Bill

Haven’t looked at my MEW yet, Tim

I will report back in due course.

MichaelG.

I haven't had a problem with any of the Mortons motorcycle magazines I have, which presumably come off the same press. But I buy them from the newsstand and they are a couple of months old by the time they get to the Deep North of Oz, so well aired out.

It may be that subscription copies are packed into their plastic wrapper as they come off the press, so the ink and glossy plastic paper surface are not properly dried out, creating the solvent smell and stickiness some seem to have found. Solution might be to unpack it on arrival and leave it lying around to air for a day or two before stacking etc. Standing them upright on a shelf etc for storage rather than lying down flat could help too I should imagine.

I noticed the newer glossy finish, but didn't think it was worth commenting on

.

However; on reflection …

MichaelG.

Yes, Tim … The cover is very shiny: But I see no immediate problem with that.

What does concern me though is whether in a few years time we might find our stacks of archived magazines stuck together shiny-to-shiny

MichaelG.

First thoughts were, there we go again, since the ultra shiny covers were introduced several years ago. Such a fuss was made and the publisher at that time reverted to their previous semi gloss finish. Wonder why it is used? Surely not as another "buy me" gimmick on WH Smith's shelves?

Another of my subscriptions comes sealed (well and truly!) in a paper envelope, but it's always (every month) glued to the inside of the envelope! Grrrr!

John

As ME and MEW are usually at the back of the bottom shelf, hidden under the shelf above perhaps luminous paint might be more effective!

I think that adhesion is the way the paper picks up the mag before the envelope is folded over.

didn't even notice just had to go and get 2 copy's to compare

Noticed the high gloss finish.

Won't know just how much more slippy until I start piling late issues on top of the pile.

If they slip, shall have to find some means of restraint.

(That's the least on my problems with Mortons, at the moment. Hopefully things will get sorted soon )

Howard

Edited By Howard Lewis on 20/05/2022 11:52:19

The problem for me is that I keep my MEs and MEWs in piles, in the bottom of the wardrobe, and the slippery covers will not stay in a pile. Much anguish ensues, mainly from the distaff side of the family.

I suppose that the True Model Engineer's Answer would be - Before placing a copy on the pile, take a sheet of wet-&-dry paper and fold it across the shorter dimension, with the abrasive side outwards. Lay this folded sheet on the top of the pile, being careful to place it centrally, and place the latest magazine so that the edges align within a sixteenth of an inch.

But I am minded to say a rude word and cancel my subscription.

regards, Tim

The Really Useful box company make a variety of boxes that are really useful for storing magazines and solve many storage problems.

Mike

Sorry to hear Tim has a problem with his piles!

Going off at a tangent, measuring the difference was an engineering challenge.

• A pair of good old fashioned pre Morton Model Engineer magazines slip at about 17 degrees,
• The new-fangled Morton covers, probably made of recycled banana skins, slip at 15 degrees.

Disgraceful. In my opinion this is proof that the whole country is on the slide.

I thought subscribers would have been happy with the new wipe clean suds proof cover

Very unhappy customer. I might be getting on a bit but I'm amenable to change but only if its any good. Don't see any benefit to me with this change, so what's in it for them?

Only and inconvenient solution is to make two opposing piles with edges and the spines outward, so that they hold each other in place. Grrrr!

Surprised no one from the printing trade has replied. The use of the 'glossy' finish papers that have been used for many years means that the ink printed on them never 'drys'. I have mags going back to the sixties that the printed words can be smeared due to the print not being absorbed into the paper surface due to the paper surface pre treatments, unlike newsprint.

Why? cos it's easier to wash out in recycling and gives a 'cleaner' pulp for re-use.

Regards Ian.