Production Task Guide 2026

Existing Task (from 2024)

New Task (added 2025–2026)

Digital Strategy Task

Verify / May Need Updating

Team Roster & Roles
Monday — Production Day
Tuesday — Web & Content Day
Wednesday — Archive & Prep Day
Thursday — Templates & Ad Prep
Friday — Layout & Newsletter Day
Standing & Ongoing Tasks
Monthly Cadence
Supplementary Procedures
Vendor & Contact Directory
Software & Tools Reference
Key Deadlines & Time Constraints
InDesign & Ad Design Tips

Team Roster & Roles

Xoë Roy

Production (Part-Time)
Newsletter, social scheduling, content calendar, classifieds, death notices

Alicia McCutcheon

Editorial / Strategic Oversight
Approvals, Instagram, newsletter content direction

Kevin Spikes

Sales Manager (New Role)
Digital ad sales, print+digital bundles, prospecting

Sean Spikes

Website & Publishing
Story uploads, website updates, analytics, SEO

Mike

Editorial / Video
Photos, layout, TikTok/Reels content creation

Debbie

Circulation / Correspondence
Obituaries, classifieds, print quantity info

Circulation Manager

New Position
Circulation operations (confirm scope with Alicia)

Monday — Production Day

1. Upload PDFs to Insite (MasterWeb) Production

Put all PDFs into one folder on either desktop.
Open Chrome → insite.masterwebinc.ca
Log in under Alicia-M or Xoe-R. Password reference: check the credentials list — the 2024 password (Expositor1879!) may be outdated.
Click "Create Job.." → title: Manitoulin Expositor [date]
Upload PDFs → open in Preview to approve → select all pages to approve again.
Go back to home page, refresh, confirm PDFs show → logout.
Email the MasterWeb printing order to Mike and Antonina (miken@masterwebinc.ca).

2. Save Front Section & Careers Section Templates Production

Save from dated folder to Desktop on Monday morning.
Erase "Template" in folder name — add "ME" on production assistant computer, "AJM" on middle computer.
Do NOT just rename files — it will break the links. Open InDesign → Cmd + Shift + S to Save As with new name.

3. Finalize Outstanding Ads & Corrections Production

Finalize any outstanding ads/corrections. Have these proofread ASAP.
Update any ads in the document templates and resave them.
Save document templates to the applicable desktops.

COLLECT LINKS AFTER LAYOUT DONE!!

4. Update the Run Sheet Production

File: Expositor Layout.indd from previous week.
Save to this week, change date, update all full pages, delete any that aren't full.
Print two (2) copies — 1 for Alicia and 1 for Mike — leave on their production desks.

5. Update MasterWeb Sheet Only if P.M. hasn't

Quantity comes from number in email from Debbie (in Xoë's email).
Update: Publication title date, Today's date, Number of pages, Quantity.
Round up to nearest 50#. 32 pages and under = always colour.
Save with correct date to dated folder on NAS and in Desktop folder for Mike and Alicia to email to MasterWeb.

6. Tom's Photos Only if P.M. hasn't

Open Finder → "Expositor Dropbox" external folder (top left of Finder Menu).
Dropbox → "Manitoulin Expositor" → "Photos". Folder labelled with issue date.
Copy this folder to "Jacks News Photos" folder.
If two folders with same date → copy the one with "use" in the title.
Double-check: ensure all photos from the non-"use" folder are accounted for. Check for WebP file types.

7. Alicia's Photos Production

"Expositor Dropbox" → "Manitoulin Expositor" → "Alicia Home".
Photos typically titled "Alicia Month Day".
If no photos or only a few → mention to editorial that you'd like to start editing and check in on filing status.

8. Mike's Photos Mike / Production

Mike typically files his own photos. If he hasn't, give all editorial a verbal announcement that you will be starting the edit of photos for this week.
Target: roughly by 10am.

You may need to edit and adjust 200+ photos for some issues. Allot enough time BEFORE editorial sits down for layout. Bug editorial for their photos if needed — help them file efficiently so you can get this done.

9. Photos for Editorial (Lightroom Processing) Only if P.M. hasn't

Precondition: Jack's News Photos folders should be empty and only have photos from the current week (previous week's should have been moved to NAS Archive on Wednesday morning).

Open Lightroom Classic.
Library → Folders → Expositor Server → right-click on Jack's News Photos → Synchronize folder → Synchronize.
Once all photos load: Cmd+A (select all).
Auto tone control (right hand side).
Print → 4x5 or 5x8 contact sheet. Print 2 copies — leave stapled on the green desk for Rick.
File → Export into Jack's New Photos and Colour folder (folders should be preset).
Close Lightroom Classic → click "Skip this time".

Do not begin photo processing until ALL photos have been filed in "Jacks News Photos" unless specifically directed to start early.

10. Upload Jobs & Notices to Manitoulin.com Production

Upload the jobs for the current week's paper onto manitoulin.com while layout is being done. All HW, NEMI, and tenders get posted immediately.

Ads → Ad PDF file — Cmd-select all, right-click, open in Acrobat.
Website back end → "New+" → "Job".
Position title only in the "Position" line. Copy & paste ad info. (If PDF won't allow copy/paste, open in InDesign.)
Erase Expositor email, add: application email, website, company name, location (Ontario if none stated).
Post for 1 month if no deadline stated.
Bold/highlight posting deadline. Bold job title within post (Heading 3).
Job Type & Category: check "Job" unless it's a notice → check "Notice".
Delete cache after every 2 postings. No images for job postings.

Special cases:

KINA: "Multiple Positions" as header; furthest deadline used as expiry.
NEMI Notice Board: Header format: "NEMI Notice Board (Vol. ___, No. ___)", Heading 4, post expires the following Tuesday.
Requests For Info: Listed as Notices under Job Type, and both Jobs and Notices under Category.

11. Upload Death Notices to Website New 2025 Production

Process incoming death notices from Debbie's correspondence and upload to manitoulin.com. Coordinate with Debbie on any pending notices.

This is a new responsibility added to Production's workload. Prioritize these — families are waiting.

12. Ad Corrections — PRIORITY Production

If any more corrections to ads come in, PRIORITIZE THESE. Notify whoever is doing layout that the ad will need to be updated. P.M. takes the initiative of PDF-ing all the full-pages for Editorial.

13. Paper Completed (File Management) Production

Move all PDFs into the current week's "PDF" folder in the NAS.
Move the InDesign documents (ME & AJM) from desktop folders into the NAS.
After this task, you may delete the documents from the desktop.

14. Publish 2–3 Stories to Website Digital Strategy Sean

Select 2–3 stories from the previous week's paper and publish to manitoulin.com with web-optimized headlines. Use the AI headline prompt: "Rewrite this newspaper headline for web SEO. Make it clear and searchable, not clever: [headline]"

Add internal links to related previous stories where relevant.
Ensure newsletter signup CTA appears at the bottom of each article.

15. Schedule TikTok Content Digital Strategy Mike

Create and post TikTok content (~30 min). Content types to rotate:

Event coverage clips
"Did you know?" island facts
Time-lapses (sunrise, Chi-Cheemaun, seasonal)
"Meet a local" 30-second features

Always include a CTA: "Link in bio for Friday Newsletter" or "Full story at manitoulin.com"

Tuesday — Web & Content Day

1. Upload Jobs & Notices (if not done Monday) Catch-up

If jobs and notices did not go up on Monday, upload them before Wednesday.

2. Paper Completed (if not done Monday) Catch-up

Move all PDFs into the current week's "PDF" folder in the NAS. Move InDesign (ME & AJM) documents from desktop folders into the NAS. Then you may delete from desktop.

3. Pull Stories for Web Production

Open the ME & AJM InDesign documents completed Monday.
Pull stories, cutlines, and photos from the InDesign documents.
Copy & paste story and cutlines into TextEdit → save in a new folder titled: "[current week] Stories".
Colour code stories as you pull them (see Colour Codes below).
Within that week's photos folder, create a subfolder titled: "Web pics ____"
Once all photos pulled, begin making them web worthy (see Photos for Website procedure).
Copy + paste each LJI article into its own Word document → save to desktop folder → send to LJI reporter.

Colour Codes (multiple tags per story OK):

Purple	No photo
Red	Column
Green	Featured
Blue	On site / Done
Orange	Standalone (no paywall)
Gray	Jacqueline's stories
Yellow	Slideshow

4. LJI Article Distribution Verify Production

Copy + paste each LJI article in its own Word document, save to desktop folder, and send to the LJI reporter.

The 2024 doc listed "Currently Jacqueline" as the LJI reporter. Confirm this is still the correct person.

5. Make Photos Web Worthy (Photoshop) Production

All photos for this week's stories must go through Photoshop for web:

Create file: 1200px × 800px, 72 ppi, white background, RGB.
Import photo, scale to fill. (If vertical: duplicate layer, scale background to fill whitespace, apply Gaussian blur filter.)
File → Export → Save for Web Legacy (Opt+Shift+Cmd+S). Copy original filename.
Save into the "web pics ___" subfolder — never mix up with the full-size originals.

IF THE PHOTO NEEDS TO BE CROPPED OR EDITED IN ANY WAY, DO SO BEFORE SAVING FOR WEB LEGACY.

6. Post Stories to Website Production / Sean

Subheadings: Heading 3 and italics
Author: "Expositor Staff" or name of author
Do not put photo in the first 3 paragraphs
Ice Chips: Bold all names
Standalones: Remove paywall tag
All LJI stories must have the "Funded by the Government of Canada" logo at the very bottom of the post.

7. Tear Down Ads & File for Reset New 2025 Production

Tear down the previous week's ads on Tuesdays and file them properly to reset for the upcoming week. Organize by advertiser/date as per filing convention.

8. Update Death Notices (Ongoing) New 2025 Production

Process any new death notices received since Monday. Upload to manitoulin.com if not already done.

9. Publish 2–3 Additional Stories Digital Strategy Sean

Continue publishing stories from the previous week's paper. Use web-optimized headlines. Add internal links to related stories. (~30 min)

10. Post TikTok Content Digital Strategy Mike

Create and post TikTok content (~30 min). Cross-post to YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels when ready (Weeks 9–10 of digital rollout).

Wednesday — Archive & Prep Day

1. Archive Photos to NAS Production

Move all photos from Jack's News Photos (placed there Monday) into the NAS Archive for the corresponding week.

Copy and paste. NEVER DRAG AND DROP.
The "colour" folder in JNP is also to be cleaned out and left in the folder.

2. Upload E-Edition to Manitoulin.com Only if P.M. hasn't

Must be uploaded by 9am Wednesday morning. See the E-Edition Creation Procedure below.

3. Work on Ads in the Folder Production

Work on ads in the corresponding week's folder.

DO NOT LET THE "TO BE PROOFED" FOLDER BE NEGLECTED. If you have not heard from ANY of the real estate advertisers yet, send a reminder email or do so before noon on Thursdays.

4. Update Word Classifieds New 2025 Production

Update the word classifieds section with any new submissions, changes, or expirations. Coordinate with Debbie on incoming classified requests.

5. Manage Standing Order Ads New 2025 Production

Review and manage standing order ads. Verify all standing orders are current, check for any cancellations or changes. Update files accordingly.

6. Production Manager — Discretionary Time P.M.

Production Manager utilizes this time for:

Outstanding commercial printing orders
Special project tasks
Website maintenance and updates (manitoulin.com & exploremanitoulin.com)

7. Post TikTok (If Time Permits) Digital Strategy Mike

Paper production day — post TikTok content if time allows (~15 min). Wednesday is the lightest content day.

8. Post to Manitoulin Publishing Co. Facebook Page Digital Strategy Xoë / Sean

Post community-focused content to the "Manitoulin Publishing Co." Facebook page (not news links — this page circumvents the Meta news ban). Content types:

Community event photos & behind-the-scenes
Print services promotions
"This Day in Manitoulin" historical content
Staff profiles & island photography
Ad opportunity announcements

Target: 3 posts/week (split across Mon/Wed/Fri or similar).

Thursday — Templates & Ad Prep

1. Update InDesign Templates for Next Week Production

Move InDesign documents/templates from the previous week into the next week's folder in the NAS.

Only update the Vol. number and dates (and number of pages if applicable).

2. Start PDF/JPEG Ads Production

If applicable, start to PDF/JPEG ads by end of day.

Each .indd file → either .jpeg or .pdf in Ad PDF file.
Cmd+E (export) → either PDF or JPEG → Save to Ads, Ads PDF → Exit, hit Save.
Half page or full page: MAX quality, export as JPEG.
1/4 page: Export as both JPEG and PDF in case needed. Ask P.M. if unsure.

DO NOT LET THE "TO BE PROOFED" FOLDER BE NEGLECTED. If you have not heard from any real estate advertisers, send a reminder email or do so before noon on Thursdays.

3. Update Business Directory & Classifieds Files Production

Update the business directory and classifieds files with any changes for the upcoming edition.

4. Update Word Classifieds (Continued) New 2025 Production

Continue updating word classifieds if not completed Wednesday. Final check before Friday layout.

5. Process Death Notices for Print New 2025 Production

Finalize any death notices for inclusion in the upcoming print edition. Coordinate with Debbie on Debbie's correspondence. Upload to website if not already done.

6. Production Manager — Discretionary Time P.M.

Production Manager utilizes this time for:

Outstanding commercial printing orders
Special project tasks
Website maintenance and updates
Assist with weekly ads if other tasks don't apply

7. Prepare Friday Newsletter (Mailchimp) Digital Strategy Xoë

Begin preparing the Friday newsletter in Mailchimp (~1 hour). See the Newsletter Procedure below. Enhancements from digital strategy:

Include sponsor placement (top and mid-content if sold).
Add "Island Insider" exclusive section for subscribers.
Add seasonal content ("5 things happening this weekend").
Consider a reader poll or engagement question.
Use AI to summarize long articles into newsletter blurbs.

8. Kevin — Digital Ad Sales Activity Digital Strategy Kevin

Kevin's weekly sales rhythm:

Review pipeline of digital ad prospects.
Follow up on open proposals for Starter ($150/mo), Growth ($300/mo), Premium ($500/mo) packages.
Follow up on print+digital bundle upsell opportunities.
Follow up on newsletter sponsorship prospects ($150/issue top, $100/issue mid).
Pitch business directory featured listings ($25–$50/mo) once directory is live.

Friday — Layout & Newsletter Day

1. Work on Ads in the Folder Production

IF YOU ARE WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO PROOFREAD, PLEASE ASK AS SOON AS YOU CAN SO YOU ARE NOT WAITING.

2. PDF/JPEG All Completed Ads & Begin Layout Production

PDF/JPEG all completed ads.
Check in with Debbie on correspondence — obituaries and classifieds.
Begin InDesign layout.

3. InDesign Layout Production

Drag PDFs and JPEGs onto InDesign template in dated folder.
Place 2-point border around all ads except Classifieds.
Place image box around each ad (beyond ad corners) to prevent text from being placed behind.
Hit Save after every ad that's placed.
All ads need pulled from Ad PDFs folder and Recurring Ads folder.

4. Puzzle Page Assembly Production

Assemble the puzzle page: Horoscope, Sudoku, and Crossword. See the Puzzle Page Procedure below.

5. McQuarries Ad Verify Production

See the McQuarries Ad Procedure below.

Verify this ad is still running and the process is still current.

6. When Layout Done — Begin Next Week's Work Production

When layout is done, begin working on ads/work for the next week.

7. Send Friday Newsletter Digital Strategy Xoë

Finalize and send the Friday newsletter via Mailchimp. Must go out before noon.

Send a test to Alicia or Mike first for review.
Let the reviewer know you've sent a test so they can look it over promptly.

See the Newsletter Procedure below for full step-by-step.

8. Share Newsletter to LinkedIn Digital Strategy Xoë

After the newsletter goes out, share a summary/highlight post on LinkedIn (~15 min). Use a teaser excerpt with a link back to the newsletter signup.

9. Post TikTok — Front Page Read Digital Strategy Mike

Create the weekly "front page newspaper read" TikTok video. Cross-post to YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels. Include CTA to the newsletter.

Standing & Ongoing Tasks

Restart Dreamhost Server (1–2x per week) P.M.

For manitoulin.com and exploremanitoulin.com:

Chrome → Dreamhost bookmark → login.
Left menu → "VPS" → Actions column: Restart psmysql626197 and vps29240.
On vps29240, also select "Reload HTTP".
Wait 1–5 minutes for restart. If timeout error, give it more time. If site won't load, chat with Dreamhost support.

Check for Website Updates P.M. / Sean

Check for updates to manitoulin.com and exploremanitoulin.com. Complete all updates and clear the cache afterward to prepare for Debbie and production to begin uploading events, stories, and jobs. Log out when finished.

Max 3 users on the WordPress admin dashboard at once. Too many requests = server timeout and lost work. Wait to upload e-edition until end of day or Wednesday.

Check Emails & Forward as Necessary P.M.

Ongoing throughout the week. Route to the right team member.

Prepare for the Next Issue P.M. / Production

Read over last year's edition from the upcoming week to prepare for any advertisements or special sections. Save files ahead and create insertion orders for production.
Monitor Facebook comments (Alicia monitors Instagram). Remove profanity and disputes — never delete comments, only hide them. Check with Alicia before removing anything you're unsure of.
Check for new events, exciting things, and leads → forward to Robyn (advertising sales) and Editorial (news tips).

Assist Production in Advertisements P.M.

Ensure all ads requiring proofs are completed first (top of the pile in the folder).
Look for errors in last week's ads — add to Production's To Do folder or fix yourself.
Prepare for any house advertisements or upcoming special sections.

Commercial Printing Orders P.M.

Ongoing: complete outstanding commercial printing orders. See Vendor Directory for contacts and the 40% markup rule.

IT Issues & Website Maintenance P.M. / Sean

Address IT issues. Update manitoulin.com and exploremanitoulin.com. Research and development for websites and advertisements that promote services (commercial printing, bookstore, job board, notices, events).

When Rick Is in Office Production

Ask Rick if there are any outstanding ads or ads to be expected. This helps hold space in layout and prepares for last-minute ad design.

End of Day — Shut Down All Computers Everyone

ALL computers in the office should be shut down at the end of the day so the server can restart itself. If not done, restart NAS as soon as you come in or at end of day.

Manage Standing Order Ads (Ongoing) New 2025 Production

Maintain standing order ad files. Track renewals, cancellations, and updates. Ensure standing ads are current in each edition. Coordinate with Kevin on any sales-side changes.

Facebook Page Management (3x/week) Digital Strategy Xoë / Sean

Maintain the "Manitoulin Publishing Co." Facebook page. Post 3x/week with community-focused, non-news content to stay within Meta's guidelines. Use to drive newsletter signups and promote advertising opportunities.

Google Ad Manager — Online Ad Fulfillment Digital Strategy Kevin / Sean

When digital ad packages are sold, set up the ads in Google Ad Manager. See the Google Ad Manager Procedure below.

The 2024 pricing was $10 per 10,000 impressions ($100/month). The digital strategy introduces new tiered pricing: Starter $150/mo, Growth $300/mo, Premium $500/mo. Update your Ad Manager setup accordingly.

Track Newsletter Open Rates & Click-Through Rates Digital Strategy Xoë

After each Friday newsletter send, check Mailchimp analytics. Target: 40%+ open rate. Note which stories/links get the most clicks to inform future content.

Monthly Cadence (First Monday of Each Month)

Pull Monthly Metrics Report Digital Strategy Sean / Xoë

On the first Monday of each month, pull the 6 key metrics (~20 min):

Metric	Source	Target (by Dec 2026)
Website sessions	Google Analytics 4	5,400–6,000/month
Newsletter subscribers	Mailchimp	3,800 total
Newsletter open rate	Mailchimp	40%+
Top 5 articles by views	Google Analytics 4	Informs content strategy
Digital ad revenue	Internal tracking	3–5 clients
TikTok views/followers	TikTok analytics	Growth trend

Share in team Slack/email. Use AI prompt: "Summarize these 6 metrics into a 1-paragraph monthly report highlighting wins and areas to focus on: [paste numbers]"

Send Digital Ad Client Reports Digital Strategy Kevin

Send monthly ad performance reports to all digital ad clients (~30 min/report with AI). Include impressions delivered, click-through data, and value summary. Use AI prompt to draft from Google Ad Manager data.

Alicia — Strategic Review Digital Strategy Alicia

Review monthly metrics report. Approve content direction. Decide on paywall content (what goes behind the wall). ~30 min.

Supplementary Procedures

E-Edition Creation (by 9am Wednesday morning)

Grab PDFs for this week's edition from the Alicia and Mike folder on production assistant's desktop. Rename Section 2 "A1, A2, A3 etc" (for proper order when combined). Select all, copy and paste into this week's PDF folder (e.g., "June 28-23 PDF").
Grab any special section PDFs. Include them in this week's folder, named for proper order.
In Adobe Acrobat: File → Create → Combine files into a single PDF. Drag all PDFs over.
Save as: "The Expositor, D,M,YYYY Hi-Res"
Select "Edit PDF" from the top/right menu. Crop pages as needed.
Set document links: Edit PDF → Link → Add/Edit web or document link.
Click and drag boxes around page turns (make boxes large enough for phone users). Select "go to page view" → Next. Navigate to the destination page → Set Link. Complete for the entire document (continued on/from, optional: web links, emails).
Save the combined file as Hi-Res in this week's PDF folder.
Save again as low-res: File → Save as Other → Reduced size PDF → Adobe Acrobat 10.0. Must be under 50 MB. Save without "High Res" in name.
Open low-res file to verify: check resolution isn't too low, check for missing elements (JPGs, PNGs). If missing elements, re-export from InDesign, re-PDF the page, replace, and start over with the combined PDF.
Final low-res PDF is ready for upload to manitoulin.com.

Puzzle Page Procedure

Source: Log into MetroCreative online. Save a Horoscope, Crossword, and Sudoku file. Unzip into NAS → Ads → Puzzle Page.

Horoscopes: Open horoscopes InDesign doc. Open horoscope file in TextEdit. Cmd+Shift+V then Cmd+V into InDesign text box. Place each sign in its spot. Adjust columns. Change date range (Sunday of paper week through following Saturday). Save in current week's puzzle page folder. Export PDF.

Sudoku: Open InDesign file from previous week. Grab the TIFF image from the unzipped sudoku file. Drag and drop into InDesign. Save and export in current puzzle page folder.

Crossword:

If answers from previous week exist, move them into this week's puzzle page folder.
Open crossword EPS files in Illustrator. Open puzzle page full InDesign doc from previous week, save it forward.
In Illustrator: select the empty crossword grid, copy → paste into InDesign (may need to delete previous week's grid first). Adjust as needed.
Export the answers from the bottom of the crossword page in Illustrator into next week's puzzle page folder.
Open crossword text document in TextEdit → copy clues → paste into InDesign.
Add previous week's answers in the "puzzle solution" area. Change date to the paper the answers came from.

Puzzle Page Doc: Replace all previous week's PDFs with current week's (horoscope + sudoku). Save in puzzle page folder. Export PDF to where the paper's templates are saved.

If the puzzle page isn't used that week: move all files to the next week's puzzle page folder. Go back to MetroCreative and download a new horoscope file. Repeat as needed.

McQuarries Ad Procedure

Go to mcg.metrocreativeconnection.com (bookmarked). Log in and pull the word search for this week. Download PDF into the ad text folder for the current week.
Go to McQuarries website. Search the stock numbers. Check both used and new inventory. Save photos into the ad text folder (create a new subfolder for this ad each week).
Use Cmd+Shift+4 to screenshot vehicle info. Open in Preview, rename as the vehicle name, save into the McQuarries folder. Repeat for all vehicles.
Open the McQuarries InDesign file from last week. Drag in the word search PDF 3x into the windows. Input photos and info matching the previous week's format.

Google Ad Manager — Setting Up Online Ads

Open Google Ad Manager (bookmarked). Login: expositorsub@gmail.com. Must be logged in on Chrome browser.
Delivery → Orders → "New Order".
Name format: "(ME) [Advertiser Name] [Date]". All ad names require (ME) at the beginning to differentiate from Google's own placements.
Enter advertiser name via search. Click "Add line item".
Ad Type: Display, Standard.
Line item name: same as order name. Expected Creatives: enter ad size (typically "medium rectangle").
Delivery Settings: set start/end time, quantity of impressions (max 25,000/month), rate per impressions.
Adjust Delivery: select delivery mode. Display Creatives: "all" or "only one". Rotate Creatives: "evenly".
Ad Targeting: "Inventory — Run of network".
Save → you'll see "needs creatives" error. Click into the order → Creatives tab → Add creative.
Upload new creative or select existing. File requirements: less than 100KB, .jpg or .png.
Save and preview → go back to Order menu → select line item → click "Approve".
Status will show "ready" then change to "delivering" (can take up to 1 hour).

Digital Strategy Note: New digital ad packages have been introduced with tiered pricing (Starter $150/mo, Growth $300/mo, Premium $500/mo). Update impression quantities and rate settings in Ad Manager to match each package tier. Kevin handles the sale; Production/Sean handles the setup.

Vendor & Contact Directory

Vendor	Purpose	Contact
MasterWeb	Printing press (weekly paper)	Mike & Antonina: miken@masterwebinc.ca Upload: insite.masterwebinc.ca
OJ Graphix	Commercial printing (general)	jay@ojgraphix.com joan@ojgraphix.com john@ojgraphix.com
DFS Group	Envelopes	printing@dfsbusiness.com
International Graphics	Commissioner stamps	Account #12988
Lasalle Business Machines	Printer maintenance	office@lasallebm.ca 705-560-4252
Dreamhost	Web hosting (VPS)	Servers: psmysql626197, vps29240
MetroCreative	Puzzle content & word search	mcg.metrocreativeconnection.com
Google Ad Manager	Online ads on manitoulin.com	expositorsub@gmail.com
Mailchimp	Friday newsletter	Login: see credentials list
Shutterstock	Stock photos (newsletter)	—

Commercial Printing Markup Rule

When quoted from any vendor, add 40% markup + applicable taxes + $25 shipping fee before sending a quote to the client. Some commercial printing can be done in-house.

Software & Tools Reference

Tool	Used For
Adobe InDesign	Newspaper layout, puzzle pages, ad design, templates
Adobe Lightroom Classic	Photo processing, auto tone, contact sheets, export
Adobe Photoshop	Web-worthy photo resizing (1200×800, 72ppi)
Adobe Acrobat	E-edition creation, PDF combining, linking, cropping
Adobe Illustrator	Crossword puzzle EPS files
TextEdit	Story text extraction, crossword clues, newsletter formatting
Microsoft Word	LJI article copies, newsletter content from Editorial
Chrome	Dreamhost, Google Ad Manager, Insite, Mailchimp, WordPress
WordPress	manitoulin.com and exploremanitoulin.com CMS
Mailchimp	Friday newsletter creation & distribution
Google Ad Manager	Website display advertising management
Google Analytics 4	Website traffic & engagement tracking
Google Search Console	SEO performance monitoring
TikTok	Short-form video content
Finder / Dropbox	Photo retrieval (Expositor Dropbox)
NAS (Network Server)	Central file server: archives, templates, ads, PDFs
ChatGPT / AI Tools	Headline rewriting, article summaries, social captions, ad copy

Key Deadlines & Time Constraints

Deadline	Task
Monday ~10am	All photos should be filed; editing should have started
Monday	PDFs uploaded to Insite (MasterWeb)
Before Wednesday	All jobs and notices uploaded to manitoulin.com
Wednesday 9am	E-Edition ready and uploaded to manitoulin.com
Wednesday morning	All stories uploaded for release
Thursday noon	Real estate proof reminders sent (if no response)
End of Thursday	PDF/JPEG ads should be started
Friday before noon	Newsletter sent via Mailchimp
End of every day	All computers shut down for server restart
1st Monday of month	Monthly metrics report pulled and shared

InDesign & Ad Design Tips

InDesign Layout Rules

Drag PDFs and JPEGs onto InDesign template in dated folder.
Place 1-point border around all ads except Classifieds. (Use Rectangle tool: M)
Place image/frame box around each ad (beyond ad corners into the gutters) to prevent text behind.
Save after every ad placed.
All ads from Ad PDFs folder and Recurring Ads folder.
CMYK ALWAYS, not RGB.

InDesign Keyboard Shortcuts

Cmd+Option+P	Change document size
Cmd+Shift+U	Underline / Remove Underline
Cmd+X	Cut
Cmd+D	Import Photo
Cmd+Shift+V, then Cmd+V	Keep Text Formatting
Cmd+G	Group Items (drag over all first)
Right-click → Ungroup	Ungroup Photos
Cmd+F	Find item on document
Cmd+Shift+A	Pen tool with anchor points (then Shift+A each point)
W (nothing selected)	Preview mode
Spacebar (image selected in list)	Preview image

Photos: Orange box = photo. Blue box = frame.

Ad Design Workflow

When ad is complete:

Save to: Dated folder → Ads (.indd file)
Print copy: Cmd+P
Export PDF to Desktop Proofs file → email to client for approval

File Locations

Weekly ads list template	NAS → Expositor Templates → Monthly/Weekly ads list
Rolstons ad	NAS → Ads → Rolstons → 2024 (or sidebar)

Production Task Guide 2026 — The Manitoulin Expositor

Prepared by PM Consulting Inc. | paul@pmconsulting.ca | (705) 491-2627

This document integrates the 2024 Production Task List with new team responsibilities (2025–2026) and the Digital Strategy Roadmap. Colour-coded for easy reference: Black = existing, Blue = new from team, Teal = digital strategy, Amber = verify/may be outdated.

Contents

E-Edition Creation (by 9am Wednesday morning)

Friday Newsletter Procedure (Mailchimp)

Puzzle Page Procedure

McQuarries Ad Procedure

Google Ad Manager — Setting Up Online Ads