The Journal of the San Juan Islands will sport a new look Sept. 3

Changing from ‘long tab’ to more common tabloid size

The Journal of the San Juan Islands will sport a new look and a new page size beginning Sept. 3.

The change — from a so-called “long tab” to a traditional tabloid size — is required mostly because of the unavailability of long-tab newsprint.

It’s only the third page-size change in the newspaper’s 102-year history. The Journal debuted Sept. 13, 1906 as a six-column broadsheet. The Journal changed to a five-column tab in the 1970s.

Beginning Sept. 3, The Journal will be a six-column tabloid — 11.25 by 14 inches, rather than 11.25 by 17.5 inches. The Journal is one of several Sound Publishing Co. tabloids of various sizes moving to a consistent tab size.

The new page size has advantages for The Journal and its associated publications. The Journal, Real Estate in the San Juan Islands, Project Home and the quarterly Sports Preview will be closer to the same size. The Journal will no longer need to be folded; the entire front page will be visible from newsracks and newsstands.

The Journal, its sections and associated publications will fit together as one package; readers will find all sections conveniently packed inside the A section, or front news section.

“While change can sometimes be unsettling, these changes have significant benefit to our readers and advertisers,” Publisher Elyse Van den Bosch said.

“The uniform size and packaging of the paper and its sections will be neater and more convenient. And the reduction in page size means the use of less paper that will add up in the long term, and that’s good for the environment.”

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