Each of Solna’s web press models are or were available in several sizes, with specific cutoff or cylinder circumference, web width, etc. Solna refers to these various sizes as “formats” and very early in its history established an easy single letter designation (later to include a two letter suffix) to denote a machines particular cylinder circumference, cutoff, or “format.”

Solna machines such as the D30, for instance, could be called a D30-A or a D30-B depending on the format it was ordered and manufactured in.

In Solna’s designation system, the first letter of a model number usually denotes if it is a newspaper or commercial machine. Press models beginning with the letter “D” usually are oriented toward newspaper or non-heatset book production, while press models beginning with the letter “C” are usually oriented toward commercial and heatset production. D22 and D300, newspaper or non-heatset. C30 or C96, commercial.

After the letter D or C, there is a number (there were a few other letters used over the years such as G, P, and there may have even been some models with several letters in the first positions, but they were generally produced in small numbers). This number in early years generally indicated the rated speed of the machine in thousands of revolutions per hour. A D15 ran 15,000/hr., while a D30 ran at 30,000. The C22 and C30 followed the same rule.

The C96 broke the rule, with the “96” indicating the machine’s width in centimeters. The D300 obviously didn’t run 300,000/hr, nor did the C800 run 800,000 or even 80,000. By the time these machines were developed the electrical renaissance was in full gear and speed specifications changed at a rate faster than a company could print new brochures, so a system of model series, if you will, was decided upon that didn’t indicate a particular web width or speed. Hence the D200, D240, D300, D340, D400, C300, C350, C800.

One thing remained common, however. The letter(s) in the suffix position always indicates a machines particular cutoff, cylinder circumference or “format” as follows.

A 560mm 22-3/64”

B 578mm 22-3/4”

C 598.5mm 23-9/16”

D 630mm 24-13/16”

K 546mm 21-1/2” 33” width

KA 546mm 21-1/2” 36” width

All C96, C350 and C800 units are 965mm in width (38”)

The C50 was built in a half-width version of the C96 with 50 cm or about 20”

D15 through D300 and C18 through C300 units were 36” wide in the A and B formats and 39” wide in the C and D formats.

The D30-A has a 560mm (22-3/64”) cutoff.

The D25-B has a 578mm (22-3/4”) cutoff.

The C96-C 598.5mm (23-9/16”)

D18-D 630mm or 24-13/16”