“While most people in Hong Kong are sleeping, I am here with the team printing up to 25,000 copies of newspapers, which then get distributed across the city. I’ve been working in the newspaper printing industry for 24 years. I operate and maintain the machines and oversee the printing process. We print different newspapers, including the South China Morning Post and the New York Times. The printing begins at around midnight, and continues into the early hours of the morning. We first need to get the right colour swatches for the prints and ensure that these are correctly applied and aligned. The text and images are then etched onto thin aluminium plates, which are transferred onto newsprint paper through offset printing. These huge rolls of paper are fed into big machines and then the production line starts. From the printing to creasing to folding to assembling - each stage works seamlessly together!” 

​​「當大部份香港人瞓緊覺嗰陣，我同其他同事就喺度印起25,000份報紙，等之後送去城市嘅每一個角落。我喺報紙印刷呢行做咗24年。我負責操作同維修機器,同埋睇住成個印刷流程。我哋會印好幾份報紙，包括南華早報同埋紐約時報。我哋通常夜晚12點開始印紙，到第二朝清晨完成。首先我哋要調好色板，確保佢哋啱色同埋一致，之後就將啲字同埋圖製成印版，柯式印刷咁將版上面嘅內容承印喺白報紙度。當呢啲咁大卷嘅白報紙被捲入大機嘅時候，條生產線就會開始。由印刷、到摺工、到打包，每個過程都係好流暢咁完成！

“When I was a teenager, I actually wanted to become a pastry chef. But at age 16, I was too young to apply for a job at a patisserie. The printing industry was booming at the time and had lots of jobs on offer, so I ended up going to community college to learn the printing trade. I find my work very fulfilling as it allows me to be creative - it’s so satisfying to see colours and visual effects turn out beautifully on a newspaper spread. Even though during the week I don’t get to see my family much, I still enjoy coming in to work to see the good friends that I have made over the years! Some of the most memorable experiences at work are times of huge global events. The one that is etched in my memory is 911; the enormity of the news meant that we had to stop the printing process and work across teams to get the latest news to the public. Things were happening so quickly it felt like a blur, but it was rewarding to pull something through together as a team. Through my work I am exposed to current affairs and also the newest printing techniques and technology - after over two decades I am still constantly learning!”

“In the early years of my career, I made a few mistakes and upset my boss with my poor attitude. To this day, I am still really impressed with the way he dealt with me - instead of yelling at me or assigning blame, he patiently explained the situation to me and educated me so that I could do better. He really gained my respect and, from that moment on, I was more aware of my attitude towards work and towards others. We all make mistakes - the important thing is to see them as learning opportunities and to grow from them. I have Fridays off, which is when I practise my photography and go to the cinema. I also spend time with my wife and two kids. I’m quite a simple guy. I have a good relationship with my family, kids and a job that I find fulfilling. So, yes, I would say that I am happy and content!”

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​​ 「細個嗰陣，其實我想成為一個糕點師傅。但係我得16歲，唔夠歲數去餅舖打工。嗰時印刷業好蓬勃，有好多空缺，所以我就去咗工業學院學印刷。我好滿意自己嘅工作，因為佢可以俾我發揮創意，見到一大張報紙上面有咁好睇嘅顏色同排版，係幾有滿足感㗎。雖然一個禮拜裏面我見唔到屋企人幾多次，但係我仍然好享受返到嚟開工，可以見到一班識咗咁多年嘅老朋友！其中最難忘嘅時刻就係嗰啲國際大事件囉，好深刻記得嘅就係九一一，嗰時大件事到我哋要停哂所有印緊嘅嘢，集齊所有部門嘅同事將最新嘅資訊發放俾公眾。所有嘢都發生得好快，諗返起有啲模糊，但係好慶幸能夠一班人齊心合力搞掂佢。平時做嘢我會睇到好多時事，亦都會接觸到最新嘅印刷技巧同埋技術，做咗呢行廿年有多，我仍然喺度學緊嘢㗎 ！」

「一開頭入行嗰陣，我犯過啲錯，亦都因為態度唔好而激嬲過老闆。到咗今日，我都仍然好佩服老闆當時嘅反應：佢冇大聲鬧我或者捉我錯處，反而好有耐性咁解釋個情況俾我聽，教我，等我下次可做得好啲。我真係好服佢，由嗰一刻開始，我就留意多咗自己嘅工作態度同埋對人嘅態度。我哋每個人都會犯錯，最重要係將佢哋視為學習嘅機會，從中汲取教訓。我星期五放假嗰陣，就去影相同埋睇戲。我都會花時間陪太太同埋兩個小朋友。我係一個幾簡單嘅人。我有一個好嘅家庭，同家人關係好，又有一份自己滿意嘅工作，所以係呀，我會話自己都幾開心同埋滿足！」