A guide to SFGATE and the San Francisco Chronicle

What is The Chronicle's mailing address and phone number?

San Francisco Chronicle
901 Mission St.
San Francisco, CA 94103
Local: (415) 777-1111
USA Toll Free: (866) 732-4766

What is SFChronicle.com?

SFChronicle.com is our premium, subscription-based website, giving subscribers an opportunity to access news and information on a site with more in-depth coverage of local news and a clean, reader-friendly format that is uncluttered and uninterrupted so that it reads just like a newspaper. The site has been created using responsive design technology, which automatically adapts SFChronicle.com content so it always renders perfectly on the digital device of your choice. SFChronicle.com is available to most print subscribers as part of their subscriptions. For more information and subscription options, please visit SFChronicle.com/UltimateAccess.

What content is on SFGATE.com?

SFGATE.com, the Bay Area's most-visited local website, offers content free-of-charge to visitors. SFGATE.com users will find breaking news and other news-of-the-day features such as weather, traffic, real-time sports coverage, pop culture features and other buzzworthy topics.

Do you have an iPad app or phone app?

- The Chronicle and SF Gate can be experienced in a variety of ways. To learn more about our products and the different ways to get Chronicle and SFGATE news, visit our Get Us page.

How do I search the archives?

- For recent Chronicle content, please use the search box at the top left corner of any SFGATE.com page.

How do I locate an ad I saw in the Chronicle?

- Classifieds: A six day classified archive can be found in the SF Gate Classifieds Archive.
- Display Ads: Many Chronicle display ads can be found on SF Gate Personal Shopper.

What if I have a news tip?

If you have a story idea or breaking news tips, e-mail metro@sfchronicle.com. Urgent news should be called in directly to our City Desk at (415) 777-7100. Only "breaking" stories will be taken over the phone.

What if I have comments?

- If you would like to submit an opinion piece for publication, please see our page on Chronicle Submissions.

If you have comments on The Chronicle's coverage, standards or accuracy, please e-mail TellUs@sfchronicle.com. For information on delivery, billing or how to become a subscriber, call (800) 281-2476.
- To partcipate in the SFGate Community, which includes commenting on articles and contributing to reader blogs, you must register with SFGATE. Go to "Sign In" in the upper right to sign up for a profile.

How do I send a letter to the editor?

Please read the Chronicle submission guidelines located here.

How do I submit calendar listings to the Datebook and SF Gate?

Listings submission guidelines are located here.

How do I obtain permission to reprint an article?

To obtain permission to reprint a Chronicle staff-written story, please contact the Copyright Clearance Center via the Internet. The address of their web site is www.copyright.com.

Most public libraries provide access to the Internet, if you do not have access at your home, school or office. After registering on the web, you will be able to access the Republication Licensing Service.

If you would like more information about the service, click on "services" and then "Republication Licensing Service" and then "user benefits." Also, you can get answers to frequently asked questions if you click on "help" and then "Republication Licensing Service."

If you have trouble using the service, please call Copyright Clearance Center at (978) 750-8400.

- For Chronicle photo reprints and permissions for commercial use, e-mail: licensing@sfchronicle.com
- For Chronicle graphics reprints and permissions: 415-777-6225
- For any other questions on Article Reprint Permissions call (415) 777-6225
- For use of the Chronicle logo, its content or related images for television or motion pictures: 415-777-6225 or chronperm@sfchronicle.com.

You may link to staff written articles on our web site at www.sfgate.com without permission and at no charge to you.

For permission to reprint Associated Press articles, please see this page.

Where can I get back issues?

A: The last 30 days of The Chronicle are available at the front security counter, which is located at the 901 Mission Street entrance of The Chronicle building at the corner of 5th Street and Mission Street in San Francisco. Daily papers may be purchased for $1.50 and Sunday papers may be purchased for $3.00 with the exception of special editions, which may be priced higher. To purchase copies online, visit the San Francisco Chronicle Store. The store has a 60 day archive. Copies of articles older than 60 days, but printed since January 1, 1995 are available in the archives on SFGATE, with the exception of some wire content, such as Associated Press articles. SFChronicle.com has an archive of content going back to its inception in March of 2013.

You can purchase single digital copies of the paper through PressDisplay.com. Those archives go back 14 days. These copies are formatted like the e-edition and downloaded as a PDF. Additionally, the replica e-edition has a 30-day archive.

How do I submit a paid obituary notice?

An obituary notice is a paid listing, often provided for you by the attending mortuary. If the mortuary does not place the obituary notice, you can place one yourself by clicking here.

In an effort to better serve you, place any obit for two days and get the third day FREE (days do not need to be consecutive). For more information and guidelines on personalizing an obituary clicking here.

1. E-mail your notice to lifetributes@sfchronicle.com
2. Mail your notice to Life Tributes, San Francisco Chronicle, 901 Mission St. San Francisco CA 94103. All notices must be typed. We are not available to receive hand delivered or mailed obits and photos on weekends or holidays.
3. A representative from the Life Tributes Desk will call you with a price quote. Payment is made by credit card over the phone.

WHEN YOU SUBMIT: Please provide: Your name, address, phone number & the name and city of the funeral home or cremation society. This is for verification purposes only. Omission of any of this information will delay publication.

DEADLINES FOR PUBLICATION:

Sunday through Friday next day deadline:

All obits must be approved and paid by 2:00 pm.

- *EZAds submissions: 1pm for the next day's publication
- *E-mail submission: Noon for the next day's publications

Saturday for Sunday deadline:

All obits must be approved and paid by 12:00 pm Noon.

- *EZAds submissions: 12:00 pm Noon for the next day's publication
- *E-mail submission: 11:00 am for the next day's publication

Rates:

- Contact us for rates.
- There are approximately 12 printed lines per inch.
- A line consists of approximately 20 spaces.
- Place any notice for two days, get the third day FREE (days do not need to be consecutive).
- A fee of $50 will be added to every obituary notice to be on our web site, www.legacy.com/obituaries/sfgate/, including the printed photo, an online Guest Book, and more.

How do I submit photos for a paid obituary notice?

If you opt to use our self-service portal, EZAds, you will be able to upload your photo.

If you e-mail the photo to our Life Tributes team, please attach the photo to your e-mail. The deadline for submitting photos is the same as submitting the obit. Please see deadlines under “How do I submit a paid obituary” above. Photos will publish one inch wide by one and one-half inches deep, however we will crop and size your photo accordingly. A photo will add approximately $170 to the total cost of your notice. A photo must be accompanied by text. Please include your name, address and phone number for billing and the name of the mortuary or cremation service handling arrangements for verification. (Omission of any of the above information will delay publication.) When choosing a photo we suggest a sharp, good quality photo with no shadows on the face. Please don't crop the photo as we will do that. If more than one person is in the photo please indicate which one is the deceased. Photos may be emailed by scanning the photo at a minimum of 300dpi and sent as a tif or jpg to lifetributes@sfchronicle.com. These can also be mailed or delivered to: Life Tributes c/o Classified Counter, San Francisco Chronicle, 901 Mission St. San Francisco CA 94103. Photos by email can be sent Mon-Sun, however we are not available to receive hand delivered or mailed photos on weekends or holidays. Notices cannot be phoned in to Life Tributes. Life Tributes does not handle Editorial Obituaries (see below).

For further information call our Life Tributes team at (415) 615-3554.

How to submit a request for a news obituary?

The Chronicle welcomes timely news obituary information and photos from family, friends, and funeral homes. These obituaries which run free of charge, are written by our staff with information gathered from relatives and our own research. Because of space limitations, obituaries with the broadest community interest are most likely to be selected for publication.

To contact obituary writers or for more information:

- Phone: 415-777-7420
- Fax: 415-536-4287
- E-mail: obits@sfchronicle.com

To deliver photos:
- E-mail to: obits@sfchronicle.com
- Drop off: front desk, 901 Mission St., San Francisco (9:30 a.m - 5 p.m.)
- Weekend drop off: front desk, 100 Fifth St., San Francisco (9:30 a.m - 5 p.m.)

Are there any special programs for teachers?

The Chronicle's Newspaper-in-Education program is a great way for teachers to put extra learning power into the classroom at a very low cost. Participating NIE teachers are offered choices of curriculum guides that provide stimulating, fun and educational projects using the newspaper. For more information, please call the Chronicle Newspaper-in-Education department at (415) 777-6828.

How do I place an ad?

If you're selling a house, a car, or other merchandise or services, a Classified ad can get your message to Northern California's largest newspaper audience. Just call The Chronicle at (415) 777-7777 to place an ad.

Does the Chronicle contain recycled paper?

Yes. While there is no Federal Law requiring the use of recycled newsprint, California state law mandates that 50% of the newsprint used must contain at least 40% recycled fiber content. 2001 was the last year in the gradual increase of state mandated recycled content (from 30% when the law began in 1994 to the current cap of 50%). The percentage of newsprint (with at least 40% recycled fiber content) used by the San Francisco Chronicle:

- 53% in 2005
- 60% in 2004
- 56% in 2003
- 50% in 2002
- 50% in 2001
- 45% in 2000
- 40% in 1998
- 35% in 1996
- 30% in 1994

The San Francisco Chronicle is produced using the flexographic printing process. The "flexographic" process, unlike the "offset" process used by the majority of other papers (USA Today, NY Times, LA Times, etc.) is known for its inherent environmental benefits. These benefits include (a) the use of water based inks (eliminating the need for petroleum-based cleaners and extenders, eliminating ink rub-off and set-off, reduced show through, etc.) and (b) the ability to use lighter basis-weight (thinner) newsprint. Offset uses 30 lb and 32 lb newsprint, while flexo uses 27.7 lb newsprint.

Our newsprint comes from the Pacific Northwest and Canada, and it is produced from wood chips and other by-products of the lumber/timber industries. Trees are not cut-down specifically for newsprint.

As stated earlier, our ink is water-based and is environmentally friendly. The pigments used to color the inks are free of heavy metals and toxic products. We are completely safe to use as compost.

What can I do with the Chronicle plastic delivery bags?

At this time, the Chronicle does not collect used newspaper bags.

If you have any suggestions for how to reuse the bags or places that recycle them, please send us feedback. Some readers tell us that they reuse the bags in the following ways:

- doggie pickup
- collecting and disposing of snails and slugs from their yard
- taking home food scraps from their work place for their compost and/or worm bins
- diaper disposal

The poly news bags used by The San Francisco Chronicle are designed to protect the newspaper, assuring that it arrives to customers dry and protected from the elements. The plastic used has to be able to draw down to the thin gauge films used in news bags, and withstand certain abrasion and impact stresses due to the newspaper being thrown from moving cars and skidding along a driveway.

The Chronicle bags are classified with the recycling code (4) LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene). Used in many film applications, this plastics family includes the LDPE's (Linear Low Density Polyethylene) that are used to produce the poly news bags, garbage bags and ice cream container lids.

LDPE's (4) provide the best combination of the toughness, abrasion resistance, elasticity, and excellent seal strength needed for news bags. Unfortunately, many Bay Area recycling programs will not accept (4) LDPE materials. The more commonly recyclable bags are (2) HDPE. These can be tough, but have a tendency to straight-line tear (once a hole starts, it tends to increase rapidly in size), and are limited in the amount of weight they will hold for a high-impact use like news bags. HDPE can also tend to be weak at the seal. The LDPE's (4) are the industry standard for the newspaper poly bags.

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