the subway fold

I found out about the Wall Street Journal's new size today while listening to Studio360 on WNYC. In the segment, so-called "design guru" Chee Pearlman made mention of "the subway fold" -- a term I had never before heard, but, I realized, a technique I had several times tried. So I went to googling for a how-to. It was much harder to find than I thought. I finally came across a decent explanation in, of all places, the New York Times. In the June 13, 2004 edition of the "F.Y.I" write-in Q&A column. It is now, unfortunately cloistered away in the Times's pay section, but I subscribe and so decided to reproduce the explanation here. For you. My dear readers reader.

Subway Origami

Q. One morning on a crowded New York bus, I watched an elderly gentleman fold The New York Times in a manner I had never seen before. He never brushed the person next to him. It was almost like watching a ballet. Ever since, I have been in search of someone who knew how to fold the paper this way, to no avail. Any advice?

A. There are many who, like you, lament the decline of what is known as the subway fold.

According to The Times's Newspaper in Education program, the key is to first fold the newspaper vertically, from top to bottom, to create a crease down the middle. If you are reading the front page, fold again horizontally to create a quadrant. Flip and fold as necessary to read each portion of the page.

To jump to an inside page, open the top corner to that page and peel the front half back, so the paper remains folded vertically. If you want to read the center columns, peel back the inside once more, creating two lengthwise portions. Then fold again into four parts.

Keep your elbows close to your body. And stand clear of the closing doors. MICHAEL POLLAK

Small Street Journal [studio360]