SFGate FAQs

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

Back to the top When I copy content from SFGate a link is added. What is it?

When someone copies content from an SFGate article, a link back to that article is added to the copy. The link allows users to easily add attribution to the content being copied from the SFGate site.

If you do not want a link added to the content, you can use the following link to disable the functionality:

Disable the link.

You will get a confirmation message that the functionality has been turned off. The disable function works on a per browser basis.

If you want to re-enable the link feature, click on the following link:

Re-enable the link.

Back to the top Is all Chronicle material on SF Gate?

All Chronicle staff written material is on SF Gate, except for a few minor exceptions.

Syndicated material, such as that from Creators Syndicate and Tribune Media Services, is not on SF Gate.

Certain freelance material is not available on SF Gate.

Sunday inserts, such as Parade Magazine and USA Today magazine, are not on SF Gate.

Associated Press stories are on SF Gate, but are not archived.

SF Gate also contains original material not found in the paper.

Back to the top How do I search the archives?

Chronicle archives from 1995-present are available via the SF Gate Search Page.

Back Issues of the Chronicle newspaper are available for 90 days.

For archives prior to 1995, please contact a library. They can either direct you to a source or arrange an interlibrary loan.

Back to the top 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.

Back to the top 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.

Back to the top 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.

Back to the top How do I send a letter to the editor?

Please read the Chronicle submission guidelines located here.

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

Please read the Datebook calendar listings submission guidelines located here.

Back to the top 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 personal use: 415-777-7850
• For Chronicle photo reprints and permissions for commercial use: 415-777-8428
• For Chronicle graphics reprints and permissions: 415-777-8944
• 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: Public Relations 415-777-6174

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.

Back to the top Where can I get back issues?

There are three ways to get back issues:

In person at The San Francisco Chronicle:
Address: 100 Fifth Street, San Francisco (corner of Mission)
Hours: Monday - Friday, 9:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Rates: $1.00 for the Daily edition and $2.00 for Sunday edition.

Only the past thirty (30) days are available in person. For papers older than 30 days, please call our back copy desk to check for availability (415) 777-6833, or go to the SF Gate online archives, located here.

Cash only.

Papers are sold in their entirety.

Tearsheets and tearsheet requests are not available at the counter.

For orders of 5 copies or more, please contact our back copy desk at (415) 777-6833.

By mail:
Rates: $4.00 for the Daily edition and $8.00 for Sunday edition.

Available for the past ninety (90) days; older issues are not available.

Payment by check must be received in advance with a written request indicating issue date(s), number of issues, and ship to address.

Back copy orders may take up to two weeks from of the request to reach the customer.

A maximum of five (5) copies can be mailed at one time. Additional shipping charges will apply for six (6) copies or more.

Please send request and check to:

San Francisco Chronicle
P. O. Box 7228
San Francisco, CA. 94120-7228
Attention: Back Copy Department

By Federal Express:
Rates: $4.00 for the Daily edition and $8.00 for Sunday edition

For Fed-Ex requests, please call (415) 777-6833.

The following information is required for Fed Ex shipping:

• Name
• Telephone number
• Address
• Federal Express Number or Credit Card Number
• Company name.

Back to the top How can I get a photo I saw in The Chronicle?

If you see a photo by a Chronicle photographer that you would like to have for personal use, send a letter of request to the Attention of Photo Sales at the address above. Include your name, address, phone number, a photocopy of the picture (noting the date and page of publication) and a check made out to The San Francisco Chronicle. 8-1/2x11 prints are $45 for black-and-white or color. This service usually takes four weeks. For commercial use or permission to use a photo, please call (415) 777-8428.

There are also selected photos available to purchase on SF Gate. Please click here for more information.

Back to the top 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 via any of the following methods:

1. Fax your notice to 415-348-3080
2. E-mail your notice to inmemory@sfchronicle.com
3. Mail your notice to In Memory, San Francisco Chronicle, 901 Mission St. San Francisco CA 94103. All notices must be typed.
4. A representative from the InMemory 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:

• Monday through Friday next day deadline:
  • Faxed submissions: 2pm for the next day's publication
  • E-mail submission: 4pm for the next day's publication
• Saturday for Sunday
  • Faxed submissions: 2pm for the next day's publication
  • E-mail submission: 2:30pm for the next day's publication
• Sunday for Monday
  • Faxed submissions: 2pm for the next day's publication
  • E-mail submission: 3:30pm for the next day's publication

Rates:

• Approximately $16.00 per printed line per day.
• There are approximately 7 printed lines per inch.
• A line consists of approximately 30 spaces.
• Discounts are available on consecutive publications.

Note: A fee of $25 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.

Back to the top How do I submit photos for a paid obituary notice?

The deadline for submitting photos is 2PM the day before publication of the notice. 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 $135 to the total cost of your notice. The cost of the text will be additional. (Text must be included). 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 inmemory@sfchronicle.com. These can also be mailed or delivered to: In Memory c/o Classified Counter, San Francisco Chronicle, 901 Mission St. San Francisco CA 94103. Photos by email can be sent M-Sun, however we are not available to receive hand delivered or mailed photos on weekends or holidays. Notices cannot be phoned in to In Memory. In Memory does not handle Editorial Obituaries (see below).

For further information. call In Memory at (415) 615-3554.

Back to the top 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.)

Back to the top 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.

Back to the top 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 -- and be sure to ask about SuperSaver rates.

Back to the top 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.

Back to the top 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.

Back to the top Sign me up!

Discover for yourself why The Chronicle is Northern California's largest newspaper. It can all be yours -- every day -- if you call 1-800-CHRONICLE, or fill out our e-mail form: Subscribe on-line.

Back to the top