The Jersey Evening Post is betting on a digital future for its print newspaper after switching to new inkjet presses.
In what is believed to be a global first for a major daily newspaper, the title is to be printed entirely on a digital press. This does away with the plates and chemicals used in traditional newspaper presses.
A joint venture with KP Services has seen Jersey Evening Press publisher Guiton Group invest in a Prosper 6,000 digital printing press from Kodak. It will also print every national newspaper (with the exception of the FT) meaning an end to the practice whereby national newspapers are flown in to the Channel Islands of Jersey and Guernsey.
Digital presses are widely used around the world for short runs of up to a few thousand copies. But the new Jersey-based press will be able to print up to 40,000 copies a day with its capacity evenly split between the nationals and the Jersey Evening Post.
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Jersey Evening Post managing director Paul Carter said: "After 125 years of consistently printing our own titles, which included the difficult period of the Occupation, it is fair to say that any new solution needed to be pretty impressive for us to even consider moving from self-sufficiency to this type of partnership. This solution will allow the JEP to be printed in full colour throughout, for the first time, and with industry-leading standards in registration and reproduction.
"Advertisers and readers will both benefit from the sharper images, cleaner print and modern finishing associated with this new technology, which will be based at Rue des Prés.
"In the year when we celebrate our 125th anniversary it is satisfying to invest in future-proofing our business in this way, and it’s a resounding vote of confidence in the JEP from our shareholders."
The digital press will take around three times longer to complete the daily Jersey Evening Post print run. But because no plates are involved changes to the newspaper pages can be made throughout the print run without stopping the presses.
Carter is pictured above (left) with Jack Knadjian, managing director of Kodak Print Services (credit: Jersey Evening Post).
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