We are literally channelling our efforts into an exciting newspaper printing initiative.

From overnight Monday, News UK started printing the Channel Islands supplies of our newspaper titles using a new digital newspaper print site in Jersey.

This replaces an expensive air freight operation that is regularly subject to weather and occasional technical delays – 11 non-delivery and 136 late delivery days in the past year.

The move also provides an operational saving.

All other UK national titles will also be printing at the new digital site, along with the Jersey Evening Post.

Papers will print on two Kodak Prosper 6000 presses, which are the latest, fastest and most technically advanced digital print presses in the world. More than 35,000 newspaper copies can be printed digitally every night on the two presses.

Digital printing is unique in that it allows different newspaper titles to be printed to optimise and extend the distribution window. For example, it can print 50 Sun, 25 Times, 20 Daily Telegraph and 50 Daily Mail in one batch for the first van to depart, then the required quantity for the second van and onward.

Copies will be transported to neighbouring island Guernsey on a chartered boat service from May 23.

Daily sales of The Sun in the Channel Islands can vary from 2,700-3,300 copies, with The Times at 1,400-2,100. The Sunday Times sale is around 2,700.

Our Operations Services director Alan McCann said:

This project is the culmination of over three years development work between the UK national newspaper titles, the publisher of the Jersey Evening Post and Kodak to create the largest and most technically advanced ink-jet newspaper print operation in the world.

Multiple titles will be printed in waves each night to optimise distribution timings and we’ll avoid the hugely expensive air freight operation, that’s frequently delayed and results in lost sales.

As ink-jet print technology develops, enabling higher speeds and reduced costs, it offers the prospect of establishing more low-cost print operations located close to market.”