The board of The Irish Times Ltd has approved the placing of an order for a new colour printing press. The press, a Geoman 3/8, will be supplied by the German company, MAN-Roland.

The state-of-the-art press will facilitate the printing of a high-quality 64-page colour newspaper in up to four sections plus additional options for full colour inserted supplements. Nick Chapman, managing director, said: "This is a big step forward for The Irish Times. Our investment in this new press will enable us to serve even more efficiently the needs of readers and advertisers. As we continue to strengthen and grow The Irish Times across all our markets, we shall be in a stronger position than ever to compete successfully in a rapidly changing world for newspapers and media in general."

The editor of The Irish Times, Mr Conor Brady, said: "This major investment ensures that The Irish Times will continue to develop as the island's leading quality newspaper. The new press, in conjunction with other modern journalistic tools, will allow The Irish Times to produce a newspaper of improved quality and presentation with expanded content. Since 1986 The Irish Times has led the field with printed colour of award-winning quality on a Uniman 4/2 press which was also supplied by MAN-Roland. The purchase of the new press is a reinforcement of the company's commitment to best standards."

Live production on the new press is expected in late 2001.