The Washington Post has reaffirmed its long-term commitment to print journalism, announcing a modernized print-production strategy focused on sustainability, quality and maintaining full control of its printed product. As part of this initiative, The Post has partnered with U.S.-based press supplier imPRESSions Worldwide to support the next phase of its print operations.
While much of the newspaper industry has reduced or abandoned print, The Washington Post remains committed to this facet of its journalism, recognizing print as a trusted, premium medium that continues to deliver value to readers, advertisers and shareholders.
“Print is not a legacy obligation for The Washington Post,” said John Bratt, plant manager. “It is a strategic choice to strengthen it through smart investment, right-sizing and modern technology.”
As part of this strategy, The Post will be exiting its nearly 500,000-square-foot printing facility built in 1980 for an era of far higher circulation and page counts, aligning its physical footprint with today’s demand while preserving quality, control and operational resilience. The new 60,000-square-foot facility near Dulles Airport will house a Goss Urbanite Press.
“Print continues to be an important medium to our readers. It is a valuable, profitable way we offer our critical journalism to customers and a key market differentiator,” said Gregg Fernandes, chief officer of print operations. “We will be producing the same uncompromising, high-quality product with a more efficient and sustainable approach.”
Supporting this evolution, imPRESSions Worldwide will deliver from its headquarters in Burlington, Washington, a Goss Urbanite Press, configured to provide exceptional web-offset print quality. The machine consists of 28 Printing Units and can print color on every page. It is equipped with flying pasters, three folders, motorized register, Perretta remote inking, Inventor spray bars, U.S. Automation ink levelers and web detection, Bardac drives, and the latest advanced camera-based auto register and density technology from DCOS, enabling reduced make-ready waste, improved color consistency and optimized print performance. The installation will start soon, and live production should start around Thanksgiving.
“This investment underscores The Post’s commitment to delivering outstanding print quality in a smarter, more efficient production environment,” said David Gilmore, vice president of sales at imPRESSions Worldwide. “By combining proven web-offset technology with advanced inspection systems, The Post is ensuring its readers and advertisers continue to receive brilliant ink-on-paper results.”
“imPRESSions Worldwide was built on — and remains steadfast in — supporting excellence in print production,” said Tom Loesch, founder and president of imPRESSions Worldwide. “We too remain focused on supporting ink on paper, and we are proud to partner with The Washington Post in its commitment to maintaining control of its print operations in an evolving media environment.”
