The Irish Times will be printed by AlphaGraphics and copies of the paper, which is published six days a week with varying run lengths on a Screen Truepress Jet520 system, will also be distributed to Washington and Boston.

Ingrid Jones, international distribution manager for The Irish Times, said: "Where we have previously flown in copies of the newspaper, we are very excited that the technology and service is available in situ.

"Our job now is to build on the existing circulation figures for New York and develop the paper for the relevant audience and readership, something we can do with the benefits and opportunities provided by digital production."

David Renouf, Newsworld corporation chief executive, added: "We are working with a number of publishers around the world, who are all ready to move their production over to this technology. It is proving to be a very exciting time in the history of digital print and newspapers."

Newsworld Corporation acts as a middleman between digital printers and newspaper publishers, allowing newspapers to be distributed in foreign countries on the day of their release, such as the Daily Mail in New York.

As well as its New York facility, Newsworld Corporation recently announced a second link-up with a company in Dubai.

The Irish Times's move is one of many current switchovers to digitally printed newspapers. It is a trend that is on the increase as quality improves and costs decrease.