Historic England will visit the Odhams building to assess whether it should be protected as a nationally listed building.
The government body has confirmed it received and is considering an application to list Odhams Press Hall after the final day of printing on July 19.
While operations have been moved from the site, by St Albans Road and the A41, to Broxbourne, its importance to Watford’s history with the printing industry means many in the town hope to see it preserved.
A Historic England spokesperson said: “I can confirm that Historic England has received an application to list Odhams Press Hall, which we are considering.
“A site visit is due to be carried out soon which will inform our assessment. In due course we will submit our advice to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, who will then make the final decision on the case.”
No date has been set for the decision to be made.
To be suitable for listing, a building must be of special historic interest or special architectural interest.
According to Historic England, special historic interest relates to “the connection between the building and the people who use or have used it, the things that happen or have happened there, the ideas developed there, or the role that the building played in the nation's history”.
Meanwhile, special architectural interest is about “the design and construction of a building, the aspects that we can see and understand when we look at a building”.
The definition added: “A well-known architect might have designed a building, it might be architecturally distinct, or it might be a good example of a style from a particular period or part of the country”.
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Watford Borough Council and Watford MP Matt Turmaine have highlighted the striking design, well-known clocktower, and the site’s importance to the printing industry as key reasons why the tower should be protected.
In a letter to Historic England in February, Mr Turmaine said it would be “a tragedy” if Watford lost its historic links to the print industry.
Campaign group SAVE Britain’s Heritage added the site to its list of buildings at risk in July.
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