On-Demand Photo Books: A Hot Market for Digital Business
High-quality, customizable photo books is one of the fastest growing segment of commercial printing on the HP Indigo press. The HP Indigo is an excellent choice for photo book applications. Digital book printing is also a lucrative market utilizing dry toner presses technologies like the Xerox iGen and the Kodak Nexpress, due to short run and personalization options.
The applications for on-demand photo books are endless; books can be customized to record important milestones like a wedding, high school graduation, or a new baby. Photo books can also be utilized to create school yearbooks, company reports, church registers, universities publications, family reunion albums, sports team books, artist portfolios, or even a small publishing run. With innovations in design technology and digital photography, many diverse business segments are requesting customized books. Professional photographers, businesses, and schools are all buyers in this growing market. Photo book order quantities can be very diverse, ranging from one printed copy to several thousand. Digital printing and variable data technology make small run prints profitable while still offering many options to the consumer.
The most profitable and prolific digital book printers utilize online software as a front engine so customers can order their custom photo books quickly and easily without professional design programs. One of the most popular software packages is SoftWorks Systems Inc.’s Remote Order Entry System (ROES), which is primarily used by digital photography labs and professional photographers. There are many business models out there: visit sites like Shutterfly, Snapfish, Zookbinders, and Couture Book for inspiration.
High-quality substrates from Masterpiece Graphix are perfect for photo book applications. MGX substrates are specially formulated for heavy ink coverage, with no picking or pinholes. This allows printers to print the richest, most vibrant colors for beautiful image quality. MGX substrates consistently perform better than our competitors’ in tape tests, with zero ink lift-off.
MGX’s new line of superior digital gloss and cover stocks offer superior ink adhesion and excellent color reproduction for beautiful image quality. MGX digital gloss stocks are printable on both sides and are available in 80# and 100# weights, in text or cover stocks.
MGX digital gloss paper and cover stocks are very competitively priced for all digital book applications and are certified for use on the HP Indigo 5000 and 5500 as well as the Kodak Nexpress. These stocks are compatible with many other dry toner digital presses like the Xerox iGen, Xerox Docucolor, Canon ImagePRESS and the Konica Minolta Bizhub.
No matter the type of cover requested, be it hardcover, soft cover or paperback, MGX has material options and recommendations for your specific photo book application. For more information, please check out our stocked sheet substrates or call your MGX sales rep for custom substrate options for your specific photo book application.