How would you describe “Book on Demand“ or “Print on Demand“ in two sentences?

This is the method of printing books, cards and other products with a minimum print run of one up to many more. The data for printing is entered as a digital data set, frequently via an online configurator.

What makes this method special?

Book on Demand allows for a very high degree of individualization. Each print product is produced digitally “on demand” and can therefore be unique. Personalized projects from start to finish become possible.

By using Book on Demand, authors can publish their own works or use self-publishing platforms. It is no longer necessary to keep large print runs in stock. The method also leads to a decrease in distribution costs and the author or the publishing house do not have to make any advance payments.

Where do you see typical areas to use Book on Demand?

The technology offers various possibilities: To print very small editions of books, to update reference books on a regular basis, to print daily menus or business cards with the latest information. Data for printing is easy to configure online.

Business models such as printing from social networks and the production of personalized children’s books as well as cards are drivers for Print on Demand. The success stories of lostmy.name, blurb and k-books printed on Metapaper illustrate the vast potential of Print on Demand.

How does the technology work?

On-demand print products are printed digitally. The possibilities are endless – from simple black-and-white printing to printing in seven colours, e.g. on HP Indigo. The print object is based on a digital data set, in most cases a press-ready PDF file. To begin with, the PDF document is checked with the master editor, i.e. the fonts are checked. Subsequently, trim marks are added for printing and further processing.

An efficient IT department that facilitates client-specific connections and a high-quality print management tool are essential prerequisites to make the technology work successfully.

Barcode-supported production enables fast and efficient order processing and high output rates. In a next step, the finished product is packaged and then sent and dispatched to the respective delivery address.

It makes sense to personalize the content of the products and  to standardize them in terms of format, size and paper. With a clear configuration for the book design, production can be faster and cheaper.

Which papers are suitable?

The papers have to be suitable for digital printing in order to avoid complaints about the quality. EXTRAROUGH, EXTRASMOOTH and EXTRAMATT (TOUCH) are frequently used, since they were specifically developed for digital printing methods. For seasonal products such as photo books, availability at short notice is also vital.

What is the future of Book on Demand?

Book on Demand and Print on Demand will become increasingly important. Companies have more and more B2B services at their disposal where they can order business cards or sales literature regardless of location in a completely automated process. These products are tailored to the company’s corporate design and can be ordered via a Web-to-Print portal. 

Furthermore, digital printing will continue to deliver better and better print results. We assume that there will be more ways to individualize and differentiate in the future, for example by using thread stitching or laser die-cutting.