...MagCloud?
Design magazines for on-demand printing and shipping.
...Spoonflower?
Create custom target="_blank" fabric patterns for small production runs.
...QOOP?
Produce singular photo books and other image-based products.
Look around, and you'll find a whole lot more service providers catering to the customization and on-demand production of printed material. Do you know what a big deal this is? When I first started in this business, anything "custom" translated to a big price tag. Printers encouraged designers to stick with pre-determined templates and charged premiums for creating projects outside what previously existed. In addition, custom parameters were considered a viable solution only when the production quantity was great.
In my experience, on-demand printing really started coming into play about ten years ago. At first, it was a little vague and hyped, like very few people really understood the technology of it but did know that it was the way of the future. "No, it's cool! Imagine that you send a company catalog to a group of customers, but each page has the customer's name printed on it!" Since then, we take for granted that nearly anything can be produced in small quantities, at custom sizes, directly with the consumer.
One thing is clear: With so many such services available, there's no excuse for living without style. The next time you have to send out an announcement or make a gift for someone, do a little research to find out how to create something custom to go along with your theme or personal aesthetic. There's no longer an excuse for sad party invitations!
Design magazines for on-demand printing and shipping.
...Spoonflower?
Create custom target="_blank" fabric patterns for small production runs.
...QOOP?
Produce singular photo books and other image-based products.
Look around, and you'll find a whole lot more service providers catering to the customization and on-demand production of printed material. Do you know what a big deal this is? When I first started in this business, anything "custom" translated to a big price tag. Printers encouraged designers to stick with pre-determined templates and charged premiums for creating projects outside what previously existed. In addition, custom parameters were considered a viable solution only when the production quantity was great.
In my experience, on-demand printing really started coming into play about ten years ago. At first, it was a little vague and hyped, like very few people really understood the technology of it but did know that it was the way of the future. "No, it's cool! Imagine that you send a company catalog to a group of customers, but each page has the customer's name printed on it!" Since then, we take for granted that nearly anything can be produced in small quantities, at custom sizes, directly with the consumer.
One thing is clear: With so many such services available, there's no excuse for living without style. The next time you have to send out an announcement or make a gift for someone, do a little research to find out how to create something custom to go along with your theme or personal aesthetic. There's no longer an excuse for sad party invitations!
