Albumprinter B.V., the world’s largest enabler of desktop photo book solutions, and Lightning Source Inc., the world’s largest provider of one-off, demand-based book manufacturing and distribution solutions to the book industry, today announced an intent to form a strategic alliance for the North American photo book market to capitalize upon the strengths of each organization.
When the strategic initiative launches, Albumprinter will be armed with Lightning Source’s scalable, quality solutions for high-volume, one-off photo book manufacturing. Lightning Source will grow its portfolio of book manufacturing solutions in conjunction with Albumprinter’s impressive array of photo book software, capturing a share of the photo book market that industry analysts say is expected to grow to more than $1 billion by 2010.
“Given the strength of our U.S. sales and the growth of the U.S. photo book market, we
knew it was imperative to find a production partner that would be able to manufacture the
highest quality photo books, whatever the quantity,” said Joris Keijzer, CEO, Albumprinter. “The quality standards of Albumprinter have propelled us to prominence in the European photo book market, and we have those exact standards and goals for North America.”
Mr. Keijzer continued: “The performance and track record of Lightning Source, and the quality of the books they manufacture in the on-demand book printing market, are
unmatched. Lightning Source was a very easy choice for us. We are pleased to have them
as our North American partner for success.”
“We are delighted to work with Albumprinter, a leader in the photo book market,” said J. Kirby Best, President & CEO, Lightning Source. “Quality software offered through trusted retailers provides a consumer their first impression about photo books. Albumprinter provides a quality photo book creation experience of the highest standards, with dedication to quality and service, and the entire consumer experience. And, photo books fit perfectly into Lightning Source’s core color book manufacturing, which is built on solid business models and exceptional quality book manufacturing.”
The Lightning Source color book manufacturing facility uses proprietary systems and HP
Indigo press technology to manufacture brilliant one-off, offset-quality color books.
Lightning Source photo book solutions produce stunning graphics, vibrant colors and sharp
text – high quality, fast-turnaround solutions that the photo book industry demands.
Albumprinter offers a suite of award-winning, scaleable software products and accompanying program support that create a brand new “touch point” between retailer and consumer, and are designed to satisfy every conceivable business model that retailers and photo professionals employ. They include:
- New Desktop Editor v4.5, a “front end,” client-based, Vista®-compatible application
which is downloaded and installed to individual computers, for creating quality photo
books at home
- Shop & Management, which provides access to and management of customers’ order
status and information
- Print & Production Manager (APPM), a unique “back end” application for high-volume
photo book production
- New Browser Editor v1.0, a web-based layout-and-creation system featuring an autorecovery function so “in progress” design files aren’t lost due to internet disconnect
or computer crash
These Albumprinter products are being adopted by a growing number of retail photofinishers, photo specialty stores and other retailers looking to participate in the burgeoning market for consumer photo albums and other photo keepsakes.
About Lightning Source Inc.
Lightning Source Inc., a subsidiary of Ingram Industries Inc., provides a comprehensive suite
of demand-driven publishing solutions for publishers. The company is revolutionizing the
options available to the industry in the storage, management, and distribution of digital
content. Lightning Source stores books and other information electronically and delivers
them “on demand” in printed format in response to orders from booksellers, librarians, and
publishers. Lightning Source has printed over 40,000,000 books for over 4,500 publishers
around the world. For more information, visit our website at www.lightningsource.com
About Albumprinter B.V.
Founded in 2003, Amsterdam-based Albumprinter B.V. is Europe's leading provider of end-to-end photo book solutions. In 2006, Albumprinter opened offices in the United States and began signing contracts with some of the leading photo operations in North America. It is one of the first companies to offer retailers and internet companies complete turnkey solutions for the fast-growing photo book market. Albumprinter enables success for its business customers through its desktop and online photo book creation software, ongoing customer support, comprehensive marketing services, and complete printing and order fulfillment. In 2005 and 2006, PC Magazine selected Albumprinter as the #1 product for the creation of quality photo books. For more information, visit www.albumprintersoftware.com.