Seattle, WA -- RPI, a leader in automated, mass-customized manufacturing and fulfillment for the consumer print-on-demand market, today announced its selection as the fulfillment partner for the industry’s first customizable photo book with wide audience appeal.  “The Obama Time Capsule: World History in the Making,” by Rick Smolan and Jennifer Erwitt of Against All Odds Productions (best known for their Day in the Life and America 24/7 series), is a historic 200 page book showcasing one of the most important presidential races in American history.  Thanks to RPI’s advanced digital photo printing capabilities utilizing groundbreaking technology developed by HP, each copy of the book will be unique, personalized to include the purchaser’s thoughts, stories and photos.

“Just a few years ago, a print-on-demand book would have been cost-prohibitive for the average consumer,” Smolan noted.  “With RPI’s advanced printing capabilities, we can now offer a photo book that not only documents the 2008 election campaign through President Obama’s first 100 days in office – it also seamlessly merges each book buyer’s personal experiences into this timeframe.  RPI’s well-known dedication to production quality ensures that each book becomes an affordable and beautiful time capsule of a landmark event in American history.”
 
Smolan, who specializes in the design and execution of large-scale global projects that combine compelling storytelling with state-of-the-art technology, explained that “The Obama Time Capsule” is an important test of what could become the next major trend in coffee table and art books: personalization.  “When a customer orders our book via Amazon.com, the exclusive vendor, they simply answer a few questions and securely upload personal photos.  In just a few minutes, these are seamlessly woven into “The Obama Time Capsule” layouts.”

RPI has been a significant industry trailblazer in manufacturing customized photo books, being the first to hit the three million production mark earlier this year.  Its online business-to-consumer partners, such as Snapfish by HP, represent more than half of the total photo products market.

“RPI continues to lead the industry in its creation of unique partner programs and products,” said Rick Bellamy, CEO of RPI.  “HP is the lead sponsor of this unique book project and, as the largest printer on the West Coast using HP Indigo digital presses, we are proud to play a significant role in its creation.  “The Obama Time Capsule” is a timely concept and one ideally suited to our core competency.  We know that purchasers of this customized photo book will enjoy it for many years to come.”

“The Obama Time Capsule: World History in the Making” debuts with an initial price of $34.95.  Those interested in learning more can visit the publisher’s website at www.TheObamaTimeCapsule.com.