PHOTOWEB, a pioneer of online photo printing in France, is shifting towards a more virtuous production model. This transition is highlighted by a partnership agreement with KNIS, making PHOTOWEB the first user worldwide of the Belharra printer unveiled at DRUPA 2024. A revolution in photo printing is underway.

Aubagne, Grenoble, Düsseldorf: Printing photos, photo books, or any personalized objects offers numerous possibilities to immortalize good moments.

Founded in 2000, PHOTOWEB was the pioneering company in online photo printing in France. Located in the Grenoble area, in the heart of the Alps, 99.75% of the brand's products are printed and crafted in its workshops. Since February 2024, the company has been transforming to become a more committed, transparent, and sustainable model. As proof of this innovative capacity, PHOTOWEB is moving towards a more virtuous economic model, from creation to production and distribution, with a focus on eco-responsibility in response to the current climate emergency.

With a significant portion of its photo prints using silver halide process, a major contributor to its carbon footprint, PHOTOWEB has the responsibility to innovate with alternative printing technologies.

Leveraging over 30 years of experience in inkjet printing for industrial applications, KNIS, a subsidiary of KYOCERA, has developed Belharra, "the new wave of inkjet photo printers" which is the most efficient online printing solution for reducing the environmental impact of photo printing while maintaining economic viability. This new machine, soon available on the market, incorporates cutting-edge technologies, including the latest generation of KYOCERA's piezoelectric Drop On Demand printheads.

With a duty cycle of 10 to 40 million photos (10x15 cm) per year, this printer can meet the needs of centralized and industrial printing with quality comparable to silver halide printing. Most importantly, Belharra is a more environmentally friendly solution, using water-based inks, with a reduced footprint and lower energy consumption.

"The development of new inkjet solutions at KNIS is driven primarily by the needs of a targeted market and the demands of its leading actors. PHOTOWEB and KNIS are two pioneering companies ready to address the current and future challenges of the photo market, seeking differentiation. We are very happy and proud of this partnership, with a lot of exchanges, ideas, and challenges. During the installation, scheduled for the last quarter of 2024, we will integrate Belharra into PHOTOWEB's existing production tools. We look forward to contributing, at our level, to making this industry more efficient and virtuous," said Jean-Marc Pasturel, Head of Sales & Marketing at KNIS.

For Laurent Boidi, CEO of PHOTOWEB, "We have considered the impact we want to have and the one we no longer want to participate in. Our photos are a testament to an era, and we want to help our customers create more sustainable memories. Therefore, we have started a company transformation process that involves reviewing our production processes to make them more virtuous. It is a strategic choice to find a partner to develop a more respectful printing machine, and we are very proud and enthusiastic to work alongside KNIS to implement and deploy this new process."