Company uses HP Indigo 10000 and 7600 Digital Presses to publish customized yearbooks

PALO ALTO, Calif. - HP today announced that Picaboo Yearbooks selected HP Indigo digital printing technology to create personalized, print-on-demand yearbooks for schools, organizations and clubs.

Picaboo Yearbooks, a division of premier photo book company, Picaboo, launched in September 2012. It aims to revolutionize the way yearbooks are produced and managed by using digital printing technology to shorten turnaround times, reduce upfront costs to schools, minimize waste as well as insert personalized pages. The company will work with print service providers (PSPs) in North America to manufacture yearbooks on HP Indigo 7600 and 10000 digital presses in 8.5 by 11 inch as well as 9 by 12 inch formats.

?With HP Indigo Digital Presses, yearbooks have limitless possibilities,? said Bryan Payne, president, Picaboo Yearbooks. ?Every book printed using HP technology can be different, incorporating students? individual memories, ensuring this is a relevant keepsake.?

Bringing to market the modern day yearbook

Traditionally, schools preorder hundreds of yearbooks, placing a financial burden and pressure on staff to meet sales numbers. If it undersells, schools can accrue debt and create waste with excess books. The typical yearbook printing system also restricts schools to preset submission schedules and production. Receiving the final books usually takes up to 12 weeks, causing schools to omit coverage of spring sports and key end-of-year events, including prom. 

Picaboo Yearbooks uses HP Indigo Digital Presses to overhaul the process, creating customizable yearbooks with no minimums or deadlines and a three week file-to-front door turnaround. Additionally, with no initial commitment, Picaboo Yearbooks opens up new markets in the industry, creating an opportunity for organizations, clubs, businesses and sports teams with limited budget to fund their own yearbook.

Through digital printing, every yearbook produced can be different, reflecting the memories that mean the most to each individual.  Picaboo Yearbooks streamlines the development process by providing a web-based application for easy yearbook editing as well as an online storefront. Using the application, each student has the option to customize his or her yearbook by adding pages filled with photos of personal experiences.

Choosing HP presses

By using the HP Indigo 10000 Digital Press, the first commercially available B2-format HP Indigo digital press, Picaboo Yearbooks? PSP partners can increase production and print more unique pages faster with a wider 29 inch sheet size. Both the HP Indigo 10000 and 7600 Digital Presses also hold seven ink stations, providing the widest digital color gamut for true-to-life images of indoor student portraits as well as outdoor sporting events.

In preparation for growth, Picaboo Yearbooks conducted product tests on the HP T300 Color Inkjet Web Press and is looking to incorporate the press in future production. The HP T300 Color Inkjet Web Press prints 75 million letter-sized four-color images per month at 400 feet per minute, which will allow Picaboo Yearbooks to print larger volumes while still maintaining full color and high quality.

Additional information about HP Indigo digital printing solutions is available at www.hp.com/go/HPIndigoPresses, on the HP Graphic Arts YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/hpgraphicarts, or through the HP Graphic Arts Twitter Feed, www.twitter.com/hpgraphicarts.