It’s the Most Wonderful Time of The Year…for Photo Publishing

Written by Brian Segnit
Photo Marketing Manager
Xerox Corporation
I can hear it now, Andy Williams singing those famous lyrics, “It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!” The holiday season is a busy time for both consumers and businesses. As consumers, many of you are preparing your holiday greeting cards, photo book gifts, etc. As businesses, you may be printing these types of applications as your read this.
For those in the retail or print industry, you know the greeting card market has changed dramatically over the past few years – opening new opportunities and revenues.
A great example is SendOutCards who are dedicated to “changing lives, one card at a time.” Using an easy online ordering process, customers select a card, upload a photo, type a message, and click send. The company prints, stuffs, stamps, and mails the resulting personalized greeting card the next day—all for less than the average price of a retail card.
For customers, it’s a simple process. For SendOutCards, it’s a huge business success. SendOutCards uses six Xerox iGen Production Presses using XMPie software to print their greeting cards.  Using an automated process they run production with just one operator for all six presses, with each iGen producing 80 full-bleed cards per minute by maximizing the large iGen 14.33 x 26 in. sheet size. “Beyond just volume, the iGens have also given us substrate latitude, phenomenal color, and great image permanence,” reports Steve Diamond, SendOutCards Operations Manager.
Steve’s team at SendOutCards produces about one million cards per month under normal conditions—and nearly 700,000 cards per day during its busiest seasons. “It doesn’t matter how many cards we’re running, each customer expects the highest quality on each card,” says Diamond. “We can count on our iGens to deliver.  A business can upload its mailing list, choose card options, schedule mailings for different events, and then we do the rest,” says Diamond.  More than 70% of the cards produced include a customer-generated photo. “Photos add to the uniqueness of our cards, and to their personal impact. Because the iGen handles digital images so well, our customers are super pleased with the results”, says Diamond.
Steve has posted on YouTube a video tour of his operation that I love, you can view it at:  www.xrx.sm/Drc
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aMilzdvZt4&feature=youtu.be[/youtube]