Strategies for Print-on-Demand Success

It would be hard to argue that print-on-demand (POD) is new. It has been part of the fabric of the printing industry for a number of years now. The question, then, isn’t whether a print shop is aware of POD and customization, but whether or not they are offering it. And if they are, are they offering what customers actually want?

The space is changing, and what counted as cutting-edge offerings a few years ago are just today’s cost of doing business for many. And it isn’t slowing down.

Lisa Cross, principal analyst at Alliance Insights, explains, “Print-on-demand isn’t new, but what’s changing is the level of demand for it. Today’s print buyers expect faster turnaround, seamless online ordering, and personalization, making POD a core operating model rather than a niche capability.”

In fact, according to the 2026 Print Buyers Survey that Alliance Insights recently released, brands and buyers listed these as extremely or very important when they are making decisions about who to give their business to.

Personalization and online ordering capabilities top that list by a pretty healthy margin, making it something every commercial printer — regardless of size or application mix — should give a hard look.

Print-on-Demand Success

Statistics, however, only tell part of the story. Cedar Graphics, based in Hiawatha, Iowa, started investing in the technology 15 years ago, “largely because customer demand was clearly moving in that direction,” Justin McDonald, sales and marketing director for the company, says.

“More customers wanted shorter runs, faster turns, less warehousing, less obsolete inventory, and more flexibility,” he continues. “Instead of printing large quantities and hoping they used everything before something changed, they wanted to order what they needed, when they needed it. This was driven by the need for personalization and rapidly changing legal requirements requiring regular updating of materials. It also became clear that POD fit very naturally with the kind of work we were already doing — especially programs involving versioning, fulfillment, repeat ordering, and variable data. It was a way to better serve customers while creating a more efficient and responsive workflow for both sides.”

Another company that made investments in the technology is Pennsauken, New Jersey-based BookBaby and OnPress Book Printing, both owned by parent company Disc Makers.

BookBaby features books on its website that are available on-demand with the click of a button. | Credit: BookBaby

“Our parent company Disc Makers has been in business for 80 years providing short-run media manufacturing on-demand for musicians and record labels,” Jim Foley, company president, explains.

“We already had a strong repeatable success formula for on-demand short-run manufacturing when we entered the POD book printing business 15 years ago. The decision to enter the POD book printing business was driven by a simple market reality: More customers wanted the ability to publish professionally without taking on the risk of large print runs, warehousing, and inventory management. POD opened the door for more authors and publishers to get to market faster, test demand, and preserve cash while still producing books at a professional standard. We saw an opportunity to transfer the repeatable formula that drove our success in music manufacturing into the emerging POD book printing space,” he says.

In both cases, personalization plays a big role in POD offerings, given both the nature of the platforms and the power of modern digital presses to economically produce runs of one.

McDonald notes, “In some cases, that means full variable data, such as names, offers, locations, or images changing from piece to piece. In other cases, it may be more programmatic, like store-specific signage, franchise materials, event-based collateral, regional versions, or customer-specific kits.”

For BookBaby, Foley says, the customization is a bit more nuanced. “In trade books, customization is often title-specific metadata, trim sizes, binding choices, and cover treatments. In other categories, such as educational, event-based, or organizational printing, personalization can extend further into versioning, short-run variations, or market-specific editions.”

And these two printers aren’t alone, as print service providers (PSPs) across every segment and category are seeing this same rise in demand for more customized print options.

“As the Amazon effect reshapes purchasing expectations, print buyers increasingly demand faster turnaround, self-service ordering, and real-time access — key drivers behind the continued rise of print on demand,” Cross notes.

What this means for the average PSP is that opportunity is out there. Shops not embracing online portals, POD, and customization are going to see business go to those who do. It’s no longer a nice perk to differentiate the business — it’s a necessity to keep the business coming.

“POD by itself is no longer enough to differentiate a printer, because many companies now offer some version of it,” McDonald says. “What sets you apart is how well you do it. Quality, consistency, customer support, workflow reliability, and the ability to handle a broad range of applications are what matter. If you want to be successful in POD you have to excel at every step of the value chain from marketing and customer acquisition, through production and delivery.”

Practical POD Tips

It’s one thing to set up an online ordering portal for customers to upload and track files. It’s another to have a full-fledged POD platform that flows from order entry all the way to finished delivery. Workflow, both Foley and McDonald stress, is a critical component.

“Once your front-end systems, file prep, and production workflow are aligned, it becomes much easier to economically produce one version, 10 versions, or highly targeted small runs,” McDonald says.

Foley explains that his company usually builds the job so the customer benefits from the customization without added complexity.

“That might involve using a Web-to-print portal, structured templates, approved brand assets, and a production workflow that allows versions to be created accurately and efficiently,” he says. “The key is making personalization scalable while still maintaining quality control and brand consistency. We utilize a combination of online Web-to print portals to allow real-time personalization as well as offline programming for complex large variable runs. “

On the flip side, both McDonald and Foley note that building that workflow was one of the biggest challenges to building a successful POD business.

“Like most things in print, the biggest challenges were not just about equipment — they were about workflow, expectations, and consistency,” Foley says. “POD sounds simple, but to do it well you need the right structure around file preparation, proofing, pricing, order intake, version control, and fulfillment.”

McDonald notes a similar sentiment, adding that efficiency at low volumes without sacrificing quality is key and requires discipline.

For those that push through those challenges, the benefits are numerous. Just a few that McDonald and Foley listed are things such as access to a larger customer base, many of whom would likely never commit to a longer print run to begin with; more repeat engagement as customers come back for re-orders and additional units; the chance to build stronger relationships with customers based on what they need, rather than just engaging on a transactional level; and the ability to cross-sell into other applications and verticals that might be difficult to penetrate as one massive job, but might be feasible taking on small jobs and building from there.

POD and full customized work also doesn’t have to be all or nothing. For those operations looking to move from just taking online orders to more of a portal or POD format, McDonald notes, “My advice would be to think beyond the press and focus on the workflow. The opportunity is real, but the success of POD depends heavily on how well you can handle intake, version control, proofing, pricing, fulfillment, and repeatability. I would also recommend starting with customers or programs that are already a natural fit — accounts with short runs, repeat orders, multiple versions, multiple locations, or personalization needs. That lets you build experience and refine the process before scaling further. Finally, do not undersell the value. POD is not just ‘small-run print.’ When done well, it solves real business problems for customers.”

With a modern digital press, the right workflow, and a team who understands the process, POD can be a lucrative way to grow the business. It offers the business a way to capture new customers, take a larger share of existing customer work, and build long-term and recurring relationships that can help balance the overall workload. In short, print-on-demand and customization are powerful tools commercial printers need to start getting more serious about.

“Don’t think of POD as just a machine purchase. It’s a workflow strategy,” Foley concludes. “Success depends on how well your estimating, prepress, production, finishing, and customer communication all work together.”