The Harvard Book Store, located in Cambridge, MA, provides customers the opportunity to print out copies of their own books or previously published titles via its Espresso Book Machine. The machine, which has been nicknamed 'Paige M. Gutenborg,' is a digital press that prints from print-ready PDF copies of the book and can, reportedly, print a book in four minutes.
According to the Harvard Book Store site, the paperback books printed by the Espresso Book Machine are all library-quality, printed with acid-free ink. Because the machine offers such great printing quality, you wouldn't be able to tell a book printed via the Espresso Book Machine from a book printed through a major publishing house.
Further, there is no minimum requirement as to the number of books you need to print for any given order. This means self-publishers can print as many or as little copies as they need without having to shell out a ton of cash.
On-Demand Literary Printing
Harvard Book Store Espresso Book Machine Prints in Four Minutes
Trend Themes
1. On-demand Printing - The Espresso Book Machine at Harvard Book Store demonstrates the trend of on-demand printing, providing an opportunity for businesses to offer convenient and efficient printing services.
2. Self-publishing - The availability of the Espresso Book Machine enables self-publishers to print books in any quantity, highlighting the trend of self-publishing and presenting a disruptive innovation opportunity for the publishing industry.
3. High-quality Printing - The Espresso Book Machine's ability to print library-quality books using acid-free ink showcases the trend of high-quality printing, presenting an opportunity for printing businesses to focus on delivering superior printing services.
Industry Implications
1. Printing Services - The on-demand printing trend facilitated by the Espresso Book Machine offers disruptive innovation opportunities for print shops and companies in the printing services industry.
2. Publishing - The rise of self-publishing, supported by the availability of the Espresso Book Machine, presents a disruptive innovation opportunity for the publishing industry to adapt to changing reader preferences.
3. Technology - The advancement of digital printing technology, exemplified by the Espresso Book Machine, creates opportunities for innovation and growth in the technology industry, specifically in the field of on-demand printing solutions.