Revolutionizing Efficiency: Walsworth’s Print-on-Demand Process

In today’s fast-paced publishing world, meeting tight deadlines and delivering customized products is crucial. At Walsworth, we’ve streamlined our book production process with state-of-the-art technology that enables us to deliver high-quality printed materials – on time, every time – through our efficient Print-on-Demand (POD) process.

What is Print-on-Demand?

Print-on-demand is a modern production method that allows us to print only what is needed, precisely when it’s needed. Whether it’s a single perfect-bound book or personalized printed materials, the POD process ensures Walsworth delivers exactly what our customers want. 

How Print-on-Demand Works

Our Print-on-demand workflow combines innovative technology, custom internal software and sophisticated production equipment, allowing us to streamline book production from start to finish. Our proprietary software ensures your order moves smoothly from printing to shipping, with real-time tracking and updates, giving you full visibility and control throughout the process. This integration guarantees consistent quality, enhanced precision and unparalleled efficiency. Here is how the process works:

1. Order Integration: An order comes directly into our system through seamless integration with the customer’s systems, such as ordering portals or automated workflows, ensuring simple file handoff. Once your file is uploaded, our system automatically groups it with similar orders, maximizing efficiency and reducing costs, ensuring that your project is completed quickly and cost-effectively.
2. Gang Runs: Orders are grouped into gang runs, which are scheduled every 24 hours, operating continuously seven days a week. 
3. Printing: Once a gang run is scheduled, it is printed within 24 hours. 
4. Bindery and Shipping Preparation: After printing, the gang moves into the bindery process, then into shipping preparation by day two or three. 
5. Shipping: The completed job is shipped and out the door on day three or four, ensuring timely delivery to the customer. 

By leveraging automation and precise scheduling, we optimize efficiency and maintain consistent quality, enabling faster turnarounds without compromising results.

The Benefits at a Glance

• Efficiency: Our automated POD process minimizes turnaround times, ensuring your project is produced and shipped faster than ever. You can rely on us to meet tight deadlines without sacrificing quality.
• Flexibility: Whether you need one book or millions, our POD service is perfect for both small-batch orders and large-scale production, offering you the flexibility to scale as needed.
• Customization: For personalized books tailored to a specific audience, our POD service allows you to create exactly what you need, with customized features like variable data and personalized messages that make each piece unique.
• Hands-off Integration: Our seamless integration with your existing systems means minimal effort on your part. Just upload your files, and we handle the rest – faster and more efficiently than traditional methods.

Walsworth’s Journey into Print-on-Demand

In January 2025, we expanded our capabilities by acquiring Documation and combining their cutting-edge POD technology with our own expertise. This merger allows us to offer even more advanced printing solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers, from small runs to large-scale productions.

How Walsworth Revolutionized its Print Capabilities

Documation, now Walsworth – Eau Claire, was formerly an in-plant printing operation owned by a seminar organization, branching off independently in 1999. In 2012, the company embarked on a digital transformation to become a true on-demand printer, prioritizing flexibility, scalability and waste reduction while focusing primarily on short-run books. To meet this goal, the location invested in several inkjet presses, enabling them to efficiently produce short-run books with exceptional quality.

In 2017, Documation took another significant step forward by installing two Smart Binding systems. These systems transformed their ability to handle book-of-one orders with unparalleled efficiency. Unlike traditional methods, this technology allows for fully automated production, integrating all steps from press to binding in one sweep. As a result, Documation scaled production from approximately 200 books per day to 6,000 books per day, drastically improving productivity and revenue. 

Explore the Possibilities With Walsworth’s Print-on-Demand Capabilities

Ready to see how our Print-on-Demand solutions can streamline your project and cut costs? Contact us today to discuss how we can make your next book, catalog or magazine print job more efficient and cost-effective.

* This article was developed with assistance from OpenAI’s GPT-4 large language AI model.