2M Print’s move into photo products now brings in half its turnover. It has now semi-automated its binding operations with Fastbind kit from Ashgate Automation.

Starting a new printing business as the recession started to bite in 2008 was a brave move. But Mike and Mark Hipperson saw an opportunity to serve clients who were requiring an on-demand print service with commercial quality. So they set up 2M Print in Tavenham, on the outskirts of Norwich, starting with an HP Indigo 5500 sheet fed digital colour press. Today they employ 13 people.

‘Although we came from a litho background we saw our future in digital printing,’ said Mark Hipperson. ‘We knew what our customers required; they needed the flexibility that we could offer with short run, on-demand printing, greetings cards, book production and personalisation.

A key area of development was towards photo publishing products, offering a niche product range with applications in the consumer, corporate and educational markets. The service is offered through a dedicated website, www.2mphotobooks.com. ‘Last year we became a partner in the Taopix Photobook software solution,’ says Mr Hipperson. ‘This has given us a major push working closely with partners and affiliates. It has also given us the ability to develop an affiliate licence partnership whereby we build an online ordering solution for them with products branded to their requirements, but produced by us.’

Photobook offers end user customers a range of products defined by 2M Print, in a downloadable application for Macintosh or Windows computers. This can then be run offline by the customer before uploading the completed (and preflighted) item, complete with photographs, to 2M’s site. The software allows branding by the print user: 2M calls its own consumer service Smiley Hippo, but will add customers’ own branding through its affiliate programme.

Taopix has recently released new software called Portfolio, which 2M is due to adopt in the next month or so. This has a more sophisticated type engine also supports links to social media such as FaceBook and Flickr. The service has proved so successful that the company put in a second HP Indigo 5500, specifically for photobooks. Both are configured for up to seven colours. Covers are printed on large format Epson Stylus Pro inkjets, either a 9800 or a 9890, then either film laminated or UV coated with a newly installed Duplo coater. 2M Print is currently handling in excess of 1500 books per week. Personalised calendars can also be ordered online for HP Indigo printing.

Sales success

Photobook production is driving the expansion of our business and now accounts for 50% of our turnover,’ says Mark Hipperson. ‘We are processing several thousand orders a month, which are mostly for one or a few books. It’s been a challenge because we started in a recession but we always knew the potential was there. Orders may be small in volume but there are a lot of them. Now we are motoring and we’ve got some big expansion plans for the future.’

To handle the photobook finishing, 2M Print initially installed the Fastbind Elite case binding system, together with a Fastbind Fotomount ‘lay flat’ binder, supplied by UK agent Ashgate Automation. Recently this has been expanded into semi-automation, with the purchase of the large format FotoMount H46Pro electrically operated binder and a BooXter perfect binder.

‘We’ve known Ashgate for over eight years and have a good relationship with them,’ says Mr Hipperson. ‘Their Fastbind range suits our current requirements and has given us the tools to produce high quality albums and hard back books. The company gives distinctive names to its various photobook styles, rather than technical descriptions. Its Classic range covers coffee table style books that are produced using the Fastbind Elite perfect binder and the CaseMatic hard cover maker.

The BooXter equipment is used to produce the Majestic range of albums, which incorporates the hinged binding, offering a panoramic spread into a spine. 


Gallery Albums are produced on the FotoMount F46e, offering layflat albums, tailor made in a range of sizes up to 18 inches square. This larger format size is popular for wedding albums, which are available in various finishes which includes fully personalised covers or full leather finish.

‘A new route to market is that our products now feature on numerous social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook,’ says Mark. Taopix has recently introduced social media links with its latest Portfolio software, which offers new features like Tell A Friend.

‘We are constantly spreading the word that whether you are a consumer, a school, a company, a retail partner or affiliate, we can supply you with customised photobooks, albums, and tender bid publications or short run heritage hardback books.’

Contact: www.ashgate.co.uk and www.taopix.com and www.2mphotobooks.com