FOLIO ALBUMS RELIES ONEPSON TECHNOLOGY FORPROFESSIONAL PHOTOS

CASE STUDY

UK MANUFACTURER FOLIO ALBUMS RELIESON EPSON STYLUS PRO LARGE-FORMAT

�

Barnsley-based Folio Albums manufactures and supplies high quality fine art wedding and portrait albums for professional photographers

Background

Established in 2010 by wedding photographer Stewart Randall and his wife Julie, the company now employs twelve people and uses a combination of traditional methods and the latest materials, technology and techniques to produce high-quality keepsake albums.

Originally, the photography business supplied albums which were manufactured in New Zealand and Australia. “There was nothing of an equivalent quality available in the UK at the time and nobody could offer us the service we wanted,” explains Stewart.

Solution

Stewart and Julie began to look at producing the albums themselves. They set up a studio in their back garden and invested in their first Epson Stylus Pro 7900 large format printer, which gave them the ability to experiment with, and test, different fine art paper and inks. Once an album prototype had been produced, they showed it to other photographers and received such positive feedback that they decided to go ahead with the business. “We sold 100 albums in that first year,” says Stewart. “We are now producing 2,500 plus!”

Folio Albums has gradually expanded its operation and bases the whole production process in one building. “If we didn’t have all the kit under one roof we couldn’t produce each album in one streamlined process, it would be a strategic nightmare”, says Stewart. “Clients like the fact that all the work is done here and we have complete control from start to finish. They can call up anytime and we can give them an update on where we are with their job.”

Folio works directly with professional photographers and the company’s product range has been designed with simplicity in mind for photographers - the easy ordering process is via their website (www.folioalbums.com) which also offers some helpful tips on album design.

The leather-bound albums are 100% handmade and are very special as they lay flat with an almost invisible crease, so each image is on full view. Each album takes 15 days to complete and is quality checked at every stage of the production process, from the moment the files are received from the photographer to the album’s despatch.

Folio relies on Epson printers to reproduce the high quality photographs in the albums and currently owns six 24-inch Stylus Pro 7900 models and two 17-inch Stylus Pro 4900, all supplied by Epson reseller Digital

�

Folio Albums

Key Facts

Started with one Stylus Pro 7900

Now own six 24-inch Stylus Pro 7900 models and two 17-inch Stylus Pro 4900

Are able to produce 2,500+ wedding/portrait albums a year

“The investment in Epson technology has enabled Folio Albums to increase its range of services and products which has helped us attract a strong customer base and expand the business.”

Stewart Randall

Owner

2

Epson® is a registered trademark of Seiko Epson® Corporation. All other product names and other company names used herein arefor identification purposes only and may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Errors and omissionsexcepted, all specifications are subject to change without notice.

Photo Solutions.

“We looked at other printers but colour quality is of utmost importance to us and the Epson HDR (High Dynamic Range) inks sold it to us,” says Stewart. “The Epson inks produce sharper quality images and offer better adhesion. This gives photographers’ work a quality matte finish with a vibrancy and clarity that lasts. Traditional photographic albums just can’t match this.”

With print speeds up to 40 sqm/hour the Stylus Pro range of printers offers an ideal combination of accurate colour reproduction with unbeatable productivity. They have been designed to help professional photographers and the fine art market create true-to-life prints at high speed.

The printers offer lab-quality prints and achieve the widest colour gamut available with consistently smooth gradations and also offer a superior range of natural looking grey tones. Three densities of black, comprising a standard photo or matte black (selected automatically depending on the media), plus a light black and light light black, create neutral black and white prints with no colour cast and perfect tonal range.

Using Epson’s 11-colour Ultrachrome HDR inkset in combination with Epson’s Advanced TFP print head, Folio prints the photographs onto specifically selected media to produce the best results with Epson inks. The Epson printers form part of Folio’s large production facility alongside specialist finishing equipment.

“Customer service is extremely important to us and we work very closely with all our clients to deliver high quality albums that will last a lifetime and beyond,” says Stewart.

Green Credentials

Stewart Randall is aware of the impact the company has on the environment and says his goal is “to be the greenest photographic album manufacturer in the UK.” Paper is recycled or bought from sustainable sources wherever possible and Folio use environmentally friendly packaging including natural, unbleached cotton bags and recycled keepsake boxes. The leather is sourced from UK manufacturers and the company uses as many local suppliers as it can, and shipping is carbon neutral. Also the Epson pigment ink-based process uses less toxic chemicals than traditional photographic prints and produces less waste.

UK Tour

Folio Albums has taken to the road on a tour of several major cities, with support from suppliers such as DPS, Epson and Olympus. “Trade shows and exhibitions were expensive and not what we wanted to do at the time, so we decided to get a VW camper van and took it on the road,” says Stewart.

It’s proved a success and it is an ideal opportunity for Folio to meet up with existing clients, as well as to present its albums to prospective customers. “It’s more of a social event than a trade show,” says Stewart. “It gives us the perfect platform to show photographers how their work can be presented and gives them the opportunity to see the high quality

http://www.folioalbums.com/

http://www.epson.co.uk/

�

3

Epson® is a registered trademark of Seiko Epson® Corporation. All other product names and other company names used herein arefor identification purposes only and may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Errors and omissionsexcepted, all specifications are subject to change without notice.

of the finished albums first hand. It’s certainly raised the company profile and now we are planning a European tour.”

4

Epson® is a registered trademark of Seiko Epson® Corporation. All other product names and other company names used herein arefor identification purposes only and may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Errors and omissionsexcepted, all specifications are subject to change without notice.