Our Print.com love story ❤️

The power of Co-Creation: How Print.com was built by the community

At Print.com, we believe the best ideas don’t happen in isolation. They take flight when passionate people come together. That’s why, from the very beginning, we embraced the power of co-creation, bringing the print community into the conversation and shaping our platform alongside the professionals who would use it. But the way we discovered this approach?

A domain name that sparked a movement

In the autumn of 2017, our founder, Marco, acquired the domain name Print.com. At the time, he wasn’t focused on print at all—he and his team were deep in developing a personal finance app. But when news of the domain purchase reached a blogger in the United States, things took an unexpected turn.

Suddenly, the phone in Deventer was ringing off the hook. Was Marco launching a game-changing print business? What big plans did he have for the domain?

The truth? We didn’t have a product. We didn’t even have an idea for one. But we knew one thing: when a wave like this comes along, you don’t just stand on the shore, you grab a board and surf it. So, we hit pause on the finance app and put up a simple website instead. Nothing fancy, just a registration form inviting the print community to share their ideas with us.

More than a marketing play

At the time, we weren’t thinking about marketing. We just thought it was smart business to ask the people who knew print best what they actually needed. And then, the responses flooded in. Hundreds of emails packed with ideas, suggestions, and one resounding message: “This is brilliant, but we want more! We’ve got thoughts on how you should shape this business, and we’d love to share them.”

That’s when the idea crept in. What if we didn’t just create a product, but built the entire business model alongside the people it was meant for? How about we co-create?

Locking ourselves in a studio

On Valentine’s Day 2018, we gathered a group of designers, marketers, and print professionals and locked ourselves in a painting studio for two days. With the goal of sketching out the blueprint for Print.com.

The result was a vision for something entirely new: an exclusive print platform designed for professionals. A place where agencies brands and print resellers could access hundreds of premium print products and finishes, all within a beautifully simple interface.

The positivity and insights from those two days gave us the confidence that we weren’t just onto something—we were onto something that the print industry actually needed.

More than a business, a community

What started as a brainstorming session turned into something much bigger. The professionals who helped shape Print.com in those early days became our sounding board for new ideas. Even now, we continue to work closely with our community, involving them in key decisions and product development.

Co-creation isn’t just how we started; it’s how we continue to grow. Print.com exists because of the designers, marketers, and print professionals who believe in the power of print and want a platform that truly understands their needs.

Your local community

Want to become part of our new UK Print.com community? Share with us your ideas and needs? Become part of our sounding board?

Our Manchester based team have a combined experience exceeding 40 years in the print industry. They know the ins and out, highs and lows. They are ready to assist, co-create and inspire. So, tell us: what does your perfect print journey look like? Book a free test flight and discover how our first-class service got its name.

0800 098 1026 | hello@print.com