Blurb
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Blurb does
Blurb is a self-publishing and print-on-demand platform founded in 2005 and headquartered in San Francisco, operating as a subsidiary of RPI Print, Inc. The company enables individuals, photographers, authors, artists, and businesses to design, print, and distribute custom books and related print products without inventory risk. Its product portfolio spans photo books (including premium layflat formats), paperback and hardcover trade books, magazines, notebooks and journals, and gallery-quality wall art (canvas, metal, acrylic), with unit pricing ranging from $3.99 for an entry-level paperback to $229 for premium acrylic prints.
The platform combines in-house printing operations with a suite of free design tools: BookWright desktop software, BookWright Online (browser-based), a PDF-to-Book uploader, and dedicated plugins for Adobe InDesign, Lightroom Classic, and Photoshop. Auto-image retouching is delivered through a third-party integration with Perfectly Clear by EyeQ. Distribution is multi-channel and integrated through a single dashboard: authors can sell through Blurb's own Bookstore marketplace, list on Amazon, or route through Ingram's global wholesale network, with print-on-demand fulfillment handled by Blurb.
The business model is predominantly transactional, with per-unit pricing scaled by format, paper, and volume, supplemented by bulk discounts (10-25% at 10-99 copies), enterprise Large Order Services (100+ copies with offset printing at 750+), and a Print API for B2B integration. GTM combines product-led self-serve (design tools, 70+ country shipping, localized storefronts across 11 markets), enterprise field sales for bulk orders, and channel partnerships via Amazon and Ingram. Customer segments span photographers, self-publishing authors, businesses, artists/designers, and personal/consumer users, served through a hybrid segmentation approach.
Blurb firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Blurb
- Legal name
- Blurb, Inc.
- Website
- https://blurb.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Blurb industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Print-on-Demand Book Printing
- NAICS
- Book Publishers (513130), Books Printing (323117), Periodical Publishers (513120), Support Activities for Printing (323120)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Book Printing (2732), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cover Design, Illustration & Book Interior Design Services (MPAJAJAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Digital Printing (Short-Run, Variable Data) (MPAJALAC)
Keywords
Where Blurb is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Blurb business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Print-on-Demand Book Sales: Customers design and order custom books printed on-demand. Pricing varies by format (photo books, trade books, magazines, notebooks), size, paper type, cover style, and page count. No minimum order quantities required. Volume discounts start at 10+ copies.
- Wall Art Print Sales: Custom wall art in canvas, acrylic, and metal formats printed on-demand. Prices range from $65-$229 depending on size and material.
- Blurb Bookstore Sales Commission: Authors can list books for sale in the Blurb Bookstore. Blurb handles printing, shipping, and fulfillment when customers order. No commission mentioned for print sales.
- Large Order/Bulk Printing Services: Customized support, API tools, bulk discounts, and offset printing for orders of 750+ copies for better economies of scale.
- Distribution through Amazon and Ingram: Authors can set up books for sale on Amazon or through Ingram's global distribution network. When ordered, Blurb prints and ships directly to the customer.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Photo Books starting at $12 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Paperback & Hardcover Books starting at $3.99 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Magazines starting at $7 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Notebooks & Journals starting at $14.67 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Wall Art starting at $65 |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Large Order Services |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Blurb product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Blurb operates a print-on-demand self-publishing platform that lets individuals and businesses design, print, and distribute custom books and wall art. Core offerings include photo books, layflat books, paperback/hardcover trade books, magazines, notebooks/journals, and wall art, supported by free design tools (BookWright desktop and online, PDF Uploader, Adobe plugins) and distribution through the Blurb Bookstore, Amazon, and Ingram. All printing is performed in-house with FSC-certified papers, and an enterprise Print API plus Large Order Services handle bulk and custom business needs.
Product overview
Blurb is a self-publishing and print-on-demand platform that provides custom book printing services and tools for photographers, businesses, and creative storytellers. The platform operates as a unified ecosystem combining a comprehensive product portfolio with design software and distribution channels. Core products include Photo Books (premium format available in multiple sizes with photo-quality papers and cover types), Layflat Photo Books (for panoramic photography with flat-opening binding), Paperback and Hardcover Books (trade book format with ISBN for distribution), Magazines (newsstand-quality perfect-bound publications), Notebooks and Journals (customizable with multiple paper layouts), and Wall Art (gallery-quality canvas, metal, and acrylic prints). Design tools include BookWright (free desktop software), BookWright Online (browser-based creation), PDF Uploader (for existing PDFs), and Adobe plugins for InDesign, Lightroom Classic, and Photoshop. Distribution is handled through Blurb's own Bookstore, Amazon, and Ingram, with Large Order Services and Print API Software for enterprise and bulk needs. All printing is done in-house with 20 years of expertise, using Forest Stewardship Council-certified papers with sustainable practices.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Photo Books
Quantifiable outcome
- Print and bind books in 4-5 business days
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Blurb
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Blurb technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration11 records
Feature8 records
Blurb partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- AmazoncoreAmazon marketplace integration allowing authors to list and sell books through Amazon's platform. When orders are placed, Blurb handles printing and direct shipping to customers. Authors manage listings through a single Blurb dashboard.
- IngramcoreIngram distribution partnership provides access to global wholesale and retail distribution network. Authors can make books available through Ingram for bookstore and library availability.
- AdobecoreAdobe plugin integrations for InDesign (professional layouts), Lightroom Classic (photo book module), and Photoshop (wall art). Free plugins enable seamless workflow between Adobe creative tools and Blurb printing platform.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Blurb competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Lulu: Lulu operates a directly comparable self-publishing and print-on-demand platform with bookstore-quality books, an in-house network of printers, global distribution, and design tools — competing head-to-head with Blurb for the same authors, photographers, and small-publisher customers.
- BookBaby: BookBaby is a self-publishing services platform offering book printing, ISBN, distribution, and editing/design packages for independent authors — directly overlapping with Blurb's trade book and distribution offering.
- IngramSpark: IngramSpark is Ingram Content Group's print-on-demand platform providing global distribution and bookstore-quality book printing. Blurb integrates with Ingram as a partner but IngramSpark also competes directly for the same author self-publishing demand.
- Mixbook: Mixbook is a photo book and print-on-demand platform focused on consumer and SMB photo products with design tools and templates — overlapping Blurb's Photo Books and consumer-use-case customer base.
Broad incumbents
- Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing: Amazon KDP is the dominant self-publishing and print-on-demand platform, bundled with Amazon's marketplace. While broader in scope than Blurb (also handling eBooks), it directly competes for the same POD book authors and benefits from Amazon's distribution scale.
- Shutterfly: Shutterfly is a large, broad photo printing and personalized products platform offering photo books, cards, and home décor — competing with Blurb on photo books, wall art, and consumer gifting use cases with much larger scale.
Emerging players
- Artifact Uprising: Artifact Uprising is a premium photo book and print brand focused on high-quality keepsake products for photographers and consumers — overlapping Blurb's premium Photo Books and Layflat segment with a more boutique positioning.
- Mpix: Mpix is a professional photo printing service offering photo books, prints, and wall décor aimed at professional photographers — competing with Blurb for the same photographer persona, especially via its MpixPro pro channel.
- Printful: Printful is a print-on-demand platform focused on apparel and merchandise for e-commerce brands, with adjacent book and catalog printing — overlapping with Blurb's catalog and Large Order Services B2B use cases in API-driven POD fulfillment.
Others
- MagCloud (HP): MagCloud was acquired by Blurb in 2014, so it operates within Blurb today. Historically it was a HP-run magazine print-on-demand platform and serves as a thematic reference point for Blurb's magazine distribution roots.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Blurb social profiles
Digital presenceBlurb financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Blurb leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Blurb funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds6 records
Investors4 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Blurb M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A2 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Blurb
What does Blurb do?
Blurb operates a print-on-demand self-publishing platform that lets individuals and businesses design, print, and distribute custom books and wall art. Core offerings include photo books, layflat books, paperback/hardcover trade books, magazines, notebooks/journals, and wall art, supported by free design tools (BookWright desktop and online, PDF Uploader, Adobe plugins) and distribution through the Blurb Bookstore, Amazon, and Ingram. All printing is performed in-house with FSC-certified papers, and an enterprise Print API plus Large Order Services handle bulk and custom business needs.
Is Blurb a public or private company?
Blurb is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Blurb founded?
Blurb was founded in 2006. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Blurb based?
Blurb is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Blurb make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Print-on-Demand Book Sales are the primary driver. The others are wall Art Print Sales, blurb Bookstore Sales Commission, large Order/Bulk Printing Services and distribution through Amazon and Ingram.
Who are Blurb's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Lulu, BookBaby, IngramSpark and Mixbook. Broad incumbents are Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing and Shutterfly. Emerging players are Artifact Uprising, Mpix and Printful. MagCloud (HP) is listed as an others.
Does Blurb have an API?
Yes. Blurb offers API tools for custom integration and bulk orders. The API enables scaling businesses with customized product requirements and large order volumes. It provides the highest level of flexibility for custom API options.
What industry is Blurb in?
Blurb's product category is Print-on-Demand Book Printing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAJAH, Cover Design, Illustration & Book Interior Design Services, with a secondary code of MPAJALAC, Digital Printing (Short-Run, Variable Data). Its NAICS code is 513130 and its SIC code is 2731.