What Smartpress does

Smartpress is a privately held online commercial printing services company headquartered in Chanhassen, Minnesota, operating as a subsidiary of The Bernard Group. The company provides fully customizable premium print products — including booklets, brochures, postcards, business cards, catalogs, hardcover and paperback books, magazines, yearbooks, notebooks, and direct mail collateral — to creative professionals, marketing teams, and a growing base of education, healthcare, and financial services buyers across the United States and Canada. Smartpress operates one of the largest fleets of HP Indigo HD digital printing presses in North America and deploys proprietary processes such as foil Sleeking, soft touch lamination, and digital die cutting to deliver specialty finishes.

The business runs a hybrid go-to-market model: a self-serve e-commerce storefront with instant pricing, file upload, order tracking, and a Print Points loyalty program serves SMB and individual buyers, while a Custom Quote service with dedicated account executives handles enterprise projects involving high-volume orders, complex kitting, split-shipping, warehousing, and nationwide distribution. A Print Reseller Program enables channel partners, and a Marketing on Demand web-to-print platform supports branded customer storefronts. Revenue is primarily transactional and unit-based, augmented by professional services for complex enterprise work and reseller transaction fees.

The company holds EcoVadis Gold and ISO 14001 certifications and operates as a carbon-neutral business, positioning ESG credentials as a procurement differentiator. In 2025–2026, Smartpress launched a sticker and magnet postcard line, expanded into education-sector print solutions, and relocated to a new advanced Chanhassen facility to consolidate operations and support growth.

Name

Smartpress

Legal name

Smartpress LLC

Website

https://smartpress.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Smartpress is a privately held online commercial printing platform serving creative professionals and marketing teams across the US and Canada with customizable booklets, brochures, direct mail, and specialty finishes via self-serve e-commerce and enterprise custom quote services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Printing Services

akta.pro primary industry

Mailing, Inserting & Distribution Services (Addressing, Direct Mail, Kitting) (MPAJALAH)

Keywords

• Commercial printing services
• Custom booklets printing
• Digital printing solutions
• Direct mail printing
• Brochure printing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Chanhassen

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Custom Print Product Sales: Core revenue from online sales of custom printed products including booklets, brochures, postcards, business cards, marketing materials, and direct mail. Customers configure products online with instant pricing based on specifications, quantities, and finishing options. Revenue is transaction-based with per-order pricing.
2. Enterprise and Custom Projects: High-margin revenue stream from enterprise-level printing projects requiring custom quotes. Includes white-glove service for high-volume orders, specialty finishes, branded merchandise, complex kitting, split-shipping, and nationwide distribution services.
3. Print Reseller Program: Channel revenue from print resellers who leverage Smartpress printing capabilities for their own customer base.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Smartpress is an online commercial printing platform that produces fully customizable printed materials including booklets, brochures, postcards, books, magazines, direct mail pieces, and specialty finished marketing collateral. Customers configure products online with instant pricing and choose from multiple paper stocks, binding options, and specialty finishes such as foil Sleeking, raised UV, and soft touch laminate. The company also offers direct mail fulfillment, kitting, warehousing, variable data printing, and white-glove enterprise project management.

Product overview

Smartpress is a premium online commercial printing platform offering fully customizable print solutions. The product portfolio centers on customizable printed materials including booklets (saddle stitch, perfect bound, foil, spiral coil, wire coil), brochures (classic, foil, raised UV), catalogs, hardcover and paperback books, magazines, yearbooks, coloring books, notebooks, and direct mail products. The platform offers specialty finishing options including foil printing (digital and raised foil), UV coating, soft touch lamination, and various paper stocks. Supporting services include kitting, warehousing, mail fulfillment, variable data printing, Business Hub asset management, Marketing on Demand Platform for web-to-print storefronts, layout services, custom quote concierge, and print reseller program. The company operates under environmental and social responsibility principles with EcoVadis Gold and ISO 14001 certifications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Foil Saddle Stitch Booklets Saddle stitched booklets with premium foil printing on covers using Sleeking technology, available in gold, silver, rose gold, or holographic foil finishes. Targeted at brands seeking luxury print pieces such as lookbooks, catalogs, and marketing collateral.
• Perfect Bound Booklets Professional perfect bound booklets with clean square spine binding, ideal for lookbooks, magazines, portfolios, and product catalogs up to 2 inches thick. Available in sizes 4x6 to 11x8.5 with variable data and versions.
• Foil Perfect Bound Booklets Perfect bound booklets with foil printing on covers featuring Soft Touch laminate and foil options in multiple colors. Premium presentation for marketing and brand publications.
• Spiral Coil Booklets Custom spiral bound booklets with plastic coil binding allowing pages to fully rotate and lay flat. Maximum 1-1/2 inch thickness, multiple binding colors, suitable for instructions, menus, and presentations.
• Wire Coil Booklets Wire coil bound books with metal coil binding that lay flat and allow full page rotation. Customizable stocks and finishes, suitable for manuals, planners, and cookbooks.
• Catalogs Product catalog printing with premium paper stocks and finishes for marketing and promotional materials.
• Hardcover Books Hardcover book printing with 88pt book board covers and protective laminate finishes for portfolios, photo books, and art books. Sizes 6.25x6.5 to 8.5x11, up to 202 pages.
• Paperback Books Self-publishing paperback book printing with perfect binding and premium paper stocks for fiction, nonfiction, and graphic novels. Classic novel look with seamless square spine.
• Magazines Magazine printing services for professional publications with various binding and paper stock options.
• Notebooks Custom wire bound notebooks with sturdy metal coils allowing pages to rotate and lay flat, suitable for branded stationery and trade show giveaways. Lined or blank pages, up to 1-1/2 inch thick.
• Hardcover Yearbooks Professional yearbook printing with durable book board covers finished with protective laminate for schools and organizations.
• Coloring Books Custom coloring book printing with saddle stitch binding for marketing activities, mazes, puzzles, and branded entertainment materials.
• Brochures Custom brochure printing with various paper stocks, finishes, and fold options including tri-fold, Z-fold, single fold, closed gate fold, accordion fold, roll fold, and designer folds.
• Foil Brochures Foil-printed brochures with Sleeking technology and Soft Touch laminate for luxury marketing materials. Gold, rose gold, silver, and holographic foil options available.
• Foil Printing Services Premium foil printing services including digital foil and raised foil options for business cards, brochures, invitations, and marketing materials in gold, silver, rose gold, holographic, and custom colors.
• Sticker and Magnet Postcards Customizable sticker and magnet postcards in custom and standard shapes, designed as tactile marketing assets to drive physical brand engagement.
• Paper Sample Book Free paper sample book allowing customers to experience Smartpress paper stock options and evaluate print quality before ordering. Includes examples of most paper stocks, weights, and finishes with free shipping to US and Canada.
• Print & Coating Sample Sheet 24x18 inch scatter proof sheet for reviewing colors, designs, image resolution, and coatings on specific paper stocks before final printing. Priced from $16.76-$17.26 per sheet.
• Direct Mail Services Complete direct mail marketing services including list acquisition, addressing, mail fulfillment, and USPS mailing with multiple postage and mail class options. Includes direct mail saddle stitch booklets, perfect bound mailers, and direct mail postcards.
• Kitting Services Assembly and bundling services for media kits, product samples, and multi-piece marketing materials.
• Marketing on Demand Platform Web-to-print storefront solution enabling businesses to manage print ordering and distribution through customized branded portals for marketing assets.
• Smartpress Business Hub Marketing asset management platform for creating and managing a library of branded marketing materials specific to a business.
• Custom Quote Enterprise Services White-glove service for enterprise-level printing projects including high-volume orders, specialty finishes, branded merchandise, complex kitting, and split-shipping with dedicated print concierge support and nationwide distribution.
• Print Reseller Program Channel program for print resellers to access Smartpress printing services for their own client base.
• Layout Services Professional layout and design services for print projects.
• Digital Laser Cutting Digital die cutting services for custom shapes and designs without traditional die-cutting molds.

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• HP (Hewlett-Packard)coreTechnology or IntegrationSmartpress operates one of the largest fleets of HP Indigo HD presses in North America, utilizing HP's digital printing technology for high-quality commercial print production. The HP Indigo technology enables premium color quality, specialty inks, and digital finishing capabilities.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Cimpress / Vistaprint: Cimpress, parent of Vistaprint, is the largest online commercial printing platform globally, offering business cards, marketing materials, signage, and promo products via self-serve ordering. It overlaps directly with Smartpress in SMB self-serve commercial print but operates at significantly larger scale across multiple geographies.
• AlphaGraphics: AlphaGraphics is a franchised commercial printing and marketing services network offering business printing, direct mail, and signage across the US. It overlaps with Smartpress on enterprise commercial print and direct mail, but delivers through physical franchise locations rather than online self-serve.

Direct peers

• MOO: MOO is a premium online commercial printer targeting creative professionals and SMBs with business cards, postcards, brochures, and marketing materials featuring specialty finishes (foil, cotton, etc.). It is the closest direct competitor to Smartpress on premium finishes and designer-segment positioning.
• 4over: 4over is an online trade printing marketplace offering commercial print products (postcards, booklets, brochures, banners) with reseller and direct channels. It is comparable to Smartpress in product catalog breadth and the Print Reseller Program's positioning toward channel partners.
• Blurb: Blurb is an online self-publishing and book printing platform offering hardcover, paperback, and magazine printing for individuals and businesses. It directly overlaps with Smartpress's booklets, hardcover books, and paperback books product lines.
• Lulu Press: Lulu operates an online self-publishing and print-on-demand platform with hardcover, paperback, and magazine capabilities. It is comparable to Smartpress on the book/booklet printing vertical and shares the creative-professional customer segment.
• PsPrint: PsPrint is an online commercial printing service offering brochures, business cards, postcards, booklets, and direct mail with online ordering. It competes directly with Smartpress on SMB self-serve ordering and standard commercial print SKUs.

Emerging players

• Shutterfly: Shutterfly is an online photo printing and personalized products platform with significant commercial printing operations. While its consumer focus differs from Smartpress, its print-on-demand technology base and personalization capabilities make it a partial comparable on digital print infrastructure.
• Gelato: Gelato operates a global print-on-demand network producing books, marketing materials, and packaging locally across 30+ countries. It is comparable to Smartpress on digital print fulfillment but differentiates via globally distributed production rather than a single high-quality central fleet.

Others

• The Bernard Group: The Bernard Group is Smartpress's parent company and a broader commercial printing, retail display, and visual merchandising provider. It is comparable as the corporate parent owning Smartpress's production capabilities and as a broader commercial print/display incumbent in the same operating geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/smartpress
• Facebookfacebook.com/smartpressprinting

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Smartpress