Where your albums are printed
On HP Indigo presses - the same technology the world's premium photo labs use.
Printed & shipped from the EU by Peecho.
What is HP Indigo?
HP Indigo is a unique hybrid: it blends the physical process of traditional offset printing with the flexibility of digital. HP calls it LEP - Liquid Electrophotography. In short, it works like offset, but the printing plates are created and erased digitally on every rotation of the cylinder - so every page can be different, while the quality stays offset-grade.
The process, step by step
It all happens in fractions of a second:
- 1Laser writing (digital)
A special cylinder (the Photo Imaging Plate) is electrostatically charged. A laser writes the image onto it, removing the charge where the ink should land.
- 2Applying the ink (ElectroInk)
Liquid HP ElectroInk is pumped onto the cylinder. Thanks to the electric charge, pigment particles are drawn only to the laser-drawn areas.
- 3Transfer to the blanket (offset)
The ink moves to an intermediate cylinder covered with a heated rubber membrane. There the image becomes a thin, tacky film of plastic - the offset moment.
- 4Printing onto paper
The cylinder presses the film straight onto the paper. The ink is already semi-dry and hot, so it solidifies instantly - the paper comes out fully dry.
Why it's like offset and why it's digital
| Trait | Like traditional offset | Like digital |
|---|---|---|
| Transfer | Ink passes through an intermediate rubber cylinder (blanket), not straight onto paper. | No physical aluminium plates; the image changes on every page. |
| Ink | The ink layer is extremely thin and sinks into the paper's texture. | Full personalisation: variable data, different images on each page. |
| Look | Natural matte/gloss look, identical to magazine or catalogue print. | No drying time; finishing (cutting, folding) can happen immediately. |
The difference from office laser printers
Standard laser printers use powder toner, which leaves a thick, raised, glossy layer of plastic on top of the paper. HP Indigo uses liquid ink, which keeps the paper's natural texture (textured, double-coated or volumetric) - giving you exactly the quality and feel of offset.
What the album is, concretely
Peecho's production specs for the hardcover:
- Presses
- HP Indigo digital - among the highest-quality digital printers on the market, rich colours and high resolution.
- Paper
- 200 gsm gloss, or premium uncoated Mohawk Superfine Eggshell Ultrawhite - a natural, photo-realistic texture.
- Binding
- PUR - pages and cover glued at the spine, cleanly trimmed on three sides. Durable and stays open well.
- Cover
- Rigid hardcover (2.5 mm) with a matte laminate wrap.
- Pages
- From 24 pages (hardcover); up to several hundred, depending on the paper.
- Production
- 4-6 working days, then shipping - because every album is printed to order, not from stock.
Why it matters for your album
The result: prints virtually indistinguishable from offset in colour and resolution, at 300 DPI with HD screening. The same technology premium photo labs and international photobook services (e.g. Blurb) rely on.
A hardcover photobook often costs well over 100 € at local print shops, frequently with a minimum order. Cadru gives you exactly this print - HP Indigo, from premium production facilities (in Europe for orders in the region) - a single copy, no minimum, at a fair price. That's why it arrives in a few days: it's printed on demand, professionally, not office print.
Create your albumSources: Peecho (hardcover specs) · HP Indigo · Blurb (Indigo vs offset).