Loving handwork: This is how small prints products are created

Monday, 10:25 am, a mild summer day. The sun is already warming the square in front of the historic building in Hamburg-Wandsbek, which we are about to enter. Today we have an appointment with our printing team to take a close look at the production of our photo books with a photographer and document them from A to Z for our fans and customers. Because you are not the only one who puts a lot of love into the design of your Kleine Prints products - we also put a lot of passion into the production process. At 10:30 sharp we meet Sven, our partner in the sales department. The rooms of the print shop are Hanseatic-chic and yet cozy, you feel right at home. After briefly planning this exciting day of shooting, it goes straight down to the basement of the building - to the print shop. Kleine Prints products are made here with great attention to detail and know-how.

A veteran brings the threads together

Project manager Frank, who is where all the threads come together down here in the print shop, gives us an introduction to the various machines that are used in the manufacturing process of our products - and he starts chatting straight away! “I've been part of the inventory for a long time. I've been working here for 43 years, at the time I completed my training as a printing form manufacturer here ... that's what they call media designer "he says and laughs. Frank, who feels radiant with every single sentence, seems extremely youthful for such a printer veteran. That makes a lot of laughs. Incidentally, Frank also receives your print data after you have designed and ordered your Kleine Prints product in our shop. He calls up the data from the Kleine Prints server three times a week and prepares it before it goes into the actual production process.

A festival fan at the printer

As soon as Frank has released the data, they are available on the computer of the huge digital printer. A colleague - on this day it is trainee Tobi, whose wrist hung with ribbons testifies to his love for festivals - starts and then monitors the pressure. “We print the Kleine Prints products on a very special paper. It is very thinly coated with a special adhesive that only starts to stick later under a certain pressure. This process is the reason for the special resilience and feel of the products from Kleine Prints, " the trainee explains to us. So that this special adhesive does not evaporate on the way to the next production step, Tobi carefully packs the printed sheets in foil before moving on. And off for it!

Accuracy is required

Now the sheets with the motifs of the Kleine Prints customers come into the trustworthy hands of Dietmar, a trained offset printer. Dietmar is still new to the team, he says, and is responsible with his colleagues for the entire processing of the Kleine Prints products. After printing, the sheets are first pressed: They are pressed together by a special machine under a pressure of 16 tons. This is where the special adhesive becomes active, which glues two sheets together in a “bombproof” manner - an important step so that our products can later ensure that even the smallest owners can enjoy them for a long time. This process, which the paper manufacturers also call "sealing", makes the thick pages of the Kleine Prints photo books incomparably stable and durable.

First for the hands, then for the eyes!

After the stability of the material has been ensured by pressing, Dietmar now takes care of the further completion of the individual photo books. To do this, the large sheets must first be cut into the shape of the individual photo books. Here, too, the actual mechanical work is done by a machine. Dietmar skilfully ensures that this is done in the highest quality: Apply accurately, take safety precautions, trigger the machine and * rrrrrittttz * an edge of a future photo book is precisely cut again. Incidentally, even the waste product from this production step is beautiful: long, colorful strips of paper that are reminiscent of spaghetti. Small prints of confetti spaghetti, so to speak.

In good shape

After all the photo books have been accurately cut, Dietmar ensures that each photo book has rounded corners that are beautiful and safe for children's hands. Of course, there is also a separate machine for this. In this production step, four photo books are always on top of each other. Then each photo book is put together individually with our practical spiral binding and - tadaaaa - now a new, beautiful photo book has made it from the idea in your head into the world! Thanks to the passionate craftsmanship of some very special people.

Lovingly packed by hand

In the very last step, each photo book is lovingly packed by hand in our popular shipping box before it is sent on its way to you and your loved ones to sweeten your everyday life. Do you feel like designing your favorite photo product right away? You can go directly to the shop here! Do you want more great stories? Then subscribe to our suuuper newsletter, the Kleine Sonntagspost. We look forward to you!