Blackwell unveils UK's first instore Espresso Book Machine

Academic book specialist Blackwell has unveiled the Espresso Book Machine (EBM) at its Charing Cross store in London, which is claimed to be the first bookshop installation in the UK.

The install, the culmination of an 18-month partnership between Blackwell and the machine's manufacturer On Demand Books (ODB), will allow customers to print a raft of titles on-demand at the store.

It is claimed the process can be completed in less than five minutes with files available onsite or from a customers' own CD or USB memory stick.

Printing is carried out at speeds of 105ppm with binding, trimming and colour-printed covers all completed on-site.

More than 400,000 books are available on the EBM, and more than 1m titles are expected to be available by the end of this month.

Andrew Hutchings, chief executive of Blackwell, said the EBM represented a fantastic opportunity for the company and one that could help "create incremental revenue streams for publishers".

He said: "Blackwell’s strong relationship with the publishing community means we are looking forward to leveraging our unique brand position and international network to drive this exciting new technology forward. We are very much looking forward to working with On Demand Books."

The bookseller's EBM was on show at the London Book Fair that ran April 20-22.

Dane Neller, chief executive of On Demand Books, said with Blackwell, the company would "realise the unique ability of the Espresso Book Machine to access digital content from multiple sources and print library quality paperbacks on demand".

Speaking at the London Book Fair, Neller added the company's stand had received "a fantastic range of interest from a wide range of visitors".