Photo Lifestyle Products

As imaging technology and markets have changed, so has the nature of the Photo Marketing Association (PMA) show. A few years ago, the PMA Show featured dozens of large-format inkjet-printing systems and supplies to help commercial photo labs diversify into outdoor signage, fine-art reproduction, and display graphics. This year’s PMA Show focused primarily on helping photo retailers and portrait and social labs equip themselves to respond to major shifts that are occurring in how people buy, use, and print photographs.

Many products at the 2008 PMA Show were designed to meet the growing demand for “photo lifestyle” products, photo books, and poster-sized prints. In this post, I'll talk about the term photo lifestyle products. I'll discuss discuss photo books and poster printing in other posts.

Photo Lifestyle Products is the term coined to differentiate products that are more functional (and command higher margins) than photo novelty items. In the photo lifestyle product category, digital images and artwork are used to customize and personalize items that people and businesses use every day (e.g. apparel, desk accessories, kitchenware, and home furnishings).

The most commonly used technology for creating these products is dye-sublimation, a process in which heat and pressure is used to convert specially formulated inks into gases which then fuse to the surfaces of polyester-treated materials so the images don't feel as if they were printed on. A complete explanation of the process can be found on the Sublimation Nation website.

Several PMA exhibitors showed turnkey sublimation systems that could be used to create lifestyle products, including photo tiles that could then be configured into multiple types of products.

Joto showcased dye-sublimation systems built around Epson Stylus Photo 1400 printers and OKI C8600n LED toner-based printers.

Aftosa offers an assortment of wood and metal accessories that can be used with dye-sub-printed tiles to create products such as customized coffee tables, end tables, napkin holders, key boxes, jewelry boxes, garden stakes, remote-control holders (shown above), and beveled mirrors.

Liberty Photo dedicated a large glass showcase to displaying the wide range of photo lifestyle products that can be created with some of the equipment and supplies they distribute to national retailers, professional labs, wholesale labs, and professional photographers. Photo products include charm bracelets, watches, key chains, clocks, trophy inserts, keepsake boxes, serving trays, car flags, license plates, napkin holders, coasters, and many more.

Liberty was also one of several PMA exhibitors demonstrating inkjet printers that could print images directly on garments. Liberty has developed a complete line of "Vapor Apparel" that can be used to create and sell “Fashion Photo Wear.”

Liberty Photo President Garry Green suggested that portrait and event photographers could combine photos and graphics with Liberty Vapor Apparel to devise more artistic-looking T-shirts, personalized sports team apparel, or custom bike jerseys.

Other products that can be customized with photos include porcelain candle holders, candy jars, piggybank, teapots, ceramic mugs, and steins.

"Consumer awareness of personalized photo products is rapidly increasing as major retail chains promote it as an added value serivce," says Don Franz, president of Photofinishing News, Inc.

"In the current era of digital photography, consumers are printing differently, not less, and they require new products and ways of preserving and sharing their images. We estimated that in 2007, personalized photo products was a $1.2 billion industry."