Print-on-demand

Print-on-demand is a publishing method in which physical copies are produced in response to orders rather than printed in large batches for inventory.

Digital printing: Printing methods that transfer digital files directly onto paper or other materials without fixed printing plates. It enables economical production of copies in quantities as small as one.
Self-publishing: Publishing in which authors or creators arrange publication without a traditional publishing house. Authors can offer physical books without financing a large initial print run.
Offset printing: A printing process that transfers ink from a plate to a rubber blanket and then onto a surface. Offset usually lowers per-copy costs in large runs, while on-demand avoids unsold stock.
Book remainder: A copy sold at a reduced price after a book's demand falls or excess stock accumulates. Smaller inventories can reduce the surplus that later becomes remaindered stock.
Direct-to-garment printing: A digital printing process that applies ink directly to garments. It uses a similar order-triggered model for products other than books.
Long-tail sales: A market pattern in which many low-demand products collectively generate substantial sales. On-demand production makes it feasible to keep niche titles available.
Print run: A specified batch of copies produced in one printing operation. Conventional print runs require publishers to choose quantities before demand is known.
Supply chain: The network of organizations and processes involved in producing and delivering a product. On-demand publishing shifts coordination among printers, platforms, publishers, and delivery services.
Print file: A digital document prepared with specifications for producing a printed item. A validated print file supplies the pages and layout used to manufacture each copy.
Out-of-print book: A book that is no longer being actively published or supplied by its publisher. Print-on-demand can restore availability without rebuilding warehouse stock.

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