Progress through innovation – an interview with Demetris Prodromou from Peleman Industries

Since 1979, Peleman Industries has been specialising in the design, manufacturing and worldwide distribution of solutions for printed presentations and photos. Its firm commitment to continuous innovation and a strong global presence have established the company as an industry leader.

Katarzyna Michałowska, Printbox: What is Peleman Industries’ relation to the photo market?
Demetris Prodromou: Peleman Industries has a long history in the photo business and has over the past four decades worked with globally renowned pioneers such as Apple. In fact, our UniCover Hard was selected in 2006 by Steve Jobs himself as the cover of the Apple Photobook.
Since then, our photo solutions have continually evolved in line with the ever-changing patterns of consumer needs and preferences, propelling us to the forefront of the industry.
Our relentless dedication to excellence has helped us establish long-standing and mutually beneficial partnerships with the movers and shakers of the industry, including Kodak and Fuji, amongst others.
Having said that, rather than basking in past glory, we are constantly looking for new ways to reinforce our position as a trailblazer in the fields of printed presentation and photo solutions as well as lay-flat paper technology.
Bridging a long-existing gap in the market, our latest innovation, Vpaper Tower, delivers the perfect solution for photo book producers by allowing photo books of all kinds – yes, even soft cover photo books – to lay open and stay open, thereby ensuring a more pleasant and comfortable reading and viewing experience.

Katarzyna Michałowska, Printbox: Why is it important for Peleman Industries to team up with photo software companies like Printbox?
Demetris Prodromou: Our cutting-edge Vpaper technology delivers the ultimate lay-flat solution for photo book producers and profoundly changes the way people think about printed photo experiences. It is a truly revolutionary solution with versatile applications. We, however, firmly believe that when it comes to photo books, the software and hardware of these books are inseparable. As a trend-setter in the market, we are actively looking for partners who share our vision and are fiercely passionate about raising the bar in ingenious photo solutions.

Katarzyna Michałowska, Printbox: What does the cooperation with Printbox mean for your company?
Demetris Prodromou: We strongly believe that our global expertise in photo and lay-flat paper solutions coupled with Printbox’ know-how and understanding of today’s photo book trends and consumer preferences, create a forceful cooperation through which customers of both parties can benefit. Combining our capabilities delivers an all-round solution for our partners, giving them a competitive edge over their peers.
By joining forces with Printbox, we aim to further expand our reach in the photo market and enable a broader global customer base to leverage our solutions.
Delivering a pleasant and comfortable photo book experience, especially for today’s trendy soft cover photo books, is the talk of the day. Our Vpaper Tower technology, Peleman Industries’ very own invention, delivers the perfect solution, which ensures that photo books of all kinds lay open effortlessly, thereby offering Printbox users a one-of-a-kind solution to capture extra business,
seize a larger market share and surpass their customer expectations.

Katarzyna Michałowska, Printbox: What makes the Vpaper Tower an ideal solution for Printbox users? How can our users grow their business with Peleman Industries’ Vpaper technology?
Demetris Prodromou: Despite the diversity of Printbox users, one thing connects them all; they all aim to meet their customers’ needs. When it comes to that much desired lay-flat effect, up until now the focus has been on hardcover photo books. However, due to the price range of these high-end books, these are often reserved for life’s greatest moments with our holiday pictures and precious everyday moments ending up in softcover books which, as we all know, are impossible to keep open. Not anymore!
Peleman Industries’ Vpaper technology ensures that even softcover photo books lay open effortlessly.
The Vpaper Tower has been designed to turn double-sided printed or printable, blank sheets into lay-flat pages, one by one. To ensure that every single sheet lays open, our technology relaxes the paper fibre through a three-step procedure.
A must-have for any photo book producer, Vpaper Tower can be used for any paper from 70 to 250g/m2, up until 320mm x 460mm. With a capacity of up to 6.000 sheets per hour, Vpaper Tower is the single most efficient way to create photo books that stay open.
Our cutting-edge lay-flat paper technology is complemented by Peleman Industries’ globally renowned product ranges. Thanks to an extensive variety of covers and user-friendly binding systems, UniBind has long been synonymous with professional presentation solutions, while Photomore offers a range of D.I.Y. photo solutions.

Katarzyna Michałowska, Printbox: What’s your superpower?
Demetris Prodromou: We, at Peleman Industries, build on the legacy of four decades of progress and innovation to create a firm foundation for a successful future. Our steadfast commitment to continuous improvement allows us to stay ahead of the curve and remain at the forefront of the industry.
The recent introduction of the Vpaper Tower is a prime example of our pledge to strive to remain the number one choice for photo, printed presentation and lay-flat paper solutions.