In the print industry, e-commerce success now hinges on connecting automated digital workflows with slower, real-world production processes.
According to web-to-print software provider Infigo, demand for digital ordering, personalization, and automation across the print industry rose 18.2% last year.
The growth reflects a broader shift as print providers move away from fragmented, manual workflows toward digital platforms that support personalized campaigns, localized marketing, and on-demand production.
Infigo CEO Douglas Gibson said nearly 60% of the company’s new customers are based in North America, reflecting growing demand among U.S. and Canadian print providers for platforms that support scale, integration, and operational efficiency.
The U.S. commercial print market is growing, but many providers still rely on manual processes that do not scale, Gibson added. As volumes increase and turnaround times shrink, automation is becoming critical to reducing errors and supporting growth without adding headcount.
General commercial print remains the company’s fastest-growing segment, with 70% of customers operating in B2B environments. However, heavily customized B2B solutions can create bottlenecks for both providers and software vendors.
“Enterprise clients with heavily customized workflows require significant professional services, project management, and custom development. However, most B2B solutions are not customized and can be handled with out-of-the-box functionality, personalized through configuration options or minor customization,” Gibson told the E-Commerce Times.
Automation Pressures Build in Print
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Infigo’s growth highlights several pressure points shaping B2B e-commerce, including automation, the displacement of legacy systems, and the expanding role of AI in operational workflows.
Gibson said printing companies that fail to adopt modern software platforms risk falling behind or exiting the market within the next five to 10 years, as digital capabilities become more central to competitiveness.
Infigo is focusing on expanding its AI-driven, cloud-based web-to-print platform while building enterprise partnerships to help print providers operate as digital-first businesses.
The platform enables businesses to create customizable storefronts for ordering personalized print products while streamlining order-to-production workflows through features such as real-time pricing and integration with MIS and ERP systems.
“Infigo was built as a technology company for the print industry,” Gibson said. “We have 28 developers focused on building software to replace the manual, multi-touch workflows that print businesses have relied on for decades.”
The company’s recent growth reflects a broader shift as print providers modernize operations and move away from legacy business models.
How Print Providers Are Automating Workflows
Gibson pointed to Liturgical Publications (LPi) as an example of how print providers are using digital platforms to automate production workflows. LPi uses Infigo’s system to manage weekly church bulletins for more than 4,000 churches, replacing legacy processes with a more automated approach.
He also cited Superior Packaging and Finishing, a U.S.-based provider serving regulated industries such as pharmaceuticals and finance, which expanded its use of the Infigo platform last year. The company integrated the platform with HP Site Flow to support 51 B2B storefronts across its customer base.
The company releases software updates every two weeks, a cadence Gibson described as uncommon in the industry and aimed at delivering ongoing functionality and process improvements. “That’s where Infigo delivers value: helping customers shorten cycle times, standardize workflows,” he said.
The platform supports both B2B and B2C storefronts with tools for personalization, workflow automation, and system integration. Additional capabilities include on-demand ordering, real-time pricing, and production integration to reduce manual work and improve operational efficiency.
Replacing Legacy Systems at Scale
Think Patented, an Ohio-based print and marketing provider, nearly doubled its B2B storefronts after consolidating five legacy systems onto Infigo’s platform. The company expanded from about 30 to nearly 60 storefronts, with additional portals in development.
The centralized platform allows distributed teams across sectors such as healthcare, finance, manufacturing, and education to order branded materials through a single e-commerce environment while automating production and fulfillment workflows.
“Before Infigo, we were managing multiple disconnected systems that created inefficiencies across our workflow,” said Sean Ferguson, director of technology at Think Patented.
He added that the platform provides a single system that simplifies operations and supports growth.
“We’ve doubled our storefront count, improved backend efficiency, and moved from a restrictive offering to a modern e-commerce platform that supports both B2B and B2C transactions,” Ferguson noted.
Think Patented’s storefronts serve healthcare organizations, financial institutions, manufacturers, and educational institutions, enabling distributed teams and departments to order branded materials through a centralized system.
The results demonstrate how consolidating fragmented systems into a single platform can simplify operations and enable storefront expansion.
Balancing Automation With Flexibility
B2B buyers increasingly expect the ease of B2C experiences but still face complexities such as negotiated pricing and approval workflows. Gibson said that fully automated workflows can limit the ability to handle exceptions that often define long-term B2B relationships.
“This comes down to business requirements. If total automation is the business model, then yes, that could affect those relationships. However, it remains a choice for the business owner,” he said.
Infigo offers a flexible storefront setup that supports both fully automated workflows and job intake processes that require manual quotes.
“It can support both approaches for different customer groups through access controls and custom pricing,” Gibson said.
