Philbo Distribution, one of the distro options that has sprung up post-Diamond, will soon offer onsite print on demand services, founder Philip Russertt has announced.
He hopes the moves will give more options to independent publishers and retailers by offering onsite printing onsite printing at offset-comparable pricing. This will eliminate the shipping costs and delays associated with overseas printing.
“This endeavor fundamentally changes the economics for independent publishers, that will trickle down to the retailer incentives,” he said in a statement. “By printing onsite, we’re eliminating two of the biggest obstacles creators face, shipping costs and delays, while still delivering the quality and pricing traditionally associated with large-scale offset printing.”
But there’s more, including 2026’s most popular trend: a print magazine about comics.
In addition to onsite print-on-demand production, Philbo Distribution will now offer expanded services including:
- Retailer returns, reducing risk for comic shops
- Tiered retailer discounts of up to 50%
- Reliable release schedules regardless of print run size
- Crowdfunding fulfillment services
- Convention banners and marketing materials for creators
- A printed catalog of the Philbo solicits
- A new comic book news and entertainment magazine
“This is just the beginning,” Russertt said. “We see this expansion as the foundation for a more resilient distribution model that supports growth for both retailers and publishers alike, experimentation, and long-term sustainability.”
Philbo currently carries a few dozen indies including Ablaze, Antarctic, Asylum Press, DREN Productions, FairSquare Graphics, Hermes Press, Red 5 Comics and many more, as seen on the cover of their March PHILVIEWS catalog.
Although in the past POD quality was not equal to offset printing, technology has narrowed the gap to nearly indistinguishable, so this could be a viable option for some small presses. That said, I hope Russertt has a very big area to do all this printing an shipping.
The onsite POD program will roll out in the coming months.
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