Corlet Imprimeur 360°

What Corlet is

Corlet Imprimeur 360° is a French commercial printer based in Condé-sur-Noireau, in the Calvados department of Normandy, that runs a print-on-demand service for books called RapidBook. The home page says the group has served publishers and institutions for more than 60 years, and the site's title reads "Expert depuis 1961". It prints books, brochures, catalogs, magazines and corporate documents on both offset and digital presses, and states that its production is 100% French, made in Normandy and in the Pays de Loire.

The print-on-demand page is written for publishers first. It says Corlet created RapidBook to meet the specific needs of its publishing clients, so they can top up their stock quickly, and that the service is aimed at every publisher who wants titles available fast at an attractive price. It also addresses self-published authors directly, for example an author who wants to keep a copy of their book or give copies to friends and family.

How RapidBook works

RapidBook is an online ordering platform. The page describes it as available "24h/24 et 7j/7 en un seul clic", around the clock in one click, even when a publisher needs a single copy. There is no quote to request and nothing to wait for: production starts as soon as the online order is placed. The price shown is degressive, meaning the more copies ordered, the lower the unit price. Orders start at one copy ("à partir de 1 exemplaire") and can run to several hundred.

Each order is configured from a fixed set of options:

• Format: from pocket size (11 x 18 cm) up to A4 (21 x 29.7 cm).
• Pagination: free, with a spine of at least 3 mm.
• Paper: Holmen bulky 65 g, white bulky 70 g, or white offset at 70 g or 90 g.
• Cover finish: matte lamination, gloss lamination or none.
• Binding: perfect binding (dos carré collé) or saddle stitching (piqué). The FAQ confirms the one-copy minimum applies to perfect-bound books and to saddle-stitched journals and catalogs alike.

The page also describes reprinting as a core use: Corlet says it uses digital printing to produce copies identical to books previously printed, respecting their format, pagination and print quality, so a publisher can order one copy or a dozen to fill customer orders.

Turnaround and delivery

The page gives two figures. Corlet says it delivers "dans un délai moyen de 5 jours ouvrés", in an average of 5 working days, not counting the constraints of distributors' delivery appointments. And through partnerships with express delivery specialists, orders can reach the address on the online order form in under 72 hours after production ends; the service banner puts it as "Livraison en 48h/72h".

For publishers who sell direct, Corlet also offers customizable logistics that send ordered books straight to each end customer's letterbox.

Printing on demand plus storage

The FAQ makes a point worth noting for anyone who sells steadily: print-on-demand does not have to mean printing copy by copy. A publisher can print a buffer stock and leave it with Corlet. Corlet Logistic offers secure storage that can be checked remotely at any time through a dedicated extranet, and prepares and ships customer orders in real time. The home page lists the related services: mass mailings, personalized mailings, subscription management, data processing, packaging, document storage, restock management and shipping. That makes Corlet a fit for a small publisher that wants a printer and a fulfillment partner in one place.

Beyond print-on-demand

RapidBook sits inside a full-service print group, and the rest of the site shows what else is available when a title outgrows short runs. The home page describes Corlet as covering the whole graphic chain, so a client can work with a single supplier for an entire project. Its finishing (façonnage) covers folding, trimming, gathering, binding and lamination, and it offers "une large sélection d'ennoblissement", a wide selection of cover embellishments. For publishing it lists glued books with or without flaps, sewn and case-bound books, pocket books and manga, and it can apply point-of-sale extras such as dust jackets and belly bands. The menu also covers dedicated small-quantity printing of books, brochures and magazines, plus offset printing for larger volumes.

The company says it is organized to handle urgent, even immediate, requests, particularly at title launches or reprints of earlier titles, and that its command of digital printing lets it print the exact quantities the market needs. Quote requests for larger projects promise fast answers with several options to fit the budget. The home page quotes Jean-Luc Corlet on the group's control of the graphic chain and its ability to support clients from the start of a project to the end.

Environmental commitments, as Corlet states them

The print-on-demand page sets out the group's environmental figures. It says more than 80% of the paper used for its print work comes from recycling or sustainably managed forests, that more than 5000 tonnes of waste a year are sorted and recycled, that the plant has 750 m2 of photovoltaic roofing, and that it uses eco-responsible inks when possible. It presents print-on-demand as part of the same commitment, since publishers no longer end up with unsold copies.

Pricing

RapidBook's prices are shown on the platform when an order is configured, with a unit price that falls as quantity rises; the print-on-demand page itself does not reproduce a price table. The page compares the model with traditional offset, where it says at least 500 copies are needed to make the investment pay.

Support and contact

The page says every RapidBook customer can count on a qualified expert who explains the processes and technical side of book production, whether for single copies or dozens, and on a technical support team. The home page lists personalized advice from a team "à taille humaine" (human-sized), built on trust, proximity and availability. The contact details are the plant at Z.I rue Maximilien Vox, Condé-sur-Noireau, 14110 Condé-en-Normandie, and the phone number 02 31 59 53 00.

Who it suits

RapidBook suits a French publisher that needs to keep backlist titles in stock, reprint quickly after a sellout, or fill single orders without a print run, especially one that wants the option of storage and order fulfillment from the same supplier. It also suits a self-published author who wants a few copies of their own book printed by an established book plant, with a price visible before ordering.

It suits less well a writer looking for a publishing platform. Corlet presents itself as a printer and logistics partner: it prints, stores and ships, and the selling stays with the publisher or author. RapidBook's options are also bounded, from pocket size to A4 with four paper choices, so a project outside them goes through the group's general quote request instead.