Kolibri360

Kolibri360 is a German logistics provider for the book trade that offers print-on-demand production for publishers at its site in Erfurt, where the print shop sits in the same building as its logistics center. Its homepage says that as a logistics provider it has held "seit über 90 Jahren einen festen Platz in der nationalen und internationalen Logistikbranche" (a firm place in the national and international logistics industry for over 90 years), serving bookstores, publishers, suppliers and other retailers. The print-on-demand service is aimed at publishers, self-publishing platforms and bookstores that want titles to stay available without printing and storing a run.

What the service does

The print-on-demand page frames the offer around keeping backlist and niche titles in the market. For titles whose advance production and storage no longer make economic sense, Kolibri360 produces "bedarfsgerecht und just in time" (as needed and just in time), meaning when an order comes in. The benefits it lists: production from a run of 1 ("Ab Auflage 1") with "keine Mindestabnahme, keine Exklusivität" (no minimum purchase, no exclusivity); content that can be updated without writing off stock; printing rights that stay with the publisher; no stock production and therefore no storage or warehouse administration costs; and lower return rates, since only what sells is produced. Out-of-print titles can be reactivated without risking a new edition, niche titles can reach small audiences profitably, and capital stays liquid instead of being tied up in print runs.

Production is built into the logistics chain. The page describes a "Vollintegrierte Prozesskette" (fully integrated process chain): conveyor technology links the print-on-demand print shop directly to goods receiving, print-on-demand is integrated into ordering and logistics processes, and print-on-demand titles ship together with titles held in stock. In the words of the page, "PoD-Titel werden dort hergestellt, wo die Auslieferung beginnt" (PoD titles are produced where delivery begins).

Speed is the headline claim: "2 Stunden Produktion" (2 hours of production) and "Lieferung in 1 bis 3 Werktagen" (delivery in 1 to 3 working days). The FAQ is more precise: softcover production takes less than 2.5 hours, and depending on the departure times of the delivery runs, same-day dispatch or next-day delivery is possible. For hardcovers, it guarantees delivery within 3–5 working days.

How a title gets listed and sold

The page lays out the process in four steps. First comes contact, clarification and signing of the contract, after which an interface for data transfer is set up and the print files are transmitted and checked. Second, the title is activated in the sales system and becomes available through bookstores and online shops, orderable one at a time or in larger quantities. Third, books are produced daily, handed straight to logistics, packed together with other items and shipped. Fourth comes billing: print costs are offset against sales revenue, with a transparent monthly statement including a credit note.

On the trade side, the FAQ explains that when a title is taken on, its data goes into the bibliographic system pcbis.de and other industry systems, so that "mehr als 5.500 Buchhändler Ihren Titel jederzeit bei uns bestellen" (more than 5,500 booksellers can order your title from us at any time). Every wholesale title is also integrated into customer-specific online shops.

Files reach Kolibri360 as cover, interior and a metadata file, delivered through access to its FTP server or alternatively through a web portal. If the print data already sits with its print service provider, for example from earlier offset production, no data transfer is needed.

Formats and print quality

Within set limits, the format is the publisher's choice. The FAQ gives softcover dimensions from a minimum of 105 x 120 mm to a maximum of 210 x 297 mm, and hardcover from 105 x 140 mm to 210 x 280 mm. Spine thickness may run from 1.5 to 57 mm, and the cover width including bleed may be at most 477 mm.

The page points to "Modernste Technik am Standort Erfurt" (the most modern technology at the Erfurt site) backed by extensive investment in machines and infrastructure, an extended binding line for hardcovers and softcovers, and new high-speed print technology that makes runs of up to 40,000 copies possible.

Beyond print on demand

Publishers can also order short runs for themselves. The FAQ says Kolibri360 produces small editions on request ("Print to Stock") for the publisher's own use and for its distribution. Print-on-demand titles can also go straight to end customers: Kolibri360 sets up an interface to the publisher or its distributor for dropshipment, and the parcel is sent with the publisher's invoice in the publisher's corporate design.

The wider company runs general logistics and e-commerce fulfillment. Its homepage describes warehousing, picking and shipping, returns processing, packaging services such as gift wrapping and kitting, e-commerce and marketplace management, customer service and invoicing, and national and international transport including customs clearance. It names locations in Erfurt, Stuttgart and Heeslingen, and calls its Erfurt site "einem der größten und modernsten Logistikzentren Europas" (one of the largest and most modern logistics centers in Europe).

Contract terms and costs

Under a service contract, the publisher grants Kolibri360 the rights to print, reproduce and distribute the title for the term of the contract; all other rights stay with the publisher, who can withdraw these rights for individual titles at any time. There is no exclusivity: a title can be listed and printed with any other market participant in parallel. On costs, the FAQ says "Grundsätzlich ist die Teilnahme an unserem PoD-Verfahren kostenfrei", participation is free in principle with no joining fees, and data storage and title listing are initially free too. Billing starts only when a book is produced and sold, and print costs depend on the annual print volume or the number of listed titles. The page publishes no per-copy prices.

Sustainability

According to the FAQ, print-on-demand production in Erfurt runs exclusively on green electricity, and printing only to order avoids overproduction and spoilage. Because logistics and print shop share one building in Erfurt, transport between them disappears, which the company says clearly lowers CO2 emissions; no extra storage space is needed, and books are not shrink-wrapped. The page also mentions FSC-certified materials.

Publishers who use it

The page quotes several publishers. Christian Pflug of the Paul Pietsch Verlage writes that the group has a backlist of over 3,250 active titles, has used the service since 2015 to extend the life of its list, and has moved 1,100 titles into the print-on-demand process in total. Zoe Engert of Sage says the service "has enabled us to successfully grow sales, reaching more students in the region". Arnaud Béglé, CEO of the Peter Lang Group, praises "The speed to market and excellent quality", and Alexander Faust of De Gruyter says customers now receive a much larger number of its titles much faster. Eric Schmitt of Springer Nature and Dean Eddies of Infopro Digital Automotive also appear; both mention CPI alongside Kolibri360. Sebastian Stude, CEO of the self-publishing company Neopubli GmbH, calls print on demand the decisive building block in self-publishing, especially with a direct connection to the book wholesaler.

Who it suits

Kolibri360 suits publishers, small presses and self-publishing platforms that want titles orderable across the German book trade without holding stock, and that value fast softcover turnaround. The pages describe a business service with a contract, a data interface and monthly settlement, set up for publishers with a list of titles rather than for a single author uploading one book.