CafePress Acquires ImageKind: What it Means for the Entrepreneur

Posted on July 8th, 2008 by thetshirtnexus.
Categories: CafePress, Print on Demand, POD News.

The news is abuzz this morning about CafePress purchasing Imagekind, a high end custom framing marketplace for original and reprinted artwork. Price is said to be between $15 and $20 million according to VentureBeat.

What does this mean to entrepreneurs who use either company? For CafePress shopkeepers this is potentially a huge bonus. Currently CafePress only offers a limited range of products that showcase art or photography for traditional display. They have framed prints but they are in set sizes with set colored frames and matting. ImageKind allows upload of artwork in a variety of aspect ratios and is designed to build the frame to fit the picture. The customer also gets to choose paper/canvas, protective covering, and frame choices and each image is automatically offered in as wide a variety of sizes as is possible with the file uploaded.
ImageKind folks will also gain more likely product possibilities. CafePress offers ceramic tile products such as coaster tiles and keepsake boxes which are very high end looking in my opinion. Journals and larger format calendars will also be new items for ImageKind sellers. And of course CafePress has a whole stable of apparel and other items such as totebags.

Nothing has been said about how the two companies will move forward; however, as an entrepreneur who currently uses both I’m excited about the acquisition. I love how ImageKind can take a file and size frames to fit my artwork and I know the power of the CafePress marketplace. I’d rather save time and marketing efforts by having my art in one storefront.

News Tip from TshirtChat.

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