Bartell pilots on-demand publishing system from Kodak Alaris, On Demand Books

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Seattle drug store chain Bartell Drugs is offering custom printing in its stores through a pilot program with Kodak Alaris, the photography giant said Wednesday.

Kodak said a Bartell store in Seattle's University Village shopping center would offer consumers a full-service, digital-to-print media system with On Demand Books' Espresso Book Machine, integrated with Kodak Picture Kiosks. The pilot program marks the first time the system has been offered in a drug store environment.

"This new offering from Kodak Alaris represents the latest in exciting new solutions that are relevant to our market and help us drive business in our stores," Bartell category manager Howie Cohen said. "As consumers seek more ways to express themselves and create personalized products, this technology offers an exciting, accessible way for them to engage with their content, whether through words or pictures, and create something meaningful that they can treasure for a lifetime."

The service allows customers to print high-quality, custom books or purchase from On Demand Books' catalog of more than 7 million titles in minutes. Bartell will begin offering photo books with the machine starting in spring 2014. Customers can print books ranging from family histories and family recipes to novels and poetry, Kodak Alaris said.