AI Meets Print: Lulu Unlocks the Next Phase of the Personalization Economy

News 2 min read

RESEARCH TRIANGLE, N.C. – April 15, 2026

Lulu.com, the global leader in publishing technology and print-on-demand fulfillment, announced significant growth across its B2B and API-driven business segments in the first quarter of 2026. This accelerated growth is due to the widespread interest in personalized and customized products.

As businesses and creators increasingly prioritize individualized products, Lulu’s platform is enabling scalable, high-quality print customization powered by automation and artificial intelligence. Books such as customized meal planners, exercise guides, children’s books featuring the child’s name, and other similar products are exceedingly popular among consumers.

Recent data from Lulu show that, among accounts leveraging AI-driven personalization for books, the top five collectively sold more than 167,000 customized units across 124,000 orders in the past year alone. This surge reflects a broader market shift: personalization is no longer a niche tactic, but a core driver of revenue and growth.

“Customers now expect products that feel uniquely theirs,” said CEO Craig Petersen. “What was once considered premium or experimental is quickly becoming the baseline for competitive differentiation.”

Lulu’s B2B segment saw 15.6% revenue growth in 2025 over 2024, fueled by enterprise demand for scalable print solutions that integrate customization. This includes the option for true ‘book-of-one’ printing by automating file generation and storage, enabling personalized book generation with the minimum amount of manual work from large organizations.

Companies across industries, including ecommerce, education, and content platforms, are using print-on-demand to create customized products while reducing inventory risk and expanding product offerings. All with a streamlined global fulfillment process.

At the center of this transformation is Lulu’s robust API, which allows businesses to automate and scale print fulfillment directly within their own platforms. New API users grew 113% from 2024 to 2025, and Q1 2026 has already seen a 523% increase in new API users compared to Q1 2025. This rapid adoption signals a fundamental shift: print is no longer a standalone function but an integrated component of modern digital ecosystems.

While enterprises scale personalization across global operations, entrepreneurs and independent creators are leveraging the same tools to build agile, customer-centric businesses.

“Personalization levels the playing field,” Petersen added. “Whether you’re a global brand or a solo entrepreneur, the ability to create meaningful, customized books at scale is now within reach.”