Managing director Cliff Royle told ProPrint the new photobooks differed from all the others on the market as images could be printed on the front, back and inside covers.

Royle was unwilling to detail his technological breakthrough, but he did reveal it involved patents for printing, binding and the cover substrate.

"It's the only different process in existence. I've spent five years of my life developing this," he said.

Royle described the secret manufacturing method as simpler, quicker and less space-intensive than traditional methods, making one-hour kiosks feasible.

Until now, he said, photobook printing had been confined to the internet, because the technology hadn't existed to fit production in a shop.

Royle said the kiosk network was just an idea, but planned to start pitching the concept once word of his photobooks spread.

The Melbourne-based company has two ways in which it plans to commercialise its technology, he said.

Online retailers could put the put the pages together and employ RoyleBind to produce the covers or they could buy rights to the technology and produce the entire photobooks themselves.

Holding Stock is the first retailer to have come on board. Managing director Beverly Hart said RoyleBind's innovation had made it an attractive commercial partner.

"Firstly from a marketing perspective, RoyleBind offered the only significant point of difference in the growing photobook industry. With all other photobook vendors offering the same product, we wanted a point of difference and RoyleBind provides that," she said.

"Secondly quality, RoyleBind provides the look and feel of a premium coffee-table book and also provide images on the inside cover, which others do not. It has good lay-flat properties and the unique binding system means pages will never fall out."

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