The event

Grafica Veneta, 40 years and 250 million copies a year

After the successes of 'Harry Potter' and 'I Killed' investments in sustainability and growth in the US - A podcast recounts the evolution of the print shop

2 December 2025

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Key points

Publishing successes
The recurrence
The roots of the print shop

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Grafica Veneta is forty years old: founded in 1985, it is now one of Europe's leading players in book printing.

Publishing successes

Tracing the company's path of success are the record print runs. Among the most successful titles are the volumes of the 'Harry Potter' saga by J.K. Rowling, with 6 million copies printed since 2014; the Italian publishing case of 'Io uccido' by Giorgio Faletti, with 1.5 million copies and a production flow that at peak times reached 60,000 copies per week; up to more recent successes such as the 'A Court of Thorns and Roses' series, which has almost reached 4 million copies since 2024.

Alongside the large print runs, the ability to work 'in real time': thanks to the H24 division, symbolic instant books have been produced, such as the volume dedicated to Barack Obama for the New York Times on the eve of his first presidential campaign, Nelson Mandela's testament book, printed and delivered in a few hours the day after his death, and the biography of Michael Jackson, produced in record time immediately after the funeral.

Innovation is an integral part of the group's path: investments in new production lines, quality and renewable energies have transformed the historic site in Trebaseleghe into a highly environmentally efficient pole, with over 100,000 square metres of photovoltaic plant and a Carbon Neutral certified production process. The push towards solar energy and digital transformation, with projects dedicated to artificial intelligence, support a long-term industrial strategy that sees the US market - now accounting for 67% of the group's turnover - as the main testing ground, in synergy with the presence in Italy and Europe.

The anniversary

Highlighting the 40-year milestone is a publishing project curated by Marco Cappelli, historical populariser and author of Storie D'Italia: 'Deep roots don't freeze: the history of the Veneto printing house', is a book and a podcast that recounts the evolution of the area's printing tradition and its role in book culture.

"We are celebrating forty years of history, work and shared successes: an important milestone like this cannot be reached alone, but together with publishers and collaborators who believed in Grafica Veneta when it was a small local business and continue to do so today when we are an international book printing operator," commented Fabio Franceschi, president of Grafica Veneta. "For us, the book is not just an industrial product: it is culture, emotion, freedom of thought; that is why we look to the coming years with the same curiosity as the beginnings, ready to grow again and to amaze ourselves together with publishers and readers, because every printed page is, once again, a new shared beginning".

The roots of the print shop

For the occasion, he traces the history of the printing industry in Veneto, from its origins with the first printer-publisher Aldo Manuzio, in 1500 in Venice, to the European successes of the Remondini family of Bassano del Grappa in 1700, to today's contribution and the growth of the sector on an international scale. From a tiny linotype shop in Trebaseleghe, in the province of Padua, Grafica Veneta has become one of the most important players in the industry. In 2002, after the founders passed away, the company was entirely taken over by Fabio Franceschi, who transformed it from a small artisanal enterprise specialising in prints for the public administration into a dynamic and innovative reality in the world of books. The first volume printed at a derisory price, Donna Lakota by Mary Crow-Dog, marked the beginning of a tumultuous development, accompanied by constant investment in technology and personnel. Within ten years, Grafica Veneta became Italy's largest printing house and printed millions of copies of international bestsellers on its presses.

Today, annual production exceeds 250 million copies. The podcast is available on the Grafica Veneta website, in Italian and English.