French online printer Paynelia has developed an artificial intelligence assistant designed to provide customers with round-the-clock advice on print products, pricing and technical requirements.
Based in Anglet in the French Basque Country, Paynelia offers around 250 customisable products, spanning business cards, flyers and brochures through to banners, display products, packaging and promotional items. Its online tools, including price configurators, automated file checking, production tracking and customer accounts, have been developed in-house.
The company has extended this approach with Txiki, an AI assistant developed internally and available through both written chat and voice. According to Paynelia, the system has access to more than 130,000 prices alongside information covering formats, production times and manufacturing constraints.
Rather than operating as a general-purpose chatbot, Txiki is intended to provide advice based on Paynelia’s documented product information. It is explicitly prevented from calculating prices that do not appear in its pricing data, directing customers to the relevant configurator when it cannot provide a confirmed figure.
The assistant can also challenge a customer’s initial product choice. Paynelia gives the example of someone requesting a banner for a three-day event being directed towards a less expensive alternative. Technical and regulatory information is incorporated into the system, including requirements affecting construction permit signage and restrictions concerning packaging intended for food contact.
“Artificial intelligence doesn’t replace advice; it makes it available around the clock. A customer preparing their file on a Sunday evening needs an accurate answer at that moment,” said the Paynelia team.
The AI is supported by a substantial technical content library. Paynelia says its website contains 1,061 guidance pages across 77 areas, covering subjects including file preparation, paper weights, folding, colour conversion and the suitability of substrates for outdoor applications.
Print production itself is handled by partner printers in France and elsewhere in Europe, with orders delivered directly to customers across mainland France. Paynelia’s Anglet operation houses its headquarters and studio, including development, graphic design and customer relations.
The company is also using Txiki for its own press enquiries, with the assistant able to provide information and assets, direct journalists to relevant contacts and arrange interviews.
