13 Tips to Remember From Our March-April Edition

CONSIDER THIS YOUR CHEAT SHEET. We pulled 13 of our favorite insights from the March/April issue of Big Picture — sharp moves, smart reframes, and a few lines worth borrowing.

1. On-screen proofs lie. Artisan Colour ran six rounds of hard proofs under actual projected light before committing to full production on a color-critical mural. “Color on a client’s monitor is rarely calibrated,” says Kristiane Trejo. If the end environment has unusual lighting, test in that environment. (Best of Wide Format)

2. Before you commit to a material, confirm it can survive the end environment. Wrapsesh Vinyl Vixen called her Avery rep to verify the film could handle hospital-grade disinfecting before wrapping multimillion-dollar CT scanners. One phone call beats one expensive redo. (Best of Wide Format)

3. Don’t just proof electronically — produce a physical prototype with several variations so the client can hold it up in the actual space. Source One Digital does this for every architectural film project. “That way, they can see if it performs as intended for the space,” says Katie Jasmin. (Best of Wide Format)

4. Run a wall adhesion test before selecting your material — not after. Signarama San Antonio let the adhesion test drive the spec on a gymnasium install, leading to a material choice that stuck rather than one they hoped would stick. (Best of Wide Format)

5. Replace “Just checking in” with “I want to ensure we’re aligned before production capacity tightens.” One sounds like a vendor chasing a signature. The other sounds like a project partner. (Kevin Baumgart)

6. “We’re doing your walls — have you considered the floor, too?” That single question turned a wall graphics job into nearly 2,500 square feet of combined floor and wall work for Go Graphix. Bundle by environment, not product. (Line Time)

7. Can’t find experienced production staff? Look at restaurant kitchens. Linda Fong of Fastsigns says kitchen-prep workers are good with their hands, clean and tidy, and understand timing. The skills transfer surprisingly well to print production. (Tip Sheet)

8. Growth means the business is getting bigger. Leverage means the business is getting easier to move. When effort no longer changes outcomes, the constraint is perspective — not execution. (Mark Coudray)

9. List the 10 most common customer objections your team hears. Write a response for each. Post them in the production area and drill weekly until they’re second nature. (Manager’s To-Do)

10. Want to do charity work without bankrupting the shop? Dallas Fowler of Digital EFX donated his design time and asked the nonprofit to cover only media costs. The wrap would have billed at $8,000-$10,000. Instead, it generated 900 book donations and massive community goodwill. (Best of Wide Format)

11. On Pretzel Day April 26, visit local micro-breweries and ask if they need menu boards, tap handle signs, event banners, or patio graphics. Yep, just walk in with a bag of pretzels … and walk out with a quote request. (Calendar)

12. Oversize your window graphics and trim in the field. “No window ever has a perfectly straight weatherproofing gasket,” says Wade Neff of Strategic Factory. The extra material costs almost nothing. The callback from a visible gap costs a lot more. (Tip Sheet)

13. Video is how customers shop now — yes, even for print providers. Launch a 30-day video challenge: every team member shoots one short clip per day. Phone camera, no editing, 15–90 seconds. By week four, you’ll have a content library and a team that doesn’t freeze on camera. (Monthly Project)