From the Editor: Get in Shape for 2016

We think of winter as the coldest, darkest months of the year. But did you know that our days start getting longer before winter even begins? This is true for every city in the Northern Hemisphere. Halfway through one of the warmest winters on record, we had the least daylight on December 21 last year.

The reason for this incongruous effect is the Earth’s ability to retain heat, which delays temperature drops until weeks after the solstice and, likewise, inhibits rising temperatures until after the equinox passes. Think of it like a delayed reaction. Light changes first, and temperatures follow.

Regardless of light, or its lack, we find ourselves prompted by popular media, friends, and family to set resolutions at the beginning of each year. And then most of us give up on them and spend a week in mid-February feeling guilty. My advice? Forget the resolutions at home, and try practices you can stick with, starting in the workplace. Here are a few tips from Big Picture staffers, columnists, and board members:

• Find your slowest department. Find your bottleneck. Find where written or unwritten orders – or the work in progress on partially completed jobs – are waiting for action, and fix them.

• Diversify. Most of what large-format printers offer is a commodity. Look for ways to be different, whether it’s acquiring machinery that allows you to route or laser cut, or looking into digital signage.

• Invest in web-to-print. Pick a system that allows you to begin relatively small (building a customer-friendly user interface that also streamlines your order entry, for example) and allows you to automate sales, marketing, and production over time.

• Buy a nice camera or occasionally hire a photographer to showcase your work. It’s to your benefit to be able to self-market and say, “Look at the amazing work we did!” Graphics are visual communications, after all.

Oh – and instead of resolutions? Try making small, incremental, permanent shifts in your lifestyle. Rather than dieting, eat more healthy foods; rather than planning to exercise, walk for a few minutes a day. Studies show that small, gradual changes and a self-forgiving mindset stick much better.

While I applaud the 16 percent of Americans, according to a Nielsen poll, who opted out of the resolution rat race and set no goals at all, that only goes so far. To help you shape the coming year, we’ve compiled a set of essays penned by industry suppliers in our inaugural Big Picture Ideas issue. These are voices from behind the scenes in manufacturing, the people who take your fears and frustrations and then dream up tomorrow’s technology – printers, software, inks, substrates, and other products that help you stay in motion. Whether you’re in the cynical 16 percent or the optimistic 84, their words will shape your next 12 months.

*Thanks to Terry Corman, Steve Duccilli, Brandon Gabriel, Kiersten Wones, and Beth Osborne for contributing to this month’s tips.

Read more words from the editor here.

Read more from our January/February Spring Ideas 2016 issue here.