Meet the 2025 Women in Wide Format Winners: Lindsay Theisen

Lindsay Theisen
Just Fab Graphics | Mt. Pleasant, Michigan
Owner, Senior Graphic Designer

LINDSAY THEISEN IS A BOLD, creative force in the wide-format printing industry. An accomplished artist and graphic designer, she founded Just Fab Graphics in 2017—selling her couch to buy her first printer. With determination and vision, she grew her business into a thriving, full-service graphics shop known for vibrant, boundary-pushing designs.

Based in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, Theisen serves local and corporate clients while mentoring young women and giving back to her community. A 2023 Best of Wide- Format Award recipient, which is hosted by The Big Picture and the International Sign Association (ISA), she continues to redefine what’s possible in wide-format printing through innovation, artistry, and entrepreneurial spirit.

What were some of the most critical lessons you learned transitioning from a designer to a business owner?

In the early years, my plate was overflowing. Now, in year eight, I’m finally figuring it out. One of the biggest lessons is to delegate whenever possible. Use your time wisely and manage it well to get everything done. Mistakes have been some of my greatest teachers.

In the beginning, I didn’t really know how to run a business. I had the design component but I had the business side learning curve to master. Now I’m someone people look up to for my ambition and work ethic.

Before starting my business, I was a graphic designer for the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe (not the gaming side) and later for a wood chipper manufacturer in the forestry industry. Those roles gave me a well-rounded background and experience in designing for all kinds of businesses. Even after leaving, people kept contacting me for graphics because my reputation had grown.

What advice would you give to other women—especially creatives—considering starting a print business but feeling intimidated by the technical or operational side?

I get this question a lot. People call or message me saying, “I want to start a business, but I’m scared.” I never planned to start mine—it just fell into my lap—and I happened to have both the design skills and marketing instincts.

Not everyone should own a sign shop. Knowing how to print isn’t enough—you need strong design skills. Too often I see shops producing generic, poorly designed work, using the same tired fonts and weak typography. Now, with Canva and AI tools like ChatGPT, it’s even easier for bad design to spread. Even AI-generated designs need to be refined and made your own.

My advice:

1. Have the skills first. The rest will follow.
2. Have the drive. I’ve been knocked down hard but always bounced back stronger. Business is a roller coaster with highs and lows, often within the same hour.
3. Be ready to handle everything. That includes finances, materials, equipment, shipping, customer issues, and employee management. Learn to troubleshoot and run every part of your business so you’re never dependent on someone else to keep it afloat.
4. Use your resources. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. I reached out and made connections with other graphic shop owners in the central Michigan area. We discussed competitive pricing, reliable supply companies, techniques, etc. The Roland printer techs also were always a helpful resource.

I was terrified to purchase my first printer. After I did the math and figured out how much I was spending to outsource, I took the leap. Despite the uncertainty, I had the drive, the vision and a dream!

I never stopped working and my business grew steadily every year. We are now on year eight! There have been bumps along the way, times when I felt it was too much and I felt like quitting. But I’ve learned from all the obstacles and most importantly, I didn’t give up!

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In what ways has social media transformed your customer relationships and overall business strategy?

Social media has had a huge impact on our business growth. Many customers see our posts and get ideas for new projects. When we complete a job, clients often expect I’ll post a high-quality, well-thought-out showcase of their project—which promotes them as well as us.

Social media has been our only form of advertising. I’ve never spent money on billboards or big ad campaigns. Our following is strong, so our posts often get shared widely and receive great feedback. Most of what we post is client work, but we also share our own projects—like wrapping our truck in a new way or testing a new material. We have a pretty big following and a lot of our posts do well. We get a lot of shares and a lot of great feedback and comments.

We post on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat, and have recently added YouTube. I try to post daily, though sometimes I take a break and then post in batches. Facebook and Instagram link together, while TikTok videos are manually shared to the other platforms. It’s a mix of photos and videos, depending on the project.

How do you push creative boundaries in wide-format printing while maintaining profitability and scalability?

I sometimes use AI tools like ChatGPT for design ideas, but I always tweak them to make them my own. Many AI-generated designs are flat—lacking depth, texture, proportion, and context. Sometimes they look overly painted or cartoonish. Good design still requires human creativity and refinement.