Big Picture - May 2017 - 24

BIG PICTURE

May 2017

Above: Swanson in
his Las Vegas print
shop, surrounded
by his wide-format
work. Right: Event
and venue signage
printed and
installed by
Screaming Images.

24

Q. WHAT'S ONE TECHNICAL ADVANCE YOU'VE SEEN
IN THE LAST FEW YEARS THAT YOU COULDN'T HAVE
IMAGINED YOUR LIFE WITHOUT, PROFESSIONALLY
AND PERSONALLY?
A: The digital advances each year (and sometimes each

month) are amazing, and it's not something I could have
totally envisioned when we started in the '90s. We recently
moved locations and invested in new, typically larger print
equipment, and we couldn't cut corners because we didn't
want the investment to get dated in only a year or two. We
had to invest in the most high-tech equipment possible. On
top of digital printing advances, the internet and wireless
technology have made exchanging graphics and overall
communications faster than ever before.
With that said, the biggest advancement I have seen
personally and professionally in the past few years has been
the smartphone. Communications are now instantaneous.
From communications with customers, to marketing and
operations, the smartphone has truly changed the game in
a big way.
Like most printers, we're predominately a Mac-based
company. Our prepress and creative department run the
latest 27-inch iMacs along with our sales staff and even our
CSRs for data entry and job tracking. So, the iPhone is an
amazing tool that almost all of our employees use daily to
sync up to their workstations, check schedules, clock in and
out, update delivery statuses, take measurements and photos
- all of which ultimately helps daily to get the job out, on
time, and under budget.

Q. KIERSTEN, BIG PICTURE'S ASSOCIATE EDITOR,
AND I TOURED SCREAMING IMAGES LAST FALL.
DURING OUR TIME THERE, WE WITNESSED YOUR
MANY PASSIONS HIGHLIGHTED THROUGHOUT
THE SHOP. WHAT ARE YOUR INTERESTS OUTSIDE
OF WORK AND HOW DO THEY PLAY INTO YOUR
PROFESSIONAL LIFE?
A: Like I said earlier, I work on some pretty cool stuff. All of

the displays on the walls are of actual jobs. Jonny Two Bags
played a set at my shop for the grand opening party for our
new facility, and commented between songs, "There's some
history on these walls." I was pretty stoked about that, seeing
as he plays guitar in my favorite band of all time, Social
Distortion - who is also a client of 13 years!
Two of the things that have influenced my life the most are
sports and music. I played baseball from 6 years old into my 40s,
and it taught me how to be a team player. It also taught me that
sometimes the best way to your goals is using your head as well
as your physical capabilities. I've been a huge music guy since I
was a kid, and coming from the LA punk rock scene in the early
'80s taught me a lot of things that I apply to my business every
day. Punk rock taught me that it was OK to be different. It was
OK to do things yourself. It taught me how to be an individual,
and that the best way to represent myself was to stick with my
true personality. Punk rock gave me the guts to take chances.
I'm also a weekend warrior. Things I enjoy are riding my
2013 Harley Road Glide, hitting the lake on a Saturday, and
snowboarding in winter. And I try to never miss a show when
my favorite bands come to town. T.S.O.L. this weekend!



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Big Picture - May 2017

Big Picture - May 2017
Contents
Insight
Wide Angle
Upfront
Business + Management
Selling a Story
How I Got the Job: James Swanson
Dialing in on Dye Sub
R+D
Job Log
Big Picture - May 2017 - Big Picture - May 2017
Big Picture - May 2017 - Cover2
Big Picture - May 2017 - Contents
Big Picture - May 2017 - Insight
Big Picture - May 2017 - 3
Big Picture - May 2017 - Wide Angle
Big Picture - May 2017 - 5
Big Picture - May 2017 - Upfront
Big Picture - May 2017 - 7
Big Picture - May 2017 - 8
Big Picture - May 2017 - 9
Big Picture - May 2017 - 10
Big Picture - May 2017 - 11
Big Picture - May 2017 - Business + Management
Big Picture - May 2017 - 13
Big Picture - May 2017 - Selling a Story
Big Picture - May 2017 - 15
Big Picture - May 2017 - 16
Big Picture - May 2017 - 17
Big Picture - May 2017 - 18
Big Picture - May 2017 - 19
Big Picture - May 2017 - 20
Big Picture - May 2017 - 21
Big Picture - May 2017 - How I Got the Job: James Swanson
Big Picture - May 2017 - 23
Big Picture - May 2017 - 24
Big Picture - May 2017 - 25
Big Picture - May 2017 - Dialing in on Dye Sub
Big Picture - May 2017 - 27
Big Picture - May 2017 - R+D
Big Picture - May 2017 - 29
Big Picture - May 2017 - 30
Big Picture - May 2017 - 31
Big Picture - May 2017 - 32
Big Picture - May 2017 - 33
Big Picture - May 2017 - 34
Big Picture - May 2017 - 35
Big Picture - May 2017 - Job Log
Big Picture - May 2017 - Cover3
Big Picture - May 2017 - Cover4
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