From The Editor: Opening Doors of Opportunity

Occasionally, I’ve had dreams where I discover that my house has additional rooms, which I then explore with wonder and surprise. While the meaning of these dreams is perhaps best left to trained professionals, they “work” to illustrate the inspiration behind this issue of Wide-format Impressions: opportunity.

Imagine if your business had hidden doors that led to new opportunities, applications, and paths to productivity. In the past five years, the potential in printed decor elements — wallpaper and printed fabrics for window treatments or upholstery — has been a game-changer, especially as experiential spaces gain popularity.

This issue of Wide-format Impressions delves into this exciting space, showcasing how wide-format printing can enhance experiences, convey beauty or mood, and strengthen brand recognition in the hospitality industry. It also highlights how window graphics, textiles, and upholstery are produced and the innovative ways they are being utilized. In reading these pieces, you may find you already have the capabilities to serve this experiential space market. All you need to do now is step through that door.

If selling new opportunities means bringing customers in to learn more about what your company can do, an article published on open house events may provide the inspiration you need to show what you do, explain its value, and inspire customers.

And, if you’re looking for inspiration for your wide-format business, you will find it in abundance at the 2024 PRINTING United Expo, which takes place September 10-12 in Las Vegas, Nevada. As one of the world’s preeminent print-focused trade shows, it has all the equipment, materials, solutions, and expertise your company needs to excel in the spaces you serve and grow into those you don’t. Don’t miss it.

On a personal level, I was recently able to open my own door of opportunity by becoming the content director for Wide-format Impressions — a “room” I knew well but am now able to inhabit. During my time in this role, a primary goal is to highlight the diversity of voices, opportunities, and applications in this still-growing, still-evolving print segment. I’ve been covering wide-format since it started, and it feels like home to me — though it is a home with rooms I have yet to discover.