Company

Think Plaid visits BIG Images

Think Plaid visits BIG Images in San Luis Obispo

The Think Plaid team, from Danbury, Connecticut stopped by while on their Plaid Nation Tour.

The Plaid Tour is a two-week road tour, where Plaid travels from market to market and visits brands, bloggers, fans and other agencies. The tour is meant to be a rolling demonstration of some of the latest social media tools and a celebration of creativity. In most markets, they schedule "tweet-ups," gathering together social media, marketing and internet workers from the area for a (real world) social gathering.

Today they stopped by, explained their use of media and the social internet, showed us their rig, and spent the afternoon soaking up the San Luis Obispo sun at Firestone Grill.

iii Design moves in!

iii Design moves in with BIG Images

Those superstars of imagination over at iii design have moved in with us at 767 Francis Avenue, and it's a nonstop design and printing party!

BIG Images and iii design have worked on several projects before, so it was a natural fit for us to work in the same space. Much like Voltron, our combined force is unstoppable.

So if you walk into our shop and find yourself facing six more people than you were expecting, along with a bunch of plants and a Webby, don't be alarmed. We're just being totally awesome.

The New BIG Images

BIG Images new storefront at 767 Francis Ave, San Luis Obispo, Ca 93401

A BIG Images photo journal—2 weeks of madness…


Because of the convenience of the internet and next-day FedEx shipments many of our customers never get to see BIG Images’ offices and production facility. Many are even unaware of the work we have put into our new facility (which almost tripled our size!) So, for the curious, here is a photo journal of our remodel and move…
Read the full article...

Personalized Birthday Banners

Children holding a custom personalized birthday banner created at BIG Images

Planning a birthday? Create a personalized birthday banner!

Change things up by printing a personalized banner! BIG Images has just launched the newest version of its birthday banner designer, Banner Works.

Its easier than ever — choose from one of our pre-made templates (or start from scratch). Upload photos, choose art from our vast array of clip art, customize the message, and within minutes your banner will be printing at BIG Images.

Begin creating your own by visiting the birthday banner page and clicking the "Begin Browsing" button. There is no sign-up to try it out, only when you decide to purchase.

The move is complete!

BIG Images’ move is complete!


We are now located at 767 Francis Ave., San Luis Obispo Ca 93401.

Doing Business in San Luis Obispo

Looking at the big, global picture


Ken Pettit and Jon Beebe of BIG Images discussing business in San Luis Obispo
Ken Pettit and Jon Beebe were featured in the business section of the Tribune talking about business in San Luis Obispo
We were recently asked by our local newspaper what obstacles we encounter doing business in San Luis Obispo and what are we doing to overcome them. Here is our answer to their question… Read the full article...

BIG Images is Growing

We’re expanding…


An illustration by Ben Lawless for BIG Images.  BIG Images is moving to a new location!

A few days ago we signed the lease on a new building! We’re so excited about the news and have been so busy making preparations that this months’ BIG Images Newsletter has been postponed. Have no fear, though — we’ll return next month with some choice words about all this craziness we call “enriching the lives of our readers.” But, for now, let’s talk about the new shop!

Screen shot of Google Maps showing BIG Images old location, and its new one at 767 Francis St.
BIG Images is moving 3 blocks south to 767 Francis St, San Luis Obispo, Ca 93401. Click here to view this map on Google Maps.

Our new home is at 767 Francis Avenue, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401. For those of you who don’t know where that is, it’s only three blocks south from our current shop. Above is a screenshot of Google Maps showing our old location compared to the new one. Click here to view this map on Google Maps.

A photo of BIG Images new locatcion under construction.  Dru Nations is installing a new sub-panel.
BIG Images is moving to a new building about 2.5x larger. Here an electrician is installing a new sub-panel. BIG Images will be fully moved by October 1, 2007.

We’re growing into a building roughly 2.5 times larger than our current building. That means we can finally hire more people and get that equipment we’ve had on our wishlist all these months.

All this craziness should be done and we’ll be completely moved in by October 1, 2007. Don’t worry: there will be no interruption to our regular workflow. See you there!

iPod Shuffles and jolly good cheer!

What do you get when you mix Apple iPods, Origami, and BIG Images Christmas cheer?

You get employee Christmas presents comprised of 2nd Generation iPod Shuffles wrapped in Origami boxes made of $100 bills.

The holiday season is a time for family, a time for warm cups of peppermint hot chocolate, and even more a time for jolly good cheer to your fellow man. We at BIG Images also believe it’s a time for rocking out in a BIG way. And so, in an effort to turn our employees from unproductive drones slaving away in the corporate mines to ecstatically overjoyed productive drones, we gave each of them a shiny new 2nd Gen iPod Shuffle wrapped in $200 origami boxes (we just had to one-up Santa Steve).

Edit: We have had an overwhelming request for the instructions to make this box — download them as a PDF here. Thanks for the diggs!

BIG Images Christmas gift to its employees.  A step-by-step collage of a Second Generation iPod Shuffle getting wrapped in two $100 bill origami boxes made by Jon Beebe.
A step-by-step collage of a Second Generation iPod Shuffle getting wrapped in two $100 bill origami boxes made by Jon Beebe. This was the BIG Images Christmas present for all our employees. Click here to view a larger image of the wrapped iPod.


Ken Pettit Elected VP of SLOCAMA, on Marketing Committee for SLO Symphony

Ken Pettit, a founding partner in BIG Images, has been elected as Vice President of SLOCAMA for the third year in a row. In addition he has been invited to join the San Luis Obispo Symphony’s Marketing Committee.


In 2004 Ken co-founded SLOCAMA, the San Luis Obispo Creative and Marketing Alliance. It is a group of creative and marketing professionals and students in San Luis Obispo County. The goals of SLOCAMA are:
  • Inspiration: To raise the bar and inspire each other
  • Collaboration: To bring creative professionals together
  • Education: To educate our community about marketing
This year Ken continues to bolster the Marketing community by helping to lead SLOCAMA into 2007. Ken has also helped lead BIG Images’ efforts in supporting the San Luis Obispo Symphony for three years running (read more here). Ken’s continued local involvement has been an invaluable asset to the marketing community & the musical arts of San Luis Obispo.

Official Logo for Banner-Works is Complete

BIG Images Banner Works logo designed by Ben Lawless
The Banner-Works logo designed by Benjamin Lawless
Ben Lawless, our intrepid man of miracles (the one who takes all our good stuff and makes it look a whole-heck-of-alot better), has just completed the logo for Banner-Works. What do you think? Like it? Then trust us when we say you will enjoy the experience at Banner-Works even more. Check out all our designs (including a slew from Ben himself). Treat yourself by customizing and personalizing your very own vinyl banner and then have the banner you just designed printed right here at BIG Images.

Design Online! Banner-Works Goes Live.

BIG Images Banner Works Pencil designed by Ben Lawless
The Banner-Works pencil
In sync with the vision and energy that originally founded BIG Images the company has once again turned heads with its revolutionary online design technology–Banner-Works. In an effort to serve its customers that may not have the tools, time, or expertise to create large-format artwork BIG Images is releasing its design software to its customers for free.

You're free to use it, play with it, save your artwork and return at anytime to continue editing it. When you are ready, click print, and your file is sent to BIG Images automatically.

Banner-Works gives BIG Images customers professional design tools, personal control, creative inspiration, real-time price quotes, and, most importantly, a fun and hassle free experience when working with the large-format world.

BIG Images Service Guarantees

BIG Images, in an effort to serve its customers above and beyond what is the industry norm, spells out its guarantees to you.

On Time Guarantee* If your job is not ready by the promised date it’s free.
Satisfaction Guarantee** If for any reason you are not 100% satisfied with your job simply return it and we will either replace it or give you a refund.

* Promised date is the date/time at which a job is ready to be shipped/picked up from BIG Images. Promised date will be provided once artwork is received and approved for printing by BIG Images, and starts only after BIG Images recieves print-ready artwork. Promised date will be e-mailed with a job confirmation.

** Satisfaction Guarantee applies to the workmanship and quality of the print(s) as can be affected by BIG Images. This guarantee does not include damage due to errors in the digital artwork (including design flaws and spelling errors), events that are beyond reasonable control of BIG Images, or that occur after the image is no longer in possession of BIG Images. BIG Images can opt to not guarantee images if they do not meet the guaranteeable file requirements.