30-YEAR REWIND < < From a Basement in Boulder to an Industry Legacy

September 11, 2025

JUNE 1995–2025

It started with one printer. One car. No dolly. And a whole lot of optimism.

But from those early delivery days, our business grew fast—and fearlessly.

1997: FROM MOCK REALTY TO MOMENTUM

Just two years after launching from our 250-square-foot basement office in South Boulder, we had outgrown the space—and the name. In June 1997, we moved into a 3,000 sq ft office in Louisville, custom-built for our growing team and ambitions. It had a demonstration room where customers could test drive equipment before buying—a model we’ve kept ever since.

We also rebranded from Global Printer Supplies to Global Imaging and updated our tagline from “Your Source For All Color Output Solutions” to “A Spectrum of Digital Color Solutions.”

Our reputation for understanding technology, consulting with honesty, and staying ahead of the curve started here—and it stuck.

THE HUMAN TOUCH

Our brand kept evolving—at one point, our tagline became, “The human touch in an often mechanical environment.”

And we meant it.

We were known for our people—those who could translate this fast-paced, high-tech world into something that made sense to people. We were consulting customers, training them, problem-solving for their future business plans.

We’ve always prioritized people—our customers, our employees, and our vendor partners. We had installers, trainers, techs, and salespeople who brought expertise and personality to every conversation. We trained photographers on their transitions from film to digital. We showed studios how to optimize their workflows. We made relationships—not just sales.

The business model never changed:

Know the equipment inside and out. Sell it with integrity. Train people how to use it. Be there when they need you.

GROWTH MODE: 2000–2004

By the 5-year mark, we had opened offices in San Diego and Santa Monica, and eventually in Dallas as well, to support booming markets in photo, print, and signage.

We became the official supplier for all FASTSIGNS franchises and hundreds of Coors Brewing distributors nationwide. We were selling high-end digital camera backs to top photographers from coast-to-coast and opened a booming rental division to rent the photo equipment for incredible fashion, on-site, food, arial, and commercial shoots all over the country.

And in 2003, we sold the first flatbed printer in the U.S.—a Zünd 215 that printed on materials up to 2″ thick. It was revolutionary. VUTEk and Durst weren’t far behind, and we were riding the wave.

In late 2003, we doubled again—into 6,000 sq ft—and in 2004, rebranded again: “CAPTURE IT. MANAGE IT. PRINT IT. FINISH IT.”

We weren’t just resellers. We were experts in every step of the imaging process.

INNOVATION, ALWAYS

In 2009, we launched a new platform that solved one of the biggest challenges our customers faced: what to do with their old equipment.

INTRODUCING: Global Garage – the industry’s go-to marketplace for used equipment.

It took off like wildfire and to this day, outpaces Global Imaging in name recognition. It was followed by:

PrinterEvolution (our own printer line)
Panoply Supplies
Panoply Finance

And the fun didn’t stop there.

2012: THE WORKFLOW STUDIO

By 2012, we’d grown again—this time to 14,000 square feet, anchored by the crown jewel: The Workflow Studio (WFS)—the largest demonstration facility in the country.

We held exclusive VIP events where people came from all over the country to:

Explore end-to-end workflows
Test new equipment
Sit on expert panels
Learn, connect, and plan their next big move

We had over $1 million in calibrated, cutting-edge equipment on the floor, including the Massivit 3D printer—the largest of its kind in the world at the time.

The WFS wasn’t just a showroom. It was a hub of innovation, and people waited to visit the WFS before making decisions. We were proud of this offering and the community we built. And we had a blast doing it.

THEN CAME THE PANDEMIC

Like most companies in event-based industries, we were hit hard in 2020.

Our industry—the large-format printing world—relies on large gatherings: Trade shows. Events. Retail rollouts. Stadium branding. Festivals.

All of it ground to a halt.

We’d weathered 9/11, the 2008 recession, but COVID was something else.

We relied on every government loan, subleased our WFS space, and had to say goodbye to half of our staff. It hurt. We’ve never fully reactivated that part of the business, but what saved us then is what’s kept us alive for three decades:

Creativity
Grit
Flexibility
Deep customer relationships
The desire to keep showing up

We stayed agile, resourceful, and committed.

We’re proud to be here—and proud to be telling this story.

30 years later.