Category: News You Can Use

March 2022 Featured Graphics: Levy Dykema

Posted on | by Madi

Levy Dykema is one of our many growing clients in Austin and is one of our model customers – they utilize every type of product or service Miller offers.
 
Recently we were able to rush print some traffic-stopping designs to strategically place in their new Congress Avenue windows as SXSW’ers were traveling by on foot. The designs had the desired effect, drawing festival goers’ attention and creating awareness for Levy Dykema and their new Austin location, inside the historic Sampson Building on the corner of Congress and 7th. Many photo ops were taking place outside their windows. How fun for Levy Dykema to be pictured in postable photos traveling the globe! Levy Dykema’s design was a printed backdrop on ½” foam board with ½” white foam letters cut out and laid on top. Ryan Begley, Director of Design and Creative Services, did his own design and installation and did a bang-up job!
 
We are blessed to be able to provide Levy Dykema with graphic and reprographic products and services, as well as printers and copiers for the internal document workflow needs.
 
We remember fondly when Stephen Levy came into our store the first time inquiring about services for his new startup architecture firm. He was determined to keep his business small. Thankfully, his plans changed, and under Stephen’s leadership Levy Architects has grown beyond Austin. Most recently, Levy has partnered with Corpus Christi based Dykema Architects. Together, Levy Dykema has over 50 years of award-winning architecture experience and will expand their unique brand of Texas Contemporary design throughout Texas, the U.S. and beyond!
 
We thank you Stephen Levy and friends at Levy Dykema for being a great client of ours!

Levy Dykema’s Website
Levy Dykema’s Instagram

If you would like to get started on a project with our graphics team, reach out to Sydney Donelson at CSSR@MillerIDS.com.

March 2022 Artist of the Month: Janna White

Posted on | by Madi

Janna White started her art “career” at the age of 70 in acrylics and watercolor, but eventually found a “happy place” combining hand painted papers with collage. Janna lives with her daughter and family in Austin, and continues to create art for the joy of it. After having many careers in her 76 years, she now has time in her “retirement” to be creative!

The collage (left) is from a set of four named “Under the Sea” that Janna created for her granddaughter to use as placemats. “She loves that I repurpose her homework into painted papers!” Janna said.

“I am very familiar with the services offered at Miller Imaging, and Dana is the go-to person for fine arts.”

Contact Janna via email
 
Janna and Dana, our fine art specialist, pictured left with Janna’s art brought in for scanning.
 
Contact our fine art specialist, Dana Burton, for more information on fine art scans and reproduction.

November 2021 Featured Graphics: First “Artist of the Month” Calendar!

Posted on | by Madi

It is Miller Calendar time! This year we are printing two varieties of calendars in-house! We will have our annual Don Collins calendar for those who like the tradition, plus a new calendar that features all the incredible artists who we featured as our artists of the month throughout 2021! 

We are excited to be doing something new with the calendar this year, and hope you share in the excitement! 

Drop in the stores after December 1st to pick up your calendars, or place your order here!

 

September 2021 Featured Graphics: Texas Tiny Pools

Posted on | by Madi

Texas Tiny Pools hosted their second annual tiny pool tour last weekend. Texas Tiny Pools was founded by our good friend Amy Hageman and her husband Tyler. They recognized the need for a pool in this crazy hot city we live in, and while not everyone needs or has space for a large pool, Amy and Tyler found a way to build a pool in the smallest of yards, so you can still take a dip to cool down.

Amy and Erin Rapp, Tiny Pools’ Chief of Communications + Research, came to us to help print their collateral for the event, and she came with plenty of ideas! Here’s a run through of what we produced:

We printed multi-page brochures with a staple binding that acted as a guide to the event as well as a tour passport. At each location they stamped the brochure, and at the end of the tour, if you went to every pool, you got a prize! The brochure featured details on the pools including building materials, add-on features, and a rough cost of the pool.

We also printed h-stake yard signs to point visitors in the right direction in the neighborhoods, as well as yard signs that detailed the specificities of each pool on-site.

Amy wanted a large frame for a Tiny Pool photo-op, which we printed on coroplast, and cut on our iEcho router. Lastly, we printed design boards on coroplast so that clients choices could be shown together.

The event was a great success and we were glad to be a part of it! We love Amy and her company and their ability to create dream pools in a size anyone can manage!

Texas Tiny Pools’ Website
Texas Tiny Pools’ Instagram: @texastinypools

For more information on graphics printing, please contact Sydney at CSSR@MillerIDS.com

June 2021 Featured Graphics: GraphEx Awards

Posted on | by Madi

On Thursday night I represented our graphics team in Dallas for the awards we won in 2020 (Covid delay) and 2021 from PIA MidAmericas (Print Industry of America). This region represents commercial printers in four states. 2020 was our first year to participate, and I’m thrilled with how well we presented! We received two exciting surprise awards that are announced at the show!

For 2021 we were presented the Best of Show for Digital Printing, Platinum Level for the mural print and installation known as the “Dell Children’s Hospital ‘Heroes’Exit’!” The judges were impressed with the scope of the project and we remain in awe of the wonderful idea behind the installation, allowing every patient leaving to get recognition as a hero. Hats off to Rebecca Borrelli for the design and to both Susan Hewlitt and Marcella Maxwell for beginning the thought process for the heroes exit!

For 2020 we were presented the Best of Show for Digital Art Reproductions, Honorable Mention Level for Karen Alexander’s “Bryce Canyon” piece. The judges created the Honorable Mention award because the piece was just so beautiful and kept drawing them back. It’s a favorite of mine, too!

Again, I am so thankful that you choose us to print your wonderful designs, giving us the opportunity to perform in the implementation side of the work!

Sincerely, Luci Miller

For more information on our Graphic Printing services, please contact Elesha at CSSR7@MillerIDS.com. 

April 2021 Featured Graphics

Posted on | by Madi

We submitted these seven pieces of work on behalf of our customers for judging in the Print Industry of America (PIA) MidAmerica’s “Graphic Excellence Awards” or GraphEx. Five won Best of Category and will move on to being judged at a National Level.

As you take pride in your work, we take pride in producing your work! We are proud of ourselves and of you for these beautiful pieces. Thank you to these amazing companies and individuals who trust us to produce a phenomenal product. 

We will keep you updated on the National awards when they are announced.

For more information on our Graphic Printing services, please contact Elesha at CSSR7@MillerIDS.com. 

Featured Graphics: Bright Spot in the Pandemic! “Heroes’ Exit” Mural at Dell Children’s Hospital

Posted on | by Madi

Dell Children’s Medical Center has a new addition – a Heroes’ Exit! Ready for a great story? You may have heard of Owen Coulter, a 5 year old boy who went to Dell Children’s Medical in December of 2019 and had a miraculous journey that included a life-saving experience by staff upon his arrival. Owen’s father is a firefighter in Austin. As Owen left the hospital after a 56 day stay, there was a “superhero” departure celebration with dozens of firefighters, police officers, 18 fire trucks, balloons, t-shirts, and even a few costumed super-heroes. The experience was wonderful for everyone there, but especially the hero being celebrated, Owen.

Days later a Dell Medical Children’s Medical Center Foundation board member dropped by the office of Susan Hewlitt (executive director of the foundation). The board member, Marcella Maxwell (who also works at Dell Children’s) said that she couldn’t stop thinking about the wonderful exit Owen had. “How can we have every child feel like a hero when they leave?” she thought out loud. They quickly began brainstorming and walking the hospital for ideas.

At the entryway of the hospital is the HEB Auditorium, which happens to be a perfect passageway and private exit for the kids. Susan immediately went to this spot and an idea came to her for a “hero’s exit” – what if they had a mural here and kids could take pictures as they were released to go home? The idea was positively received by the foundation board, and Susan could not have been more pleased with their unanimous agreement to support the project. The next question was who the artist would be – Susan knew that Becca Borrelli would be perfect!

Becca had designed a coloring book for the kids at Dell Children’s. Becca is an illustrator and has a background in teaching. For Becca this was the perfect project- it combined her love of children with her passion for design. Becca began to weave a compilation of happy imagery from areas in the hospital, making the final memories in the hospital a way to remember Dell Children’s in a positive way.

The final product is a brightly colored mural printed on DreamScape wallpaper. Images include a StarFlight helicopter, the stone water wall from the courtyard, a replication of the donor butterfly wall, and spotlights on art found in the hospital such as the art by Graciela Boulanger gracing the bridge in the lobby as well as the blue dog featured in a George Rodrigue piece found in the hospital.

Becca contacted Miller after having printed with us before. The experience was pleasant for Becca and it was easy to communicate with Destenie (Customer Sales and Service Rep) from the beginning. Becca had been contracted to paint the mural on the wall, but had worked with DreamScape in another hospital setting and knew that it holds up to cleaning and is long-lasting. “DreamScape was the perfect solution we didn’t know we needed, especially with how clean we have to keep it,” said Susan Hewitt.

As the final joyful touch to this fulfilling project, note that it was accomplished during COVID! Installing the piece during this difficult time made it an even happier win!