One of the most ubiquitous tools in the business world is the SWOT analysis — Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. It’s a quick way to break things down and have a clear idea of where the business is doing well — and where there might be room for improvement.
As 2026 gets into full swing and wide-format producers start planning for how to grow in the coming months, we asked several owners all in different phases of their wide-format journey — and in different regions of the U.S. — to SWOT the wide-format segment .
Our panel:
Brian Adam, president of Olympus Group, headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Crystal Savage, vice president of Alliance Reprographics in Houston, Texas
Brian Hite, principal and co-founder of Image Options in Foothills Ranch, California.
Strengths
BA: The wide-format industry is stable-to-growing, supported by ongoing demand in retail, events, sports, out-of-home, and branded environments. Compared with many other print segments, margins have historically been stronger due to complexity, speed requirements, and the value of consistent execution — though margins are compressing quickly. Physical print remains a core part of how brands show up in the real world, and the best providers differentiate through quality, reliability, and the ability to deliver complete programs (print plus finishing plus kitting plus installation coordination) with fewer handoffs.
CS: One of the strongest attributes of the large-format printing and reprographics segment today is adaptability. Alliance Reprographics has intentionally diversified across product offerings and industries. This evolution has contributed to our strongest performance to date. Clients are increasingly seeking providers who can support a wide range of needs, from traditional reprographics to large-format graphics, signage, and installation. We have expanded our product offerings and invested in relationship-based sales, and we are seeing more consistent demand and deeper client engagement. Diversification across industries has reduced our reliance on any single market cycle, creating greater stability. Overall, our focus on expanded capabilities, client relationships, and solution-driven service is driving long-term growth.
BH: Within large-format, retail interiors, and experiential work, the strongest parts of the industry continue to be those supporting complex, execution-driven projects rather than purely transactional print. As programs become more integrated, combining print, fabrication, logistics, installation, and coordination, the value shifts toward firms more capable of managing complexity and delivering consistently. Physical environments remain an important element for brand presence, customer engagement, and experiential marketing. When executed well, these projects are difficult to replicate quickly and tend to reward experience, operational discipline, and cross-functional collaboration. The industry’s continued evolution beyond traditional print into broader spatial and experiential solutions has become a meaningful strength, particularly where clients seek accountability, reliability, and fewer handoffs across vendors.
Read this full feature on Wide-Format Impressions, a publication of PRINTING United Alliance, ASI’s strategic partner.
