History of Our Print Shop in Visalia

The story of our print shop in Visalia began in 1977, when the quick-printing industry was just starting to take hold across the U.S. Yes, Virginia, back then, there were no while-you-wait print shops in every town.

What was to eventually become IDEA! Printing & Graphics was the opening of a PIP franchise on Main Street in downtown Visalia in 1977. In the 80s, a second PIP franchise was also opened in Visalia. The original PIP shop was later closed and reopened under the new name of Van's Quick Print on Center Avenue.

From So Cal back to Cen Cal

During these years, Jim and Ruby Laber were living and working in Southern California. Ruby was managing an award-winning printing shop, and Jim was running a successful yacht maintenance company. Good as life may have been in sunny So Cal, they got the itch to move back to Tulare County where they both were raised and still had family.

In 1990, Van's Quick Print was listed for sale, so Jim and Ruby grabbed the opportunity and purchased the business. With Ruby’s print background and Jim’s technical background, the business was a perfect fit for their talents. Ruby could manage the print business and Jim’s maintenance skills meant he could fix expensive equipment himself without hiring outside help. When computerized printing came along, Jim’s electronics background (acquired during a stint in the Navy) also proved helpful.

Soon after the print shop was purchased, the company's name was officially changed to Presto Print and Copy Center. With the new name and a fresh start, the Labers made a key business transaction that allowed them to acquire more equipment and customer accounts.

Presto Print took off as the additional equipment brought quality and speed-of-delivery to the delight of customers. The growth was more than the existing 1200 sq. ft. shop could sustain. The Labers signed a lease in the same building for 1700 sq. ft. in 1993.

During the above period, in 1991, we were one of the first print shops in Visalia to adopt vehicle wrap technology. Later, we were also one of the first to be certified as the following: Avery Dennison Certified Wrap Installer, 3M Preferred Graphics Installer, and Fellers Certified.

In 1994, the remaining PIP printing shop sold its assets to us. Once again, the additional equipment was terrific for business, but tough to maneuver around. By 1996 something just had to be done to relieve the situation, so an additional 450 sq. ft. of office space in the building directly behind the shop was leased. 

We have always invested in new technology and a few years later, in 1997, we found that our latest acquisitions pushed us to the brink of space and electrical supply. Luckily, these acquisitions increased our sales 60% over the first six months of the year, so we could afford to move.

In July of 1998, we moved our print shop in Visalia to the East Main Extension. Our facility now occupies over 8000 sq. ft. — almost eight times our original space! An extra perk is that we now have plenty of parking!

On becoming more than just a print shop …

With the advent of the year 2000, we changed our name again. We needed a name that better reflected the variety of marketing services we offer. We were more than just a “print shop.” Much more.

The date was set and in early October 2000, we introduced IDEA! Printing & Graphics to the public.

At the same time, we placed a new four-color press, a computer-to-plate system, and a new right-angle folder on the floor. That very same year we also became the local pioneers in the field of wide-format printing.

Looking forward ...

Today, we continue to invest in the latest technology and equipment to provide our customers with the best printing results. Our expert printing services include offset printing, digital printing, variable data printing, large format printing, and digital print-on-demand.

Besides printing, we offer design services, direct mailing services, vehicle and wall wraps, promotional items, and more.

We invite you to come to our print shop and see for yourself the changes and growth that you, our customer, helped make happen. We couldn’t do it without you. Thanks for everything. We hope to see you in-person soon!