Page 50 - South Mississippi Living - August, 2016

BUSINESS
& INDUSTRY sign of the times
f you’ve walked through some of the Coast’s premier casinos or visited the Gulfport International Airport, chances are you’ve seen the extraordinary work of Illustrative Ink. This locally owned and operated business produces some of the most high-quality, large-scale designs in the industry.
The owners, Diana and Charles Punzo, have many years
of experience under their belts with Diana’s history in interior design and Charles’ 20 years experience as a graphic designer and background in casino advertising. The two also worked together as professional photographers until 2008, when the photography market slowed down tremendously. “At that point, I fell back on what I knew: the signage needs of the casinos,” said Charles.
As with any new beginning, the journey wasn’t easy. The Punzos set out to open their own print shop, which began with a single poster printer they operated out of their garage. Over time, their business began to outgrow their garage and overflowed into their home. With the addition of two supplementary printers, their largest obstacle appeared to be lack of space. “It got to the point
50 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • August 2016
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Providing large scale photography and printing needs
THE PUNZO FAMILY: Diana, Charles and daughter, Kaydence.
story by Kelsey Sunderman photos courtesy of Charles Punzo