Big Image was founded in 1987 with the ambition to transform how stage design was created. The idea — to print stage backdrops in large format on fabric instead of sketching them on paper — was initially met with scepticism. Yet, they built the first digital printer for fabric, laying the foundation for an entirely new industry. Today, the company produces the world’s largest premium prints for studio backdrops used by leading streaming services, theatres, and film productions worldwide.
Today, Big Image has 85 employees in Sweden and Berlin, with sales offices in the US, UK, France, and Italy. The company delivers to customers in 80 countries, has an annual turnover of around SEK 130 million, and is fully self-financed — a freedom that allows them to innovate on their own terms.
“We’ve always gone our own way. Daring to test, measure, and improve — that’s been the key to both our creativity and our sustainability,”
Andreas Skantze, Co-owner & Creative Director
When art met climate responsibility
At the turn of the millennium, Big Image began taking on more assignments in retail communication and exhibitions, where products had shorter lifespans than in theatre and film. This marked the start of the company’s sustainability journey.
They began developing fabrics made from recycled polyester and, in 2010, became certified according to ISO 9001 (quality) and ISO 14001 (environment) — the same year they carried out their first emissions calculation.
When we saw the data, it was clear where our biggest emissions came from — 94 percent stemmed from fabric production and transport. That’s when we could start taking real action,” Andreas explains
Since then, Big Image has continuously measured and reduced its climate footprint and has financed climate projects every year to offset its remaining emissions. The projects are chosen through a joint employee vote — an appreciated initiative that builds engagement and ownership in the process.
Learn more about doing carbon offsetting with Atmoz
From PET bottles to global flagship concepts
Most of the fabrics are produced in China, a leader in advanced textile manufacturing. Big Image ensures quality through annual, unannounced factory visits, and all fabrics are made from certified PET bottles.
The company also works to recycle its textile waste and has partnered with a Spanish company that can recycle polyester fabrics on an industrial scale — a step towards a circular solution for textile production.
A company in constant improvement — with ISO as its innovation engine
For Big Image, the ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certifications are far more than framed certificates. They have become a driver of change.
ISO 9001 is actually underrated when it comes to sustainability,” says Andreas. “It’s about reducing errors and driving continuous improvement. That, in itself, is sustainability — fewer errors mean less waste, fewer resources used, and higher quality
The results are visible in day-to-day operations.
The company has reduced waste, cut costs, and increased the pace of change in production. But the biggest gain has been on the revenue side: customers who take their sustainability goals seriously are willing to pay more to work with a supplier who shares their focus.
We’ve never seen sustainability as a cost. On the contrary — it’s our business model and our competitive edge
Sustainability as a sales strategy
Over the past 15 years, Big Image has used its sustainability work as an active part of its sales strategy. The company presents its GHG report (in line with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol) to customers, clearly showing how Big Image can help them meet — or exceed — their own climate targets.
It’s been incredibly valuable in our sales process to clearly show customers how we, as a supplier, can help them achieve their sustainability goals. That really makes us stand out
This strategy has helped Big Image win many tenders — and decline others where sustainability isn’t a priority. The company’s goal is not to be the cheapest, but the best in sustainability and quality.
From manual reporting to automated emissions calculations with Atmoz
After a decade of manual data collection and Excel-based emissions calculations, Big Image began looking for a more automated and transparent way to manage its climate data.
Previously, data from suppliers, transport, and material use was collected manually — a time-consuming and error-prone process.
We had built our own tools to handle our climate data but realised it was time to take the next step. We wanted a solution as innovative as our sustainability work
Big Image connected its accounting system, Fortnox, directly to the Atmoz emissions calculation platform — enabling automatic data retrieval and categorisation.
This gives Big Image a continuous, data-driven view of its climate impact, instead of only producing an annual report in retrospect.
Previously, climate reporting took weeks. Now we get updated data in minutes. That frees up time for analysis and improvement,” says Andreas. “It’s when the numbers become part of everyday work that real change happens. We can see exactly how different decisions affect emissions — and start acting on it. The GHG report has become our roadmap
Learn more about producing a GHG report with Atmoz
Andreas’ advice to other business leaders
Start by measuring your climate footprint so you know where you stand. That’s the foundation for action. Sustainability should no longer be a choice — and for us, it’s delivered tangible results in the form of growing revenues year after year
