about take flight graphics

Take Flight Graphics is a full service graphic & web design and development company located in Sunnyvale, California, offering a broad range of marketing product design services. From complete identity packages to one-off pieces, TFG develops and delivers unique, polished marketing products that enable businesses to present a clear message and professional image to their customer markets.

Some of our specialties include web site development and basic level search engine optimization, printed layouts of any type such as brochures, folders, and signs, desktop publishing for books and catalogs, identity packages, product packaging, and logo design. We work with all size businesses in the Silicon Valley / San Francisco Bay Area and nationwide.

TFG Mission

Quality Product / Design / Code
Effective Project Management
Clear Communication
Client Education

Green Mission

TFG has not applied for a Santa Clara County Green Certification due to complications arising out of working from a home rental property whose infrastructure is controlled by a third party. We would not be able to make the improvements required by Santa Clara County over a 3 year period due to this rental contract.

In spite of this limitation, TFG performs many actions with an eye toward sustainable resource use and waste management. For the past 10 years (to be continued into the future), we have worked diligently to implement a sustainable resource use / waste management model for both our business and personal spaces.

REDUCE / REUSE
We promote use of high post-consumer content papers and FSC certified papers (which is an independent, non-governmental, not for profit organization established to promote the responsible management of the world’s forests) with all of our clients for whom we design print marketing materials.
We work with a 90% digital workflow where we print only when absolutely necessary for such things as purchase receipts, etc. For example, we send clients digital PDF comps and mockups of design work. All of our bookkeeping is 100% digital.
90% of all on-site lighting is provided by fluorescent tubes, compact fluorescent lightbulbs, and high-efficiency halogen lamps.
We turn off all monitors when not in use.
Miscellaneous high value items are sold through eBay or Craigslist.
Select electronic items are taken to Weird Stuff in Sunnyvale where they are resold.
We have a zero commute to our home office and have reduced vehicle use over the past several years to around 5,000 miles per year.
We plan a single day of business/personal errands per week and plan the most efficient itinerary to save gas.
We own/operate an 18 year old Saturn vehicle which we keep maintained and smog-checked.
We have recently implemented a program where we bicycle to make bank deposits and run short, close-to-residence errands, as time permits.
We run our furnace fan at our rented home (on an 18 year old, not so efficient furnace) to provide continous airflow to our residence and have recently applied an automated timer switch that shuts the fan off every other hour. This has not only reduced our electric energy consumption (around 15 - 20%) but provided the added benefit of a $50 decrease in our monthly bill.
We shut off garden water during winter months and carefully monitor usage during summer months.
We purchased a Bosch Energy STAR high-efficiency washer/dryer set 4 years ago.
We use industrial hemp and cotton reusable shopping bags whenever possible. Of retailer shopping bags that we do accept, high quality plastic and paper bags with handles are saved for reuse.
Hangers from the cleaners go back to the same cleaners for reuse.
We typically shop at Big Lots and Ross Dress for Less which reuse/resell full-price retailer closeout merchandise resulting from production overruns, packaging changes, discontinuation of products, liquidations, and returns, excess inventory, cancelled orders, and forecasting mistakes from major department stores/boutiques.
Old clothes and reusable household items are given to persons in our network who desire them first, and to Good Will or dispatched via Sunnyvale Freecycle last.
We use Feline Pine cat litter which is healthier than clay-based litters for our cats (both rescues and both neutered) and is made from kiln-dried pine shavings reclaimed from lumber production.
We cut up old sheets and towels and reuse them as cleaning rags and rags used for vehicle maintenance.
Over the past year, we have implemented a phone campaign to eliminate unwanted retailer catalogs from our mail. This campaign has literally eliminated almost 100 catalogs from our mail and we continue to campaign as online purchases trigger additional, unsolicited catalog mailings.
We filter our own tap water using a Nikken PiMag™ Aqua Pour™ Gravity Water System and a collection of BPA-Free, Pet #5 plastic RubberMaid® Chug water bottles.

RECYCLE
VHS/CD/DVD media are recycled through GreenDisk TechnoTrash Pack-It Services.
Printer toner cartridges and inkjet cartridges are recycled at Office Depot.
Electronic items that are not sales worthy including monitors, boards, cabling, cell phones, printers, etc. are taken to Sunnyvale Computer Recycling.
Glass, aluminum, and PET Plastic (#1 - #7) containers are submitted to Sunnyvale Solid Waste curbside pickup.
Mixed paper, office paper (except for sheets with sensitive information) is submitted to the Sunnyvale Solid Waste curbside pickup.
Batteries, fluorescent bulbs/tubes, aerosols, glues/adhesives, paints, and other hazardous chemicals are taken to the Sunnyvale Household Hazardous Waste collection on the 3rd Saturday of each month.
Old clothes that are too damaged or not accepted by Good Will (used underwear, socks, etc.) or Freecycle, carpets/rugs, and other non-reusable cloth-based goods are sent to San Jose recycling.
Polystyrene (Styrofoam®) containers, molded packing, plastic grocery bags (very few, we use cloth) are sent to San Jose recycling.
Wax paper milk cartons and beverage containers are sent to San Jose recycling.
Yard trimmings are submitted to the Sunnyvale Solid Waste curbside pickup.
Cardboard boxes are submitted to the Sunnyvale Solid Waste curbside pickup.
Mixed peanuts and clean bubble wrap go to JDM Packing Supplies.
Old sneakers go to the Nike Shoe Recycling program.
Plastic bags from the cleaners are hauled to Sunnyvale Solid Waste which has a special bin for these types of bags. We typically drop these bags on the same days we visit the hazardous waste drop to save a trip.
Mixed material items such as frozen juice containers, pump or spray tops from bottles, etc. are broken apart and their component elements recycled as appropriate.

We hope you have enjoyed reading our list and that it provided you with some ideas or inspiration for your own efforts toward sustainability. Working together, we can make a positive impact on the planet!

Cartoon of TFG Owner

A special Thank You!! to Barb Kyger of barbCards Illustrations for the fabulous illustration!

TFG was founded by Robin Fisher in April, 2001.

Robin brings experience to her business from a vast array of creative disciplines including fine art, graphic design, typography, and web interface design to each client project, as well as a high level of technical expertise in web site hand coding and development.

She is a United States Army veteran, having served 4 years active Army, and three years California Army National Guard, and a college graduate with an AA degree in Liberal Arts and an AS degree in Desktop Publishing.

Affiliations

Robin is an active member of the Sunnyvale Chamber of Commerce, NAWBO - Silicon Valley, SVAMA.

Pro Bono Support

Take Flight Graphics provides pro bono website/graphic design and production services to the following organizations:

Sunnyvale Community Services
Sunnyvale Chamber of Commerce
NAWBO Silicon Valley

Honors & Awards

2007 - 2008: NAWBO-SV Platinum Corporate Partner
2007: Sunnyvale Chamber of Commerce Edna Costas Volunteer of the Year
2006: NAWBO-SV Member of the Year
2005 - 2007: NAWBO-SV Board of Directors - Website Director