VersaCAMM 101 and 102 training class recap!

The May VersaCAMM 101 and 102 classes brought back some familiar faces and a bunch of new students all looking to expand their knowledge and skills.We had 7 attendees, one from as far out as new Mexico and Alaska. The group got started early with some basics on cost analysis and graphic setup and then dived right into learning all about Versaworks and what it can really do. We covered topics on Versaworks ranging from color management, to profiles and everything in between. There is a lot to cover and plenty of questions to answer!
From there, the heat sensitive materials were the hot topic, covering which is best to use with different apparel and how to print, press and care (for it post-press) with each one. Everyone got a chance to weed and mask material along with heat pressing each of the specialty materials from Imprintables Warehouse. There were many comments on the great effects you can obtain and amazing results from each material. The fun part is when each individual gets to prep and press their own shirts, and for some this was their first time creating any piece of apparel! (Can you tell in the picture which badge was the reflective one!!)Once everyone had done their shirts, lunch was arriving - awesome Chicken BLT's & Asian Roast Beef subs from Halfmoon Salad & Sandwich. (We order these every month and they are always a hit!) With full bellies, the "students" continued with fathead wall graphics, magnetic material (of course, I demonstrated with the Red Wings Logo!), vinyl wraps, banners and decals. Everyone had an opportunity to not only see the materials demonstrated but tot get some hands on experience trying to make and apply them. A huge success! There was plenty of time for Questions and getting to chat with each other. As always, I was impressed with the amount of sharing on ideas and business know how between everyone.

The second day brought back almost everyone and all of the questions they had thought of overnight! We spent some time doing Q and A and then got into the tricky subject of color management. I get many questions from students and others on how to make a picture look right (we finally got it right for you Deb!) and how to make sure your colors get to where they need to be. There are a few different techniques and no single way to get there but by understanding it all, you can get great results. We tried numerous different ways to use both Corel and Versaworks to get good and bad results and showed everyone how to maximize their output.
Next it was on to making a "fathead" type wall graphic and we used our happy model and mascot in the shop for this demonstration. We used a picture of Charlie and demonstrated how to prepare the graphic, then send it to Versaworks and print/cut it. Application is a snap and we had him on the wall in no time. The rest of the day was spent going over the more advanced projects ranging from making a canvas print (always a hit), manufacturing an inside window graphic, different types of lamination when to use them, and variable printing data in Versaworks. There was time for trying out student projects that they had brought with them and then even a bit of time to experiment with ideas from everyone. I always learn something in the class myself and have a great time learning from everyone's personal experiences in business.



Thanks to everyone for making the class a continued success!