#1 Small Intricate Embroidery- Bonnie Nielsen-, author of “PUNCH” and embroidery expert

Learn valuable tips and tricks for creating stunning small embroidery designs. Bonnie Nielsen, author of “PUNCH” and a leading expert in embroidery, will share her expertise on digitizing and executing machine embroidery for production. This seminar will cover essential techniques for creating intricate embroidery details that will elevate your designs to new heights.

Key Takeaways:

• Discover the latest techniques for digitizing and executing small embroidery designs
• Learn how to create intricate details that will make your embroidery stand out
• Gain valuable tips and tricks from a leading expert in the field

By the end of this session, you’ll have a comprehensive understanding of these essential techniques, empowering you to create innovative and captivating designs that will set your work apart

#2 Elevate Your Embroidery: A Deep Dive into Thread, Needles, and Backings- Joe Kramar

Join Joe Kramar as we delve into the intricacies of thread weight, size, and digitization techniques.
We’ll explore how to achieve stunning results with traditional and non-traditional embroidery methods, perfect for creating eye-catching retail and sports mascot designs.

• Discover the secrets of needle selection and hook timing, particularly when working with thicker threads. Learn how to optimize your embroidery machine’s performance to produce high-quality, durable garments.
• Unravel the mysteries of embroidery backings. We’ll explore the various types available and their specific applications, helping you choose the right backing for every project.
• By the end of this session, you’ll have a comprehensive understanding of these essential techniques, empowering you to create innovative and captivating designs that will set your work apart.

#3 Building the Beast: The Embroidery Essentials behind Classic Mascot Digitizing – Erich Campbell 

Craft mascots that capture your customers’ team spirit while using the essential qualities of embroidery to capture everyone’s attention. In this digitizing-focused session, you’ll learn more about classic mascot styles, enhance your understanding of how to define embroidery shapes, break up complex borders, play with light and texture through stitch types, angles, and layering, and strengthen the foundations of your embroidery interpretation skills through the lens of mascot embroidery.

In this session, Erich will teach you not only the direct methods for achieving these looks, but the technical understanding behind the processes so that you can better analyze artwork, collaborate with customers, and create looks that capture the classic mascot style. If you struggle with defining the right shapes and parameters for embroidered areas, how to parse complicated borders and reveals, or just how to decide the sequence of a design, this session will bolster that basic understanding while applying those lessons directly to the art we frequently find in team sports mascots. No matter if you are a beginner to the craft of digitizing or looking to crush your next mascot design, you’ll find something to take away.

#4 SECTION – 3D PUFF – Justin Armenta

1. Introduction to 3D Puff in Athletic & Mascot Designs

• Understanding the role of 3D puff in creating bold, textured embroidery designs for team logos and mascots.

2. Essential Materials and Tools for 3D Puff Embroidery

• Using high-density foam for optimal 3D effects.
• Key tools for cleanup, heat guns, and recommended 40 wt polyester thread.

3. Design Elements: What Works (and What Doesn’t) for 3D Puff

• Identifying design features that support 3D puff versus those that may not translate well.
• Tips for achieving durable, clean results without sacrificing design quality.

4. Design Simplification Techniques for 3D Puff

• Strategies to simplify complex designs for easier application of 3D elements.
• Balancing detail with the dimensional look for impactful mascot and athletic logos.

5. Integrating Team Themes and Styles

• Approaches to creating cohesive designs that align with team colors and branding without having to duplicate existing elements.

6. Combining Regular and 3D Puff Embroidery

• How to effectively mix standard embroidery with 3D puff to add depth and variety.
• Tips for smooth transitions between flat and raised areas to enhance the overall design.

This seminar features co-speakers Tyler Rice (Artist/Marketing) and Dennis Condusta (Production Manager) from Axelrad Screen Printing. Designed as a sister course to “The Secrets of Pre/Post Production” this seminar will dive into the Art phase of an order prior to production and outline specific tools to inevitably increase production efficiencies starting at the Art process. The main objective is to illustrate processes that provide a mutually beneficial cohesion between the commonly disjointed worlds or Art and Production.

Key Points:

• Understanding Roles and Processes: Introduce both departments to the complete workflow of each other’s roles
• Designing for your specific production limitations.
• Quality Control and Final Adjustments: Teach both departments how to work together during the final stages of production to ensure the finished product meets the original design intentions and quality standards.
• Setting up cohesive and accurate pantone checking systems. Embedding production information into the art.
• Setting up tools and software for real-time communication between Art and Production. Logging/Storing information for re-orders.

We know allowing customers to decorate online creates engagement and conversion efficiency, but there are a few notable items to pay attention to set the right expectation across DTG, Embroidery, Screen Print, and DTF.  We’ll explore some online techniques to help align customer files with decorator capabilities.

• Visualization across decoration embellishment types
• Minimum resolution calculation and using AI up-resolution capabilities for raster files
• Validating vector files, converting color spaces, and color matching.
• Purely online embroidery digitization and proof process.