EskoArtwork Donates New CDI Spark 2530 Imager to Dunwoody College of Technology

Adds Timmreck, "There's a lot of 'oohing' and 'ahhing' of what the students can do with ArtiosCAD, which is a big factor because it makes the student much more interested in what they are doing."

From Start to Finish

In the Production Workflow class within the press track, students are expected to create a packaging label from start to finish: design an image, lay it out, trap it and make the plates. "We use DeskPack, Automation Engine 10, and FlexProof to make proofs and FlexRIP to RIP files," says Oetjen. "We use Color Engine to color manage the proofs, and CDI to make the plates."

The theory is that the more students can touch the software, the better. By the time they graduate, they are expected to be able to design and lay out a file, trap it, make a plate, and run the project on press.

"A lot of the tools that EskoArtwork has incorporated into their software are cool and fun, so they keep the students interested in learning," says Oetjen "But they also make sense. Seeing that the students 'get it', and why trapping, for example, is so important, is a great thing. They aren't just listening to us explain theories -- they are seeing it for themselves. I show them what to do the first time around, but then they have to do it on their own."

While using DeskPack and PackEdge, for instance, students on the premedia and press tracks are learning the ins and out of trapping. "A designer will design the file," says Oetjen. "The students see the trap before it goes on press. When they see what happens to the design on press they can physically see the results and why they're trapping. It's a powerful tool. When they actually see it, the light bulb goes on; they get it. It's a beautiful thing."