The first workshops in the series will be held on 11, 24 and 30 September, with the first covering signmaking, the second colour management and the third opportunities in the fine art market.

Depending on feedback from customers, this ongoing workshop programme will then be expanded to cover small-format training as well, according to Antalis digital support manager Giles Bristow. 

He added that workshops covering topics other than the initial three would probably be launched in 2015, and that further signmaking, colour and fine art workshops had been penciled in for later this year.

“These wide-format courses will be ongoing – we have already reserved dates later this year to be published depending on demand,” said Bristow. 

The courses will all be held at Antalis UK’s Digital Academy, which has so far been used for internal training. “This is a development of that,” said Bristow. 

Of the initial workshops’ wide-format focus, Bristow added: “We’ve launched these courses in response to demand. A lot of customers have bought these large-format inkjet printers and have discussed the fact there seems to be a shortage of training courses.”

“There are a lot of companies that will sell you a large-format inkjet printer; it will arrive in a box and then there’s support in terms of getting the machine to work, but taking it to the next step, understanding how to produce a sign board, how to manage colour, how to frame and wrap canvas... There seems to be a shortage of these specific courses.”

He added: “We are quite clearly seeing many of our commercial print customers diversifying into large-format.”

Each workshop will run from 10am-4pm and cost £50. Places are limited to eight, and the courses are open to all, not just Antalis customers.

The 11 September signmaking class aims to provide an overview of signmaking including application of vinyls, vehicle livery and signboard making, and will be led by author and presenter, and regular Sign & Digital UK speaker, Paul Hughes.

The 24 September colour management course will be led by Revolution Transfers managing director Jan Edgecombe. The 30 September fine art workshop will cover framing, mounting and laminating, and will be led by framing expert Jack Siwinski.  

For more information and to book a place go to www.digital2business.co.uk/digital-academy/ or email digital.academy@antalis.co.uk.