Seminars - conferences - training

Which training program in 2003 will really teach me about color management, ICC color profiles, RIPs, large format inkjet media?

Most people take this FLAAR course so they can understand the differences between 35mm SLR cameras and medium format backs. Whoa, did you know the CCD sensors are mostly identical in both size-class of digital camera... there is not really any such thing as a 2 1/4 inch digital sensor. A Hasselblad digital camera has a sensor about the size of a normal 35mm. Only the large format cameras have a large sensor. So to accomplish wide format sized prints on your Epson, Encad, ColorSpan, HP, Roland or other printer, which camera can you use?

Nicholas has experience using all three size-classes of digital camera: Nikon D-100 (he also had a Foveon-Sigma in his hand as early as Photokina already in September), Kodak ProBack Plus (for Hasselblad and Mamiya), and two BetterLight for large format (Linhof, Cambo, Sinar, etc.).

If you prefer to take this digital photography course in person, you can take it during the summer in Guatemala or, in theory, in Malta in spring 2003 (Nicholas is visiting professor at a number of universities worldwide).

A portion of the digital photography course may be available in the future on video and or on CD.

Dr Nicholas Hellmuth is available as a consultant, anywhere in the world. Actually you can get 1 hour consulting with him personally just by ordering a complete batch of five series of his reports. So you get all the reports first, then you can telephone him and ask direct questions.

Graphics Intelligence Agency

GIA, Graphics Intelligence Agency, offers a wide variety of programs. We sent our lab manager there and he said he did indeed learn.

Gradually, however, training programs on line or from the manufacturers are catching up. MacDermid ColorSpan has excellent training for ColorSpan printers and RIPs, for example.

Training in color management is listed in Nicholas Hellmuth's FLAAR Premium Report Series on Color Management. We also include a unit on color management in our course on digital photography and wide format inkjet printing.

Lecture programs at DPI SGIA 2003, Seybold San Francisco 2003, PhotoPlus Expo 2003

DPI lecture program moved in with SGIA tradeshow. What will DPI program be lime at SGIA 2003? Downside of DPI seminar program and conferences was conflict with getting to see all the booths at SGIA. We hope that conflict is removed for DPI SGIA 2003. We discuss all tradeshow lecture programs in the FLAAR Report on tradeshows and training by Nicholas Hellmuth.

Would it be a good idea to go to the digital photography and scanning lecture program at PhotoPlus East 2003? I attended PhotoExpo East 2001 and felt that their lecture program was good. But are other lecture programs even better?

I first went to the lecture program at Seybold San Francisco 1999 but found that the quality has not been maintained in 2000 or 2001. By 2002 Seybold had lost focus. What is in store for Seybold '03?

So is it worthwhile attending lecture program at Seybold San Francisco 2003? Yes, the tradeshow itself is popular, albeit half size from last year. And if you get bored you can attend the lectures, but overall the price for the lectures was prohibitive for anyone unless your company was paying for you.

B.I.G., Best in Graphics tradeshow has changed names recently. Tradeshows in general are shutting down, in part due to economy, in part because so much information is now available on the Internet.

FLAAR offer conferences at Bowling Green State University.

IMI conferences

Wow, these are great conferences. First attended their conference on inkjet printing of textiles (Savannah, Georgia). Then I went to a week of presentations by IMI in Lisbon, Portugal. Excellent speakers, nicely organized, and good food. If you want to learn about what goes on inside an inkjet printhead you definitely need to sign up for the next round of IMI conferences. Contact is Alvin G. Keene.

If you really want technical details on inkjet media, inks, and/or inkjet printhead technology, and especially if you wish to meet the movers and shakers in this industry, be sure to sign up for the next conference organized by IMI. Their web site is http://imi.maine.com, contact is imi@tdstelme.net. These seminars are outstanding; the senior review editor of FLAAR usually attends because he can get so much fresh information for the readers of the FLAAR Reports in PDF format and the FLAAR Information Network of web sites

Their partners in Europe also organize conferences which are the same educational quality as those in the USA. Pivotal Resources (Mike Willis) and Xennia Technology (Dr. Alan Hudd) are the co-sponsors in Europe. FLAAR is expanding our coverage of conferences and we will be commenting further on the IMI lecture series.

We have not yet attended the imaging symposium of Lyra Research so are unable to comment on their efficacy.

But we did attend the conferences of the Tiara Group. Very educational. FLAAR will be organizing an inkjet printer conference in cooperation with the Tiara Group. Return later for topics, list of speakers, and dates.