Digital Fabrication
Discover the exciting, cutting-edge tools available in our FabLab — Anderson Ranch’s impressive digital fabrication lab. These workshops provide powerful tools for self-expression in the hands of creative faculty, and present dynamic opportunities to merge the newest visual arts technologies with traditional processes.
A variety of workshops use the digital fabrication technology in the FabLab and throughout multiple studios on the Ranch campus. Explore the possibilities with our state-of-the-art equipment, including 4-axis CNC (computer-numerically-controlled) routers, Formlabs SLA Resin 3-D Printers, Prusa MK3S FDM 3-D printers, a Bambu Lab X-1 Carbon FDM 3-D printer, Epilog laser cutters, 3-D scanners, a Roland UV printer and vinyl cutter, and vacuum formers. Digital fabrication equipment is powered by Rhinoceros 3D, Adobe Creative Cloud, Autodesk Fusion 360 and Meshmixer, a variety of 3-D printing slicing softwares, and more.
Our expert faculty and staff help you to master progressive new skill sets and exciting new ways of creating.
Emil Gorman
Studio Coordinator, Digital Fabrication
Emil Gorman is the Studio Coordinator for Digital Fabrication. He is an artist and designer with a passion for furniture and the implementation of sustainable materials. He received a BFA with a concentration in Human-Centered Design at Northern Michigan University. Preferred Pronouns: He/Him
Anderson Ranch Campus
Upcoming Workshops
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II
Level II
Students have experience working with stationary machines and power tools and are familiar with basic principles of joinery and 3-D design.
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III
Level III
Students have some formal training in 3-D design, experience with a variety of materials and fabrication processes, and know how to use machine and hand tools competently and safely. Students have a portfolio of their artwork.
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IV
Level IV
Students have advanced skill and knowledge of furniture design. Students are highly motivated and have multiple portfolios of their artwork.
Jun 2 - 13, 2025
9AM-5PM
Digital and Organic: Wood Bending and the CNC
Laura Kishimoto
Tuition $1,650
Code W0101-25
In this innovative workshop that bridges woodworking and digital fabrication, we utilize the CNC Router to fabricate jigs and molds for bending and cutting joinery. Bending represents a dramatic departure from most traditional fine woodworking. Rather than working with rectilinear geometry, students lean into the materiality of wood and explore its natural strengths through curvature. Reference faces are often non-existent and require unique joinery, creative thinking, and novel use of machinery. Basic drawing techniques in Rhinoceros 3D are introduced as students design and prototype a project specific to their personal style.
Jun 16 - 20, 2025
9AM-5PM
The Art of Photo Collage: Enhancing Creative Practice
Sharon Harper, Susannah Sayler
Tuition $1,425
Code P0308-25
This collage workshop invites participants to push boundaries and take creative risks using photographic materials and methods. With an emphasis on exploration and rigorous artistic practice, participants challenge traditional representations by cutting through the expected and reimagining new visual contexts. Collage, with its rich history of "subverting the frame," becomes a tool for experimentation as participants work from their own photographic archives and build new ones from found materials. Through hands-on exploration, students dive deep into their personal creative processes while developing strong thematic visual ideas. Using Anderson Ranch's state-of-the-art facilities, participants experiment with both traditional collage techniques and modern tools such as machine cutting, scanning, and printing.
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I
Level I
Students are new to photography and new media and have no formal training in photography, video, multimedia or animation. Students have basic computer literacy.
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II
Level II
Photography students have a basic understanding of photography principles and technology and are comfortable using an SLR camera in manual mode. New Media students have a basic understanding of video, multimedia or animation software. Students have basic computer skills and are comfortable using a Macintosh computer.
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III
Level III
Photography students have some formal training and significant experience making, capturing and digitally processing images using Adobe Lightroom and/or Adobe Photoshop. New Media students have some formal training in conceptual and technological aspects of video, multimedia, coding or animation and are versed in the appropriate software applications. Students have a portfolio of their artwork.
Jun 23 - 27, 2025
9AM-5PM
Expanding the Image: Digital Fabrication for 2D Artists
Joe Farbrook
Tuition $1,425
Code P0412-25
This workshop is designed to expand creative possibilities with new tools of digital fabrication. Using their personal archive of photographs or drawings, students explore new ways of image-making using various digital fabrication tools, from a laser cutter for precise cutting and engraving to UV printing on various layered substrates such as plexi, wood, and papers. No previous experience is necessary, as all tools and software are taught during the workshop. This is an opportunity to experiment, play, and push the limits of the creative process.