KolAi Offers Free Online Certification for Laser Design Software
KolAi Denim, an AI platform that turns photos into denim laser designs, is making it even easier to design jeans.
The Southern California company launched a free online certification course for its laser design software, KolAi Designer. Any interested designer can sign up for the course on KolAi’s website. After completing the six-part course and passing a final exam, they will receive a certificate of completion indicating that they are qualified to make laser designs with KolAi.
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The software is designed to simplify the finishing process. Manufacturers simply take a photo of the brand sample and upload that image to KolAi Designer, which converts it into a file that a laser machine will understand. In a matter of minutes, the AI turns that image into a laser design.
The latest version of the software generates laser designs with multiple layers, instantly separating whiskers, thigh abrasion and texture. The multi-layer component allows for easier customization and a more natural 3D look. The company said it was the most requested feature.
Images are compatible with any brand of laser machine, the company reports. Downloaded designs are also compatible with 3D design software like Browzwear, Clo3D and Tuka3D.
The company introduced the KolAi Designer in 2021. However, the idea for KolAi—a play on “kolay,” the Turkish word for “easy” and AI—dates to 2016, when the company’s co-founders CEO Kyle Stephens, chief technology officer Jack Payne and chief operations officer Aydin Tuna Palabiyikoglu were all working either at or with VF Corp.
In an interview with Rivet last year, Stephens said KolAi’s end goal is to create something that helps the designer visualize what they want in a way the manufacturer understands.
“Right now, there’s a lot of waste in the denim industry in particular, and a lot of that is because a denim designer has a hard time communicating exactly what they want to the factory,” he said. “So, they have mood boards, they have things, and they try their best to put that in a language that a factory can understand. But ultimately, the factory has to make a sample, send it to back around the world. The designer has to give comments. They go back and forth with it several times. A lot of that could be digitized and I think AI could help with that.”
