Art Automation Design Internship

Summer 2026 Art Automation Design Internship

Lakeshirts is seeking a detail‑oriented Design Intern to support our Art Automation initiative. This internship provides hands‑on experience working at the intersection of apparel design, production workflows, and emerging automation technology.

You will work alongside our automation and art teams to help prepare and standardize garment templates used in automated artwork placement systems.

This role is ideal for someone who enjoys organized file structure, precision work in Adobe Illustrator, and learning how design connects to production and technology.

This is an on‑site position based in Detroit Lakes, MN.

Schedule: Monday‑Friday, 8am‑4pm

Duration: Summer 2026

The starting wage range for this position is $16/hour.

What You’ll Learn

How garment templates are structured for production

How artwork placement systems work

How design files must be organized for automation

Real‑world problem solving within a production environment

File preparation standards used in large‑scale apparel manufacturing

What You’ll Do (With Guidance & Training)

Assist in preparing garment laydown files in Adobe Illustrator

Help organize layers and objects according to defined naming standards

Support building placement guides and safe zones

Clean and optimize vector files for consistency

Test templates using internal tools and report inconsistencies

Document updates and maintain organized file libraries

You will not be expected to design production artwork or write automation code. Your focus will be structured file preparation and technical organization.

Qualifications

Currently pursuing a degree in Graphic Design, Industrial Design, Apparel Design, or related field

Working knowledge of Adobe Illustrator required

Strong attention to detail

Ability to follow structured guidelines

Organized and dependable

Interest in technical design or production workflows preferred

Comfort working with measurements and scaling

Curiosity about automation and emerging technology

By the end of the internship, you will have:

Contributed to standardized garment template files

Developed stronger technical Illustrator skills

Gained experience in production‑ready file preparation

Understood how automation integrates with creative workflows

Benefits

Compensation: Guided by our value of meritocracy, we offer a compensation package that reflects your unique skills, talents, and contributions. You are not just a number—your success, ideas, and efforts directly shape your growth and earning potential, empowering you to take your career to the next level. And there is an option to be paid daily!

On‑site Perks: At our HQ in Detroit Lakes, enjoy hot breakfast, lunch, and snacks from our subsidized cafeteria

Dogs at Work: Bring your furry friend to work, because we believe dogs just make everything better

Relaxed Dress Code: Wear what makes you feel your best. We offer an employee merchandise discount to keep you and your family well‑stocked

Flexible Work Schedules: Full‑time, part‑time and everything in between. We support work‑life balance

Unique Culture: We make work fun; we value teamwork, giving back to our communities and doing what we love with great people, and always rocking a t‑shirt, a hat, and some cool socks

Cognitive or Mental Requirements of the Job
Employee must be able to see and hear, read and write. Requires good judgment, people‑oriented, flexible, organized, diplomatic, reliable, enthusiastic, courteous, helpful, patient.

Physical Demands
Occasionally: Lifts, Carries, Pushes, Pulls, Climbs, Balances, Bends, Twists, Crawls, Reaches, Lifts 25–50lbs, Carries 25–50lbs, Reaches at above or below shoulder height

Frequently: Lifts and Carries 10–24lbs, Stands, Walks

NOTE: This job description is not intended to be all‑inclusive and should in no way be considered a contract or guarantee of employment. Employee may perform other related duties as needed, based on the ongoing needs of the business. Minnesota is an Employment‑At‑Will state and implies no specific length of employment.

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