Sappi recently announced the names of eleven printers from across the globe as deserving winners of the Sappi International Printers of the Year awards. The awards are considered the only truly global print awards and the world’s most prestigious accolades of excellence in print. Held every second year, the much anticipated 2010 announcement was made by Ralph Boëttger, Chief Executive Officer Sappi Limited. The awards recognise, reward and honour the printers’ craftsmanship and attention to their work and understanding of their clients’ brief and designs. Each winner receives a coveted cast-bronze elephant trophy created by world-renowned sculptor Donald Greig, symbolising Sappi’s South African heritage.
In congratulating the winners, Boëttger said, “Despite the press extolling the virtue of electronic media and
the demise of print, the printed word remains powerful and pre-eminent in all forms of communication, be it for marketing purposes or just for pleasure. Each year printers set new standards of exceptional quality and Sappi is proud to honour these achievements. I am sure that the winners, and indeed all the finalists, will enjoy the recognition of their peers as well as their clients.”
Over 6,000 entries were received from participating countries in this year’s four qualifying regional Printers of the Year competitions in Africa, North America, Europe and the Sappi Trading region of Australasia, Asia and South and Central America. The categories were: * Annual Reports * Books * Brochures * Calendars * Catalogues * General Print * Digital Print * Magazines – Sheetfed * Magazines – Web * Packaging and Labels * Printer’s Own Promotion
Regional gold award winners competed against each other in their respective categories and were judged by an international panel of independent judges, ensuring impartiality and the broadest spectrum of technical expertise in print. Each entry was judged on overall appearance, quality of finishing and general difficulty of the print job, as well as factors such as dot sharpness, ink density, registration, sheet size, paper weight, screen ruling, stitching and die cutting.
The icing on the cake was our very own indigenous printer "Pragati Offset Pvt. Ltd." who was the winner in the Packaging and Labels segment for the printing of the rigid box for the brand "Black Dog Reserve - 18 years whisky." Mr. P. Narendra of Pragati is on Cloud 9 with Three Elephants together. It is also an achievement in itself that Pragati is the only printer to have won Three Elephants in Asia. The company which entered the blister packing, label and rigid luxury box packaging segments in the last decade or so has thus achieved recognition for one of the most difficult competitive categories in the Asia Pacific (Trading) region. Pragati’s elephant is for its Black Dog Reserve- 18 Years Whisky, rigid box printed on Magno Satin 170 gsm paper. Narendra Paruchuri, CEO of Pragati is extremely and understably pleased, "It is a dream, which has come true. I attribute this win to the wonderful and dedicated team who are willing to run that extra mile always."
“Congratulations to all our winners and thank you to everyone who entered our competition. The entries for our 2012 Sappi Printers of the Year awards have already opened and I would encourage everyone with a great piece of print on Sappi paper to enter it to help us celebrate excellent print and the power of printed communication.” Concluded Ralph Boëttger.
