26^th National Print Awards 2009

By Brett Dashwood edp – Vice President Asia Pacific OutputLinks

I recently had the pleasure of attending the National Print Awards (NPA) dinner and presentation ceremony, held on 29^th May in the Palladium Ballroom at Crown. The NPA is the highlight of the printing industry calendar in Australia. Thank you to Fuji Xerox Australia for the invitation to sit on your table at the Awards night.

The Awards dinner this year coincided with PacPrint 09, providing PacPrint visitors an ideal opportunity to join in celebrating the achievement of excellence in print. This is the Australian printing industries showcase of the “best of the best”.

The night was hosted by Australian television personalities Larry Emdur and – the appropriately named for hosting a printing awards night – Gorgi Quill. Nearer the end of the evening, we were entertained by "Slammin'" Sam Kekovich – most recently known for his series of satirical advertisements promoting the Australian lamb industry – who gave his own version of how Australia has changed since his days as an Australian Rules Football ruckman.

The sponsors of the 26^th NPA were Heidelberg, PaperlinX, and the Currie Group.  Both Heidelberg and PaperlinX have been previous sponsors of NPA, however this was the first year that Currie was involved. The Currie Group is the largest privately owned graphics supply company in Asia Pacific and this year celebrate its 60^th anniversary.

The standouts for the night were those achieving awards from the sponsors:

Currie Group Award
Presented for the most innovative use of imagining in printing.

Awarded to Peachy Print for “Double Love Knot.” This application also won Gold for the “Small printing business awards less than 10 staff” category.

Heidelberg Australia Award
Presented for the excellence in craft.

Awarded to Printpoint Australia for “Palazzo Versace Cookbook.”  This application also won Gold for the “Book printing” category,

PaperlinX Award
Presented for outstanding excellence in printing.

Awarded to Manark Printing for “Prime Ministers Olympic Dinner Booklet.” This application also won Gold for the “Multi-piece productions and campaigns (including direct mail)” category.

The judges had a brief to raise the standard and to promote the achievements in excellence in Australian printing. The judges considered each entry for print quality and medals were awarded on the achieved result of the sample submitted, which is assumed to be representative of the total run.

Here is a complete list of those companies achieving Gold in their respective categories:

• Annual reports - Winner: Pettaras Press
• Booklets, catalogues and magazines bound by any method but saddle-stitching - Winner: Adams Print
• Booklets, catalogues and magazines saddle-stitched - Winner: Bambra Press
• Calendars - Winner: Lilyfield Printing
• Commercial posters, showcards, card constructions and mobiles - Winner: Finsbury Green
• Die-cut presentation folders - Winner: Geon Group Melbourne
• Digital printing electrophotographic  - Winner: Bambra Press
• Digital printing inkjet - Winner: Armstrong Miller McLaren, The Digital Centre
• Embellishment - Winner: Avon Graphics
• Flexographic printing on any substrate - Winner: Studio Labels
• Labels - Winner: Labelmakers
• Leaflet and folders - Winner: Bambra Press
• Limited editions - Joint winners: Eastern Press and Printpoint Australia
• Multi-piece productions and campaigns (including direct mail) - Winner: Manark Printing
• One, two or three colour printing - Winner: Toth Bienk
• Packaging - Winner: Pettaras Press
• Postcards and greeting cards - Winner: Pilpel Print
• Screen printing - Winner: Kingfisher Cutler Brands
• Security printing - Winner: Energi Print
• Self promotion - Winner: Armstrong Miller & McLaren
• Small printing business awards les than 10 staff - Winner: Peachy Print
• Specialty or "special" printing - Winner: Newstyle Printing
• Stationery - Winner: D & D Colour Printing
• Web offset coated stock off-line finished - Winner: PMP Print
• Web offset coated stock press finished - Winner: Hannanprint Victoria
• Web offset publications with a cover price - Winner: Hannanprint NSW
• Web offset un-coated stock - Winner: Offset Alpine Printing

Further details are available at www.nationalprintawards.com.au.

Brett Dashwood with John Weichard (Managing Director of D2P and creator of The Print Exchange) and his wife Meeka at NPA. Checkout the fun at the D2P PacPrint booth online here: http://pacprintrodeo.d2p.com.au/

"Slammin'" Sam Kekovich