Brussels, 30 October 2012
Europe wins seven out of a possible eleven coveted trophies in a demonstration of printing prowess, and commitment to excellence in printed communication, embodying the essence of Sappi’s biannual International Printers of the Year Awards.
The 10 winners for 2012 of the widely renowned Sappi International Printers of the Year Awards, celebrating its 14thedition, were announced today in Johannesburg, South Africa by Ralph Boëttger, Chief Executive Officer Sappi Limited. The seven European winners were each gold winners in the Sappi European Printers of the Year Final held in March of this year. They won in the following categories: Annual Reports, Brochures, Calendars, Catalogues, Digital Print, General Print and Magazines (Sheetfed).
The Sappi International Printers of the Year awards recognise the best printers from around the world; those that continually raise the bar for print excellence as new technologies and techniques have allowed them to continue to produce printed communication that grabs the attention of their intended audience despite the media clutter of our fast-paced modern world.
The international winners were chosen from 33 regional gold finalists in the following categories: annual reports, books, brochures, calendars, catalogues, digital print, general print, magazines – sheetfed, magazines – web, packaging and labels and printer’s own promotion. The independent panel of judges worked to a strict set of technical criteria, focusing on production qualities (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), whilst taking into account the overall balance and appeal of the printed work and whether the combination of design, finishing and the choice of materials was appropriate. With all the finalist entries being of such a high standard, the ultimate winners were those that stood out for the judges as having that extra appeal and attention to the finest detail.
During the announcement, Ralph Boëttger commented, “we honour the winning Sappi Printers of the Year for their commitment, creativity and expertise in producing printed works which push the boundaries in terms of technical mastery and innovation. “Awards such as these celebrate the achievements of the past two years, but they also point the way forward into the future. They do so by establishing a standard of excellence which others will strive to meet. Sappi is proud to honour these achievements.”
Each winner will be presented with a cast bronze elephant trophy, specially created by world renowned sculptor Donald Greig for the Sappi awards. The elephant symbolises Sappi’s South African heritage as well as the qualities of strength and courage.
ENDS
Notes to the Editor
The full announcement can be seen at http://www.sappi.com/printersoftheyear2012
Over 5,500 entries were received from participating countries in this year’s qualifying regional Printers of the Year competitions in Africa, Europe, North America and the Sappi Trading region of Australasia, Asia and South and Central America.
The International panel of judges consisted of: Cynthia Morton (Africa), Bernhard Nahm (Europe), Malcolm Keif (North America) and Kai Hagenbuch (South America). Read their CVs on www.sappi.com.
The 10 overall winners are –
CATEGORY/WINNERS
TITLE
PAPER
COUNTRY
Annual Reports
EBERL Print
Gildemeister Annual Report 2010
ProfiSilk 250g/m² and Algro Design Duo 360g/m²
Germany
Europe
Books
Continental Colorcraft
“Eye for the Sensual”
McCoy Silk Cover 100lb/270g/m² and Text 100lb/148g/m²
California,
USA
North America
Brochures
Boeijinga
L’Oreal Professionele
Hello Silk 170g/m² and 250g/m²
The Netherlands
Europe
Calendars
Druckpartner Druck- und Medienhaus
Artenschutz 2012/ Species Conservation
Presto Bulk 250g/m² and Algro Design 250/300/400g/m²
Germany
Europe
Catalogues
Lechte
Mix Trends Issue 25: Autumn Winter 2013/2014
Profisilk, Profigloss 250g/m²
Germany
Europe
Digital Print
Druckpartner Druck- und Medienhaus
Victor Limited Edition
Hello Hot Silk 170g/m² and 300g/m²
Germany
Europe
General Print
ColorDruck Leimen
MEWA Markenhandbuch
LuxoArt Silk 250g/m²
Germany
Europe
Magazines - Sheetfed
Color Gruppe München
Occhio Magazine
Hello Silk 135g/m² and 250g/m²
Germany
Europe
Magazines - Web
Fry Communications
STYLE.COM Spring 2012
Opus Gloss Web Text 70lb/104g/m²
Pennsylvania, USA
North America
Packaging and Labels
NO WINNER IN THIS CATEGORY
Printer’s own Promotion
Offset Alpine
Offset Alpine Printing – Capabilities+
HannoArt Satin 250g/m²
Australia
Trading
The announcement of the Sappi International Printers of the Year awards on Sappi’s website is in keeping with Sappi’s continuous updating of the Printers of the Year programme. This latest change ensures that the great work being done by printers across the globe can be recognised and celebrated with a far larger audience than the traditional awards eventallowed.
Local events will be held to celebrate with the 2012 winners. In addition to helping Sappi get closer to its customers and understanding their needs better, they provide the ideal occasion, and opportunity, to recognize the excellent work done by the printers, in the communities that they are based
ENDS
About Sappi
Sappi Fine Paper Europe is the leading European producer of coated fine paper used in premium magazines, catalogues, books and high-end print advertising. Headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, Sappi Fine Paper Europe is recognised for innovation and quality. Its graphic paper brands include Magno, Quatro, Royal, Galerie and GalerieArt ranges. Algro, Fusion, Leine and Parade are the brands for speciality labelling, topliner, packaging papers and boards. Jaz is the paper brand for digital printing.
Sappi papers are produced in mills accredited with ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certification and EMAS registration for all our mills in the EU. SFPE’s mills hold chain-of-custody certification under the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and/or the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) schemes.
Sappi Fine Paper Europe is a division of Sappi Limited (NYSE, JSE), a global company headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, with over 14,900 employees and manufacturing operations on three continents in 7 countries and customers in over 100 countries around the world. Learn more about Sappi at www.sappi.com.
