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 14th edition, 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.
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.
