Beautiful Chocolate Box Takes Sweetest Prize

Supreme Award Winner and Finalists Stories

Beautiful Chocolate Box Takes Sweetest Prize for South Island

Supreme Award Winner and Finalists Stories

A chocolate box described by judges as “a beautiful piece of work” last night (Friday) carried off the Supreme Award of the 2009 New Zealand Pride In Print Awards for a South Island printer.

Before representatives of the elite of New Zealand’s printers and packaging companies at the Wellington Convention Centre, Amcor Cartons of Christchurch took the major “Oscar” of the night with its 250g Cadbury’s Old Gold Carton.

The chocolate box also won the Packaging Category of the Awards.
Amcor Cartons South Island manager Nigel Harrison said that in a lifetime of working in the print industry this was the most difficult job he had encountered.

“It was so difficult to achieve with the colours and the embossing, but we promised to Cadbury’s we could do it. The printers who first handled it, hated it. But they were determined to make it happen and now Cadbury’s have seen the finished effect they want to replicate it in other packaging lines.”

Mr Harrison said that he believed it was a first for this combination of print techniques in Australasia.

Senior packaging judge Laurie Lark said the box deserved to win the country’s most prestigious print and packaging award – “This was an outstanding example of prepress, printing and finishing. The carton used polyester silver film laminate then printed with white to allow inks to over-print the laminate, was then embossed following the shapes and contours of the chocolates.

“This made it an extremely difficult job and it is unusual to see a job embossed when it is going to be wrapped in cellophane. I would give it 10 out of 10 for difficulty but they have done very very well and I am most impressed with its quality.”

Mr Lark said the die makers would have had to have worked from photographs of the chocolates with the contours picked out to enable them to etch the embossing die, giving a 3D effect.

Then the printing and the embossing would have had to be brought together, using candesce board with a polyester silver film laminated on to it.

“Congratulations to all those involved in the production of the Supreme Winner,” he said.

The Cadbury’s Old Gold Carton was printed by Amcor Cartons Christchurch and designed by Blue Marlin. Reproduction house was Colorite, Amcor Cartons did the print finishing, Ryco Dies supplied the cutting form, SBS Candesce 457 stock was supplied by Spicers Paper, and the job was printed on a Heidelberg 102CD Speedmaster using Kodak Sword Ultra T98 plates and inks supplied by Flint Ink and Ink Solutions. Blankets were Sun Graphic SF Pro Plus.

Supreme Award Finalists

NZ Leads the World in Flexography

Proof that New Zealand leads the world in flexographic technique and craftsmanship was found in this year’s Pride In Print Flexography Category winner, printed by Convex Plastics Ltd of Hamilton.

The Waikato firm’s pet food wrapper -- Supercoat Kitten with Real Chicken & Rice 8kg – was lauded by expert judge Frank Brokken as world class.

“Overseas, a job like this would not normally have been printed flexo. This job is comparable to high-quality gravure print and it would have gone to that process because gravure is traditionally seen as a more stable print method. .

“This is certainly not the case in New Zealand today because run lengths are traditionally much shorter and market conditions fiercely competitive which pushes the flexo process to greater heights than those seen in many other parts of the world.

“Flexographic printers in New Zealand are more innovative craftsmen and the results are not only word class, they are world leading.

“The flexographic world continues to look at New Zealand and wonders how we consistently do it. You could have sent this entry in to any flexography competition in the world and it would have done well. It is an example of skill from start to finish.

“I would add that compared to many entries in previous years, this is in a league of its own. There was a great degree of difficulty in printing this wrapper because of the width of the web and trying to hold the image still. The risk of distortion means that holding it in register is hugely difficult.”

Accepting the award, Convex Plastic printing manager Gary Dillistone agreed with the judge’s assessment of the standards of flexography in New Zealand.

“We have to be good here because of our small population and small print runs. We have invested in new equipment to lift our standards and this is a great reward for that.

“Our client here, Nestle, has very stringent standards so we have to meet exacting standards.

“This was an export job too, so to have done so well is especially pleasing.”

The Supercoat Kitten with Real Chicken & Rice 8kg was printed by Convex Plastics Ltd for Nestle Purina. Convex also did the print finishing. Pakseal Flexibles Pty Ltd was the buyer, reproduction house was Digital Graphic Communications, PT 12 Polyester stock was supplied by Chemiplas, and the job was printed on a Windmoller & Holscher Central Impression using inks supplied by DIC New Zealand. Plates were by Flint ACE.

Water Label Hits Heights in the Mountains

A label that went on to water bottles for rail travellers crossing the Southern Alps has taken out the Labels Category prize at the Pride In Print Awards.

The label was printed by Geon in Christchurch for Tranz Scenic, the long-distance passenger division of KiwiRail, and was used for bottles on board scenic trains such as the Tranz Alpine express which is rated one of the most beautiful train journeys in the world.

The self-adhesive label depicts the Tranz Alpine and its sister rail journeys, the Overlander and Tranz Coastal, against a background of snow-capped peaks.

Accepting the award, Geon Group General Manager Andrew Durrans said that the job was a technical challenge because the image on the front of the label could not block out the writing on the back, which had to be readable through the water in the bottle.

“It is great to get recognition from the judges but it is very important to remember that this is a commercial job, and you need to earn recognition from the customer, which we did with this label.”

Mr Durrans said that for Geon, it was great to gain an award in the labels field.

“We have had success in areas such as sheet-fed printing and special processes, but to get an award for a label shows our range of expertise. You have to say we are batting above our average.”

Expert judge Chris Mills said it was an excellent print job.

“Printing self adhesive is difficult because it tends to move. The printers have mastered that well here.

“Also, the back of the label has to be printed just as well because it is visible through the water in the bottle. They have printed four colours then laminated, then done the other colours, and done so without automatic registration on their machine.

“They have done very very well.”

The Water Label was printed by Geon for Tranz Scenic, with Waimak Water the print buyer. Design was by Martini Design, reproduction house was Geon which also did the print finishing. Rotometrics supplied the cutting form. The label was printed on GEON Max supplied by Avery Dennison and the press was a Gidue I-Combat 8 colour. Agfa supplied the film, Flint Group was the ink supplier and Toyobo the plate supplier.

Faultless Peanut Wrapper A Winner in Gravure

A wrapper for a traditional Whittaker’s Peanut Block that judges found to be flawless has won the Gravure Category prize at the Pride In Print Awards.

Gravure Packaging of Petone printed the label for J.H Whittaker & Sons Ltd, and the fact that a machine 30-years-old or more was used for the job emphasised the skill involved when the wrapper was examined by judges.

Expert judge Frank Brokken said he could find nothing wrong with the wrapper at all.

“We have looked over this job and can’t find a fault with it. The work that has gone into it is outstanding.

“It is in perfect register, the machinists have been in absolute control throughout. Printed on an older machine this job earned nine out of ten for difficulty, which makes it even more remarkable they have produced a faultless result.”

Accepting the award, Gravure Packaging sales manager Thomas Kaffes said his staff would be thrilled with the award.

“The fact we did this on our oldest machine, even though it has been highly modified over the years, is a testament to the work of the team. We have a team of just 25 and it is a credit to them that we always strive for excellence.”

The Whittaker’s Peanut Block wrapper was printed by Gravure Packaging for J.H Whittaker & Sons Ltd, with design by Te One and Colorite the reproduction house and cylinder engraver. Gravure Packaging did the print finishing and Novatech stock was supplied by BJ Ball Group. A Chambon press was used, Novatech provided the film and DIC New Zealand the inks.

Cuisine Magazine “Up There” With International Print Quality

An edition of Cuisine magazine that would have “been outstanding in international competitions” has taken out the Web Heatset category honours at the Pride In Print Awards.

The magazine was printed by PMP Print Christchurch for Fairfax Magazines.

Expert judge Bob Morgan said the impact the magazine had with the judges was made more remarkable because the judges themselves were applying tougher standards.

“We decided we would be more stringent to ensure we only got through to the very best. When we came to this entry we could find very little wrong over its 290 pages. When you consider that at one time the printer would have had pallet loads of copies on the floor at once waiting to go to cover, to keep this job at this standard of consistent quality was a great achievement.

“You can’t ask much more of a heatset web than this book”.

Mr Morgan added that he had recently been involved in Asian and Australian print awards, and this entry was “up there” with the top entries he had seen overseas.

PMP Print’s Steve Thompson said his company genuinely expected the job to win “something” at this year’s Awards.

“I don’t want to sound arrogant about that, but we put a lot of effort into quality all the way through the organisation and that’s the way you look after and keep clients,” he said.

“Nothing was unique about it -- we just applied the same processes as we would with any other job. But we had good material to start with in terms of the design and photography.

“Some jobs just set themselves up better than others. Fairfax invariably give us very good material but sometimes the material just excels and if we get it right as well, we can take it to that next level.

“When you think how many people touch your job from beginning to end -- right from our client all the way through -- to get to this level everyone has to do everything to a very high standard.”

A regular Gold Medal winner, this was the second year in a row PMP Print has been a Supreme Award Finalist.

Good Magazine was printed by Image Centre Ltd of Auckland for HB Media, which was also the designer. Image Centre was also the reproduction house and Dominion Book Binders did the finishing. Novatech Silk Matt 250gsm, 100gsm and Sumo Offset 100gsm stocks were used on a Heidelberg Speedmaster 102 Perfector 8-colour press. Hostmann-Steinberg supplied the inks, Fuji the plates and Day the blankets.

Old and New Combine in Superb Example of Finishing

A book that brings together the traditional feel of buckram covers and the modern technology of digital print has topped the Specialty Processes -- Binding and Finishing category in the Pride In Print Awards.

The Duplicities of Familial Bliss book was printed by Kinetic 121 for Vanessa McRae Photographer, with Momento Photobooks Ltd of Wellington being the entrant, print buyer and also the finisher.

Expert judge Chris Woodhead said the book was a fantastic example of tradition and new technology being married in today’s print world.

“What we have here is traditional materials being used with new print methodologies, and incorporating PUR binding where the book is milled and glued using polyurethane glue.

“Library buckram was used for the covers and the slip case, but the book itself was printed on an Indigo press. The case binding is superb and it also used debossing on the back. Whoever did this job was extremely diligent. Buckram is a very difficult material to use and as a book binder, I think they have done a fantastic job.”

Momento’s Jackie Harris said her young company -- Momento Photo Books being about 18 months old and Momento Binding under a year old -- had “no inkling at all” it would be a Supreme Finalist in its first year of entry to Pride In Print.

“We are very excited,” said Ms Harris.

“We have an amazing team of people, I am the front person for very skilled craftspeople.

“I can be honest and tell you this is the normal standard of quality that we produce. The reason for that is that photobooks are really one-off products and they have to be absolutely perfect when they leave the premises.

“The quality of the photography was very special we thought and the printing qualities -- everything was checked so closely and Kinetic worked closely to make sure we got our colours right in the printing.”

Ms Harris said the end client, amateur photographer Vanessa McRae, was also “very excited” about the Pride In Print entry … “I will be calling her on Monday.”

The Duplicities of Familial Bliss book was printed by Kinetic 121 for Vanessa McRae Photographer. Momento Photobooks Ltd, which was the entrant, print buyer and also the finisher. Reproduction house was Wakefields Digital and Inline Graphics provided the cutting form. Spicers Paper and Aarque Graphics provided the stocks of Fedrigoni - Symbol Freelife Satin, Premium White 250gsm and Dustjacket - Jetpro Rapid Dry Satin. The job was printed on a HP Indigo 5000 press supplied by AM International, who also supplied the inks.

Print Moves into the World of Architectural Design

(use with two photos of ceiling tiles – one free standing and the other showing the tiles hanging from the rook of the Aoraki/Mt Cook Visitor Centre)

Ceiling panels that have become the centrepiece of a major tourist drawcard have been credited with bringing print technology and graphic design into the world of architectural and building design.

The ceiling “diamonds” for the Aoraki/Mt Cook Visitor Centre took out the Digital Printing - Applied Graphics Category top prize at the Pride In Print Awards.

Produced by Big Colour Imaging Limited of Auckland for the Department of Conversation, and designed by Rick Pearson and Associates, the panels were printed on clear adhesive and mounted on acrylic before being mounted on aluminium framing. When hung from the ceiling of the visitor centre they became translucent, catching the light coming through the windows and reflecting the snow-capped mountain.

Senior judge Matt Hall said that this is the first time judges had seen this kind of application.

“The applied graphics category was created a year ago to recognise the growth of entries that are larger in stature than just the print alone. As such, the concept, design, and application expertise required for the production of applications such as vehicle, aircraft and architectural installations should be recognised.

“These ceiling panels demonstrate growth and development within the industry, and how the combination of digital print and some lateral thinking can result in some exciting innovations.”

Mr Hall said the print team would have faced considerable challenges applying multi-layered self-adhesive prints to acrylic sheets without any defects. “When something is stuck to acrylic it stays stuck, so they had to get it right first time. In addition the layered graphics on each panel had to line up. It is an excellent job.”

“Surprised and elated”, Big Colour Imaging’s Aaron King regarded the Supreme Finalist’s achievement as somewhat of a “graduation” for his 25-year-old company, which only recently evolved from signage into printing and last year won a Gold Medal with its first Awards entry.

“We are a very small company, we try to do good work for our clients and this is a bit of recognition for us,” he said.

“It was a complete finished job. Everything from the mounting to the prints and process being used was a bit different -- taking advantage of the environment, the lighting coming through, the windows of the space and the way we printed that seemed to enhance the natural environment and the finishing was just fantastic.”

Mr King said the end client, the Department of Conservation, had given very positive feedback.

“As soon as we saw it we knew we had to enter -- it was just one of those jobs that just everything about it was right. It was part of a large project, it is something unique to New Zealand and a little bit of our heritage.

“It was something that our team can be proud of.”

The ceiling “diamonds” for the Aoraki/Mt Cook Visitor Centre were produced and finished by Big Colour Imaging Limited for the Department of Conversation, and designed by Rick Pearson and Associates. Aarque Graphics supplied the 3M 8819 - Cast Clear Laminate and 3M IJ3630 - Translucent Film. The job was printed on an HP Colorspan FB910 supplied by Aarque Graphics which also supplied inks.

Multi-Tasking Letterhead Wins Business Forms Prize

A combined letterhead and membership card created for the New Zealand Police Association has topped the Business Forms Category in the Pride In Print Awards.

The police association form was printed by Wickliffe Ltd in Auckland and was entered in the Business Print - Business Forms – Reelfed section of the awards

Expert judge John Wills said the printer had been tasked with a number of jobs in producing the form, as it had to be more than a letterhead, inclusive of distinctive police blue and white hatching and a logo. It also had to have a membership card integrated so that recipients could receive the card by mail.

“This job is very well produced. The hatching is evocative of a police design and the diecutting is everything it needs to be.

“When everything is brought together, it has answered all of the requirements asked of the printer by the customer,” he said.

Wickliffe’s Charles Miller said printing this integrated job required a number of double-sided lamination and diecutting steps to be completed in “absolute register”.

“This job is as much about communication as it is about sheetfed printing labels,” he said.

“It’s about communicating an image and imparting credibility.

“Our customer base includes the Police, many Government departments and corporates, and security credibility protects their brands and we are proud to be a part of that.”

Mr Miller said the end effect was notable … “especially to get the membership integrated to the letterhead which allows the customer to laser print it”.

“This is one of our value-added options for customers, which is applicable across loyalty cards, direct marketing, promotions, complex credit cards and labels.”

Feedback from the end client had been “fantastic” he said and added it was “wonderful to be recognised by one’s peers”.

“Which is what Pride In Print is all about and it is a credit to the whole team that developed the piece through design, pre-press, printing and, especially for this job, finishing.

The New Zealand Police Association form was printed by Wickliffe Ltd which was also the reproduction house, cylinder engraver and print finisher. Gerhardt provided the cutting form, Glopaque Offset 110gsm stock was used from Spicers Paper and the job was printed on a Miyakoshi MSF 18 press. Unicure UV DIC New Zealand was the ink supplier, Mitsubishi the plates supplier and blankets were Kinyo Airtrack J.

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