BRUSSELS, Belgium—Flint Group has officially opened its 13th annual Print Awards competition with its call for entries and announced it has expanded it to include narrow web inks and coatings, digital printing solutions and flexographic products. Label converters from around the globe are encouraged to submit printed samples of their choosing for evaluation by a panel of industry judges.
Winners will be announced during a live event at the Flint Group stand at Labelexpo Europe in Brussels on Tuesday, Sept. 26, where Flint Group will unveil the submissions that exemplify excellence and entrepreneurship in the wide world of narrow web printing, which includes labels, flexible packaging, cartons and shrink sleeves.
Niklas Olsson, global brand manager, comments, “Flint Group is a solution provider with an unmatched product portfolio covering all major steps of the printing process with the aim to provide superior results for our customers and our customers’ customers. In 2017, we open the awards beyond just inks and coatings and expand this celebration of success to include Flint Group Flexographic Products and Flint Group Digital Solutions (Xeikon).”
Olsson continues, “We encourage printers to demonstrate the enriched and expanding pallet of applications that are possible using narrow web presses, utilizing any print method of their choice—water-based flexo, UV flexo, UV offset, digital printing or a combination thereof.”
Kelly Kolliopoulos, global marketing director narrow web, adds, “Over the past two years we have seen an increased amount of print submissions coming from expanding market segments—it’s encouraging to see narrow web grow in pressure sensitive label, but even more so into various segments of the flexible packaging market and shrink sleeves. We are glad to see narrow web printers around the world pushing past the traditional boundaries.”
Flint Group has received hundreds of submissions since the first competition in 2005, presenting this prestigious award to more than 75 companies globally. In 2016, Flint Group presented awards in several specific categories at Labelexpo Americas—all submissions using inks, coatings and specialty products that were supplied by Flint Group.
Commenting on the awards, Guillaume Clement, vice president global narrow web, says, “Flint Group has a unique value proposition, which includes both equipment and consumables. In 2017 we are eager to expand the awards beyond inks and coatings to include our colleagues in Xeikon and Flexographic Products. To exemplify best in show, we will honor any company who can pull all three divisions’ products together in one printed piece with a very special award.”
Filip Weymens, VP global marketing for Xeikon, says, “The Flint Group Print Awards provide our label customers an excellent leveraging opportunity for the work they do on Xeikon digital presses. We’re proud to take part in this celebration of success and are really looking forward to seeing the entries of the digital producers.”
Guillaume concludes, “We are extremely pleased and honored to receive so many print submissions year after year; this proves that the Print Awards is held in serious and respected regard by our customers around the world. Flint Group is very proud to host this friendly competition honoring our clients’ creative and outstanding work.”
Criteria for judging includes: registration, smoothness of dot/vignette, overall print quality and degree of difficulty. Entries will be placed in categories relating to technology and application.
Entry Guidelines are as follows:
- Each entry must be printed using Flint Group materials and/or equipment
- Entries can be a commercial label, or a promotional label
- Entries can be sent in roll or sheet form with no less than 20 of each label—converters should specify if labels cannot be displayed on the Flint Group stand
- Entries should be received no later than Aug. 31
- Entries should be submitted directly to Flint Group
Contact your local representative for specific contacts. Detailed entry guidelines and entry form are available by contacting Flint Group directly.
For more information, please contact Niklas Olsson in Europe at [email protected].