We call on printers from Africa to enter the FESPA Awards, which are designed to recognise printers and signmakers from around the globe who have produced quality projects with technical expertise relevant to the application. Entrants for all categories in the FESPA Awards 2018 will be required to submit their work by 26 January 2018. Judging will take place from 28 February-2 March by an independent panel of industry experts.
South African printer Screenline won a bronze award for its branded table cloth in the Point of Purchase Products – Plastic Category at the most recent FESPA Awards, held in Hamburg earlier this year. Director Nico de Greef stated that the company will use the award to motivate the team to keep striving towards printing excellence.
Christian M Walter, managing director of 2017 winner, Taller de Serigrafia, stated: ‘There is no better publicity for a print studio than winning a prize as prestigious as a FESPA Gold Award. Anybody who is entirely convinced to have done something extraordinary should send their submissions, as these awards are a major showcase for a printer´s work and skills.’
The FESPA Awards are open to all print service providers and signmakers anywhere in the world, with categories spanning the full spectrum of the industry from commercial, packaging and wide format print to customer service and cross-media.
Entries will be judged on technique, colour, appearance, image definition, job complexity, use and creativity. The full list of awards criteria and judging deadlines can be found at www.fespaawards.com.
The full list of the 2018 categories:
- Point of Purchase Products: printing on paper and board, including paper banners and backlit papers.
- Point of Purchase Products: printed on all types of plastics, including plastic banners and backlit plastic plus lenticular, plastic printing in sheets, flexible or rigid.
- Posters: single sheets and multi-sheets.
- Original Serigraphies: giclees and fine art reproductions, books, brochures etc.
- Decals, printed labels, fleet marking, window decals etc.
- Special effect: screen printed over offset, digital or screen printed images and other innovative applications.
- Special effects on T-shirts and other garments: embroidery, additions of pearls, metal, circuitry etc.
- T-shirts and other garments: direct printing, transfers and roll-to-roll.
- Roll-to-roll printed textile: decoration and pennants, banners, tapestries, draperies, other textile products (e.g. bags, scarves, ties, etc.)
- Glass, ceramic, metal and wood products: tableware, tiles, glasses, mirrors curved and flat, direct printing, decals, glass and ceramic, metal and wood products, signs and objects.
- Direct printing on three dimensional products: bottles, mugs, skis, packaging etc.
- Non-printed signage: channel lettering, neon signs, signwriting, etching, engraving and dimensional signage, acrylics, non-printed vinyl etc.
- Functional: compact discs, credit and phone cards, automobiles, IMD, fascias, dials, nameplates, signs, gauges, printed circuits and membrane switches, hybrid circuits, RFIDs, solar cells etc.
Outside of the application-led categories, there are three separate categories: Young Star, Best in Show and People’s Choice.
The Young Star award is open to an employee or student in a print related discipline aged between 16 and 25 years old. Best in Show is decided by the judges, across all the shortlisted entries, for the piece of work that offers the most outstanding example of print. And the People’s Choice award is voted online by the FESPA print community. Voting will open on the 5 February 2018 and close on 5 March 2018.
‘Winning a FESPA Award offers significant credibility to a print business providing the perfect platform to showcase their skill and expertise, which enables printers to instill confidence in their customers and support new business ventures,’ said FESPA head of events Duncan MacOwan.
There are definitely examples of winners that have picked up work from both the exposure they’ve received for winning the award and also through people feeling reassured by the work that they’ve done and the recognition it’s received.’
‘All of the entrants also receive feedback from the judges about what they like and what they could improve on. It is a great way to inspire our global print community and to motivate other printers to push the boundaries of print,’ he concluded.
All shortlisted entries will also be displayed at the Messe Berlin during FESPA 2018, from 15-18 May, and the winners will be announced in front of an elite audience of global industry experts at FESPA’s Gala Night. Details of the award ceremony and gala night will be revealed soon.
