Flint expands remit of Print Awards

Flint Group has opened its 13th annual Print Awards competition for entries, which will also represent the company’s Flexographic Products and Digital Printing Solutions businesses.

Flint expands remit of Print Awards

Label converters from around the globe are asked to submit printed samples of their choosing for evaluation by a panel of industry judges, with the winners to be announced during a live event at the Flint Group stand at Labelexpo Europe 2017 on September 26.

The 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.

Entries can be a commercial label or a promotional label, but must be printed using Flint Group materials and/or equipment. The deadline for entries is August 31, 2017, and 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 at Labelexpo Europe 2017.

Flint Group has received hundreds of submissions since the first competition in 2005, awarding prizes to more than 75 companies globally. In 2016, Flint Group presented awards in several specific categories at that year’s Labelexpo Americas – all submissions using inks, coatings, and specialty products that were supplied by Flint Group.

Niklas Olsson, global brand manager at Flint Group, commented: ‘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.

‘We encourage printers to demonstrate the enriched and expanding pallet of applications that are possible using narrow web presses, utilising any print method of their choice – water-based flexo, UV flexo, UV offset, digital printing or a combination thereof.’

Kelly Kolliopoulos, global marketing director at Flint Group Narrow Web, added: ‘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.’

Guillaume Clement, vice president, global, narrow web at Flint Group, said: ‘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 honour any company who can pull all three Divisions’ products together in one printed piece with a very special award.’

Filip Weymens, vice president of global marketing at Xeikon, concluded: ‘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.’

Download the entry forms below