L9 World Label Competition names 2025 best of the best

The L9 World Label Association has announced the winners of its 2025 Best of the Best awards, with five labels selected across flexographic, letterpress, offset litho, combination and digital printing categories by an international panel of judges convened ahead of Labelexpo Europe 2025.

In flexographic printing, Fortis Solutions Group took the top award for its Prime Strawberry Banana shrink sleeve, submitted by TLMI from the US. The sleeve features a smooth tonal transition from 100 percent to 1 percent dot, gloss varnish on solid black text against a soft touch matt coating and a scratch and sniff patch.

The letterpress award went to Japan's Kyushu Craft Industries for its Handmade Horse Meat Croquette label, submitted by JFLP. Printed on PP synthetic paper, the label features fine reversed-out Japanese and western text and a process yellow adjusted to produce a visually accurate representation of the product.

Multi-Colour Corporation Americas won the offset litho category for its Freakshow Petite Petit wine label, submitted by Finat. The label is printed in eight colors using 175 line stochastic screening, with rotary hot foil, screen varnish and embossing among the finishing techniques applied.

Turkey's Sancak Etiket claimed the combination printing award for Nicea Extra Virgin Olive Oil, also submitted by FINAT. Printed on silver stock with an opaque white background, the label uses process colors printed onto the silver substrate to simulate gold foiling, finished with tactile screen varnish.

The digital printing award went to MCC Albany for True Honey Rare Harvest 2050+ Manuka Honey, submitted by SALMA from New Zealand. The label uses a floating foil technique, applying foil on top of a screen-printed high-build varnish over a digital print base. Awards plaques will be presented at local ceremonies.