INX opens can design contest

INX has opened submissions for the seventh annual Colored by INX Can Design Contest, with any commercial metal packaging can design produced by an INX customer before January 1, 2026, eligible for consideration.

The contest represents a chance for those in the industry to showcase outstanding artistry and join a group of brand owners, designers and metal decorators who have been recognized in the past. Each submitted design entry must use at least one color from the INX Color Catalog, recognized as the metal decoration industry's only true color standard.

'Each year, the Colored by INX Can Design Contest raises the bar for what is possible in beverage can design and decorating. It's a great opportunity for our customers to showcase their best work, tell their story and demonstrate how thoughtful color choices bring a brand to life,' commented Jeanie Morris, INX marketing and promotions manager.

Morris added that color drives shelf appeal in packaging, and this contest celebrates the process and collaboration it takes to get there. 'A great can design reflects the brand, the designer, the decorator and the teamwork required to translate a vision. That blend of packaging creativity and technical execution is what makes this contest so compelling,' she noted.

The design team at Karbach Brewing Company in Houston won the top prize last year with their can design for Dunkels & Dragons, a German-style dark lager. It was also the slimmest margin of victory in the six-year history of the contest, winning by just one point after the vote results from the five judges and social media were tabulated.

While the judging and social media voting process remains intact, three new judges have been added to the panel of experts. Returning from last year will be Sarah Jacks, solutions sales representative for INX, and Marshall Thompson, co-founder of digital aluminum can printing company Canworks in Austin, Texas. New to the roster are Stephanie Hart, co-founder and co-CEO of Hart Print in Montreal; Jessica Jacobsen, editor of Beverage Industry magazine; and Michelle Russell, co-editor of The Canmaker magazine in the United Kingdom.

Entries must be postmarked by March 30. The judges will determine the five finalists, and those design entries will be announced on April 20. Each judge gets one vote, and public input via INX's social media will also count as one vote. The social voting will take place from April 20 to April 22, and the winner will be announced on April 29.

'We are excited to shine a light on the brands and decorators who are driving packaging forward. It's great to see the creativity and craftsmanship that defines this industry, and we are excited to celebrate the teams behind the development of these standout cans,' Morris added.