Gravure printers awarded for quality work by PLGA

The Packaging and Label Gravure Association (PLGA) held its annual Quality Print Awards presentation in Jacksonville, FL in conjunction with the seventh annual Technical and Operations Conference. A total of thirty-four awards were given in twenty-nine different categories.

Awarded for the "Best of Show", and winner of the Bags Flexible Packaging category, was American Packaging Corporation for its Great Outdoor Grill Mesquite Chunks bag entry. This six-color reverse printed film/film lamination product was previously produced in a multi-wall paper bag format that became easily worn and dirty during the shipping process.

In the Paperboard-top Coated Cartons category, Shorewood Packaging Corporation won for its Pot of Gold Excellence. Done as a five-color matt varnish, gloss varnish and hot foil stamping job, this unique design with register between matt black and gold embossed border was said to be outstanding by judges.

Smurfit-Stone’s CA-div. took home the Special Structure-Printed Cartons award for its Seagram’s Wine Cooler four-pack dispenser. They also won the Specialty Converting category for this same job. This job consisted of a six- or seven-color plus lacquer printed on carrier craft with wet strength. "The Seagram’s logo was nicely done, bright looking colors in box on a tough substrate, good ink laydown," said judge.

The Film/Film Lamination-Process Flexible Packaging category named Nordenia USA as the winner for its Chef’s Choice Shrimp Stir Fry. This job was created with six-color reverse printed, 48-gauge polyester laminated with solventless adhesive.

Ampgraph Packaging Inc. won the Foil/Film Lamination Flexible Packaging award for its four- and five-color Swisher’s Chattanooga Chew (chewing tobacco) job. This package also won the Non-Solvent Ink Specialty category. This job was printed with water-based ink and disposable gravure sleeves from Italy. "The print quality is outstanding, especially for water-based inks," one judge stated.

The Lassy Mogs Cookies six-color surface printed on paper and laminated over print job by Sonoco Flexible Packaging won the Paper/Film Lamination Flexible Packaging category.

Tyson Lemon Pepper Chicken Breast Strips printed by Nordenia USA won the Pouches Flexible Packaging category. This pouch was reverse printed with seven-colors on 48-gauge polyester and laminated with solventless adhesive. "The solid colors are well produced and the registration is very tight," said judges.

Gilbreth Packaging Systems took the winning category for Reverse Printed Sleeves/Tubes for its Nature’s Noni Juice. This seven-color job was printed on PETG with richness achieved from a four-color process. "The vignette is nice and the gradations in the background are outstanding," judges said.

SleeveCo, Inc. won under the Heat Shrinkable-Less Than 12% Sleeves/Tubes for its Fountain (advanced myocellular protein compound). Printed with seven colors in a combination of screen and process work printed on .05 in. of SRHS PVC. One judge said, "A good reproduction on a difficult material."

The Heat Shrinkable-More Than 13% Sleeves/Tubes category award was given for the Hellmann’s Light Mayonnaise printed by Fort Dearborn Company. With four-process and five-line colors, this job was reverse printed on PVC shrink film. The sandwich and salad labels ran on the same cylinder and had to match proofs exactly.

NorthStar Print Group took home the Paper-top Coated Non PSA Labels/Wraps award for its eight-color surface printed Leinenkugel’s Oktoberfest Lager on metallized paper. One judge commented, "there is extremely tight register in the Leinenkugel’s logo and the Lager nameplate."

The winner of the Film Surface Printed Non PSA Labels/Wraps category was NorthStar Print Group for its Icehouse Premium Beer label. This label was printed with six colors plus varnish and two special coatings on 3.4-mil metallized film. The judges commented that this is a well-produced label with excellent registration throughout. Diversapack won under the Film Reverse Printed Non PSA Labels/Wraps category for its Dasani water label. This was a five-color job on OPP that had previously been printed seven-color flexo.

In the In Mold Label-Paper Non PSA Labels/Wraps category the Prestone De-Icer printed by NorthStar Print Group won. This was printed with four colors plus two varnishes on 60 lb C2S paper. Judges commented, "There has been a good use of color and the type is clean and easy to read." "There were plenty of opportunities for problems to creep in, but they were successful in avoiding them."

The Tree Top Apple Juice film label won the In Mold Label-Film Non PSA Labels/Wraps category, which was printed by NorthStar Print Group. This in mold label prints six colors plus one varnish on 4-mil film. "The halftones are well executed and the background shade is well printed and adds to the subtlety previously mentioned," said one judge. A five-color Finding Nemo label by Multi-Color Corporation won under the Heat Transfer Label Non PSA Labels/Wraps category. This label also won the Special Effects/Novelty Specialty category. This particular job was printed on a proprietary heat transfer substrate.

Inland Printing Company won an award for its Molson Export Ale label under the Paper Label-Glue Applied Non PSA Labels/Wraps category. This five-color plus top coat was printed with water-based inks on Proma Technologies’ K334 HoloPRISM stock. This job was comprised of four combo printed and collated label sets for a 100th anniversary promotion. The judges commented on the very good register, outstanding clean and crisp type and good colors, especially gold, on a substrate that was new to the printer for a water-based application.

The Pringles Lord of the Rings container printed by American Packaging Corporation won the Paper Coupons, Premiums, Booklets category. This six-color job involved random ink jet numbering in register with the print and with thermo-chromatic ink applied over the numbers. "The halftone illustrations are atmospheric and look good," said one judge.

Sonoco Flexible Packaging won again for its Celebration 2004 coupon in the Film Coupons, Premiums, Booklets category. This seven-color job was printed on 48 gauge polyester film. The register control is very good and the overall results are outstanding, said judges.

Scientific Games International won the Combination Substrates Coupons, Premiums, Booklets category for its Lord of the Rings game piece. Fourteen stations were used in the production of this entry on 10-point coated stock. Multiple layers of in-register security coatings protect the ticket from alteration or modification.

In the Prime Label-Film PSA Labels category, Package Service Company won for its Colgate Suavitel label. This label was produced with seven colors plus UV printed on white BOPP. The robe and background were printed in a duotone for-mat for global color matching. Judges stated, "the flesh tones are very good; the type is clean and clear."

The Bud Light label printed by Precision Printing and Packaging Inc. won the No Label Look PSA Labels category. Printed six colors on polypropylene pressure sensitive film, this label is said to be difficult because it is a clear PSA label applied to a brown glass bottle, which tends to highlight defects in both the label and bottle.

A stamp on Film Making won the Stamps Specialty category. American Packaging Corporation printed this seven-color plus two lacquers on pressure sensitive paper. The use of both matt and gloss over lacquers create the contrast between the film reel containing the stamp images and the side art. The judges commented that the background on the right is ethereal and creates the impression of bygone days.

The Avery Dennison Security Printing division won for its First Flight promotions piece for the United States Postal Service under the category of Security Printing Specialty. This four-color front print with Phosphor Kill Coating and three-color backside printing on pressure sensitive material with 60 lb face and 80 lb liner.

The Technical Achievement Specialty award went to Fort Dearborn for its Glade Magic Candles. This challenging job on shrink film printed with shrink film inks and Thermo-Chromic inks. After application the sleeve maintains full color until the candle is lit. The border of color turns white reveling reverse printed butterflies.

Tommy Hilfinger’s Cologne Spray box, printed by Shorewood Packaging Corporation, won an award under the Process Innovations category. This box was printed with four colors plus varnish on front side and one-color plus varnish on back printed on International Paper’s Starcoat.