Print Week Awards 2011

2010 Winner

The Label Makers

Commended
SA Labels

Finalists
James Townsend & Sons
John Watson & Company

Award-winning labels needs to tick a number of boxes, from illustrating the highest-quality print and production values to actually being fit for purpose, whether that be 'selling' the contents or adhering to brand specifications. Labels are a broad church and any form of label can be entered into this category, from food and beverages to tins of paint and everything in between. 

Judges will be looking for consistent quality of repro, print and finishing and of particular interest will be the use and application of special colours and finishes, and printing on difficult or unusual substrates. Labels printed using any process, for example sheetfed litho, digital, flexo, gravure, screen, letterpress or any combination,  may be entered and the judges will take into account the production implications of each technology. All entries need to include a single copy example of four different labels (so each entry will consist of an entry form, four different labels and 250-word production summary for each sample), printed since 1 July 2010, in order to demonstrate consistent production excellence. If any part of the job was produced by a different company – for example the repro or special finish – remember to credit the company that undertook it.

1 Entries must be commercial production runs and must have been printed or produced since 1 July 2010.

2 Please submit your 250-word summary for each of the four samples submitted on a separate sheet of paper. Please do not supply on letterheaded paper. Note: Entries without this summary may be marked down accordingly.

3 Any entry that does not comply with category criteria may be disqualified. Please supply only the number of samples requested.

4 You may enter as many different categories as you wish, however, you may only enter the same category once.

5 All material should be clearly labelled. If you enter the same jobs in more than one category, we will need a full set of examples and supporting material for each category entered.

6 The decision of the judges is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

7 Confidentiality: all material will remain confidential to the judges, but winning case studies may be written up and published in PrintWeek based on the material provided. If the work entered is under embargo, the embargo must expire before 17 October 2011 (unless special dispensation is agreed prior to entry – contact event manager Kate Collins for more information - 020 8267 8188/kate.collins@haymarket.com).

8 All entrants must be registered companies in the UK and all work entered must have been produced in the UK.

9 The entrant must have been consistently trading solvently since 1 July 2009.

Please note

Whilst every care is taken with entries, PrintWeek and Haymarket Media Group cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage, whatever the cause. Please pack your entries carefully so they arrive in good condition.

Entries will not be returned. They will be held until 4 November 2011 for you to arrange collection. Contact the Awards team on 020 8267 4312 to arrange. Please make sure you indicate on your entry form if you wish to collect your entries.

Remember to enter the best examples of each of the four different label jobs; samples that are damaged or have imperfections will be marked down – this award focuses on production excellence after all.

Use your 250-word production summary for each of the four labels not only to detail the equipment used to produce each stage of the job, but also to highlight any challenges you faced to produce it, for example tight turnaround times, working closely with external suppliers, difficult substrates or simply the demanding nature of the client.

The judges are looking at the quality of the work produced and will bear in mind the production method and value of the labels in their scoring, so while a label for a high-value item may look impressive, it will need to demonstrate production excellence. Equally, a more common-or-garden item that shines as an example of the label printer's art may score very highly. Remember the judges are looking for an entry to show the breadth of the label printer's skill – so choose your four samples wisely to illustrate this.

Often a label only comes into its own when shown on the actual product, so please bear this in mind in your entry and if applicable include either a real life example of the label in use or an image of it, as well as an actual print sample of the label, of course.

Client testimonials are always helpful.

• Three copies of the completed entry form
• Four different label jobs
• Three copies of each of your four 250-word summaries