Convenor of judges Grant Letfus
Smaller printers working on one- and two-colour presses are being urged to recognise they have a part to play in the 2006 Pride In Print Awards. Both Convenor of Judges Grant Letfus and Awards Manager Sue Archibald are keen to see more entries in these categories next year, and want smaller print shops to realise that Pride In Print is about all categories of print, not just the preserve of those printers working at the four-and-more-colour end of the market.
"What we want the smaller print shops to realise now, at the time when people are just beginning to think of entries for the 2006 Awards, is that there is a place for them," says Grant Letfus.
"The opportunity is there for the smaller printer who produces high quality in one or two colours, to gain equal recognition that their work is worthy of the prestige that normally one thinks of being due to the high end of the market.
"There are a lot of printers working in the field of one and two colour presses, whose work requires a lot of dedication and specialisation. In judging their work, there is no difference in applying standards by the judges, who expect quality levels to be adhered to just as they would with the multi-coloured jobs.
"They are looking critically at the lay-down of colour, the consistency across the whole of the job and the finishing standards, things which will make a job stand out and make it worthy of a Pride In Print Award.
"Any printer who receives a Pride In Print Gold Award for one- and two-colour work genuinely has earned the respect of the industry."
Awards Manager Sue Archibald says smaller printers have yet to fully recognise there is a place for them in Pride In Print.
"The one- and two-colour categories have historically seen the lowest quantity of entries. We want to see more, and for printers in the smaller shops, both in the cities and the provinces, to put their best work forward. And there is no doubt there is some great work out there.
"The point I want to get across is that a Gold Award is a Gold Award in any category. It carries for you the same worth, same recognition and same status. The prestige and the marketing benefits that flow from winning a top-of-the-range award are the same for your market niche as they would be for the country’s largest printer.
"So look carefully at your best jobs for this year, and get your entries in. There is definitely a place for you in the Pride In Print Awards."
Specific categories for printers to target are: One-Colour Printing, Calendars, Special Processes, Environmental and Export.
Award entry forms are now available. See www.prideinprintawards.co.nz or contact the Patrons and Sponsors of the Awards programme for copies.
