- Sha Jumari
What Makes an Award-Winning Print? (Part 2)
The Asian Print Awards, now going into its 15th year, aims to grow further as a regional competition for print excellence. One of the main highlights of the awards programme is the best of the best awards. This special part of the competition pits each entry against all of the entries in the entire awards, as opposed to just categorically.
We pick the brain of lead judge and print veteran, Major Wong, to find out what exactly made these prints stand out against the rest.
Read: What Makes an Award-Winning Print? (Part 1).
BEST OF BEST AWARD WINNERS
Heidelberg Best in Offset: Book printing
Winner: Ideol Marketing, Thailand.
A challenging print work, full of solid colours and ink coverage. Degree of difficulty is in achieving consistent print control through all the pages of the books, including reverse side printing, match-up and joining pages. The good choice of paper substrates also enhances the beautiful prints. Print and finishing quality standards are of its highest, befitting the title “In Remembrance of His Majesty King”.
I am definite that the printing company had put in tremendous effort and attention to get this print job done in remembrance of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Anyway, the panel of independent judges looked at the print qualities and judging criteria and no judged by the title of the book nor its contents.
Congratulations to the winning company!
Fuji Xerox Best in Digital: Gold Silver and Special Colours
Winner: DG3 Asia Limited, Hong Kong.
A combination on the best choice of print technology onto the selected substrates are important factors for good digital prints. In digital prints, the print technology and standards differ from each supplier as they give different results. Finally, it’s the final impact on visual presentation that must be presented well and acceptable to the client.
Digital printing needs much more stringent control in colour calibration to achieve consistent print results from page to page. The colour control and degree of difficult is most challenging from pages to pages. It combined well with toner technology in use of silver, gold and special colour printing to enhance the print works. It’s definitely a 'wow' factor to the final presentation of the book when printed.
CGS Best Use of Colour: Limited Edition
Winner: Pragati Offset, India
To most, this is black and white. As print specialists, we see multi-colours that were being printed onto the photos of each pages. The printed work befits what is an Art Reproduction by a printer, though we hope to see the actual art pieces being re-produced and printed (this is often not possible in entry submission).
Enormous print control and much attention by the printer to achieve this winning results. Pragati Offset Pvt Ltd has done well to deserve the award! At the end of the day, how many copies? Not many, because it’s Limited Edition and Art Reproduction. You still need to print for the valuable client who would be most happy with the reproduction from prints. It’s a copied original in most art reproduction.
Special Judges Recognition Award
Winner: Allegro Print, Singapore
It surprised the judges too that this company is a newbie in Asian Print Awards and has bagged a winning print work in the book of George’s Anatomy.
George’s Anatomy has every other parts in print and finishing as we look at this entry. Interestingly during the judging process, this book was circulated on the judge’s table for two days and fits well into any other category as a deserving winner. Finally, we decided to give it a special recognition. It will not do justice if it’s being awarded in just one category.
Just like all the intricate intertwining small body parts, this winning entry deserves the has everything: from print to finishing, special binding, embellishment, best use of colour onto different substrates, innovative presentation in a bended plastic case yet with printing to register with well with the book cover. Utmost important, the print works are beautiful to meet the print criteria as a winner.
It has done well in design excellence and creativity by the designer to project a simple pictorial anatomy book to life. It’s so simple to even find the small pancreas and body parts from the visuals.
Most important, the printer is able to achieve the best print results for an impactful “visual communications in prints”. Printing is communication in prints and still has a place in the market place! It’s not a sunset industry though the print volume has been reduced.
Besides printing companies, may we also encourage creative designers and agencies to send in their works to future editions of the Asian Print Award.
Read our interview with Allegro Print: Craftsmanship Brings Print to Life.
To find out more about Asian Print Awards 2020, click here.
