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Product category: Printing Trade Organisations - including Allied Industry Bodies
News Release from: FESPA | Subject: Digital printing services
Edited by the Printingtalk Editorial Team on 11 April 2008

5 UK Printers Wins FESPA Awards
Commendations

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UK printers collected five commendations in the FESPA Digital Print Awards in four of the eight competition categories.

UK printers collected five commendations in the FESPA Digital Print Awards in four of the eight competition categories Attracting 320 entries from printers across Europe, the Middle East and Africa the work was evaluated by an independent jury, with winners announced at last week's FESPA Digital 2008 exhibition in Geneva (Switzerland)

Essex company Look Digital was commended in the textile category for its FA Community Shield project.

It was the company's largest single printed project to date, when it was commissioned to manufacture giant photographic images for pitch display at the FA Community Shield football match at Wembley Stadium last August.

The client meeded two 27 metre x 20 metre pitchside banners depicting images of Manchester United and Chelsea players, a 15 metre x 3 metre sponsor banner and 36 sponsor flags.

The panels were produced on EFI Vutek Fabrivu printers before stitching and finishing and the project is believed to be the largest example of on-field branding ever produced.

Interacts of Northern Ireland was amongst three companies commended in the decor category.

The entry, for client Girli Concrete, involved printing a lace design on to concrete panels.

Girli Concrete supplied the printer with the image and examples of Fortuny textiles, with the brief for Interacts to create the impression of a Fortuny design, with a traditional textile image, on the concrete.

The lace was printed on the panel in one colour (using Mimaki UJF with eight print passes) the panel rotated, image printed in another colour and the process was repeated six times.

That resulted in an array and build-up of transparent colour layers giving the rusted Fortuny look.

The lace print design was then cut in to a stencil (on a Cadcam FB1500 laser cutter) and placed over the panel in areas where gold spray paint was applied, heightening the vintage Fortuny look the client was seeking.

Finally, the printed and sprayed panel was put under the laser cutter and the lace design was engraved at a larger scale to complete the wall panel.

Mtadigital London, which also printed on Vutek equipment, was praised by the awards jury for its entry entitled Barcardi in the decor category.

The interior decor project for client, Meadow Creative, involved production of a series of mirror effect prints, printed directly to 10mm acrylic, backed with gold polish film and over-laminated to produce a hazy effect, all mounted on split batons.

In the packaging category, a single commendation was awarded to print, packaging and prototyping firm, Easibind International of Heanor, Derbyshire.

Its entry, a two-frame lenticular project was part of the promotional campaign for the launch of the LAMB fragrance, which was produced on an HP Indigo S2000 digital press.

Graphique Media Solutions of Lanhydrock near Bodmin in Cornwall was the only company to receive a commendation in the manufactured goods category for its mixing desk fascia panels for client Allen and Heath.

The client produces mixing desks for use in broadcasting, theatres, auditoria, recording studios and nightclubs and was looking to customise its products to meet the needs of the design-conscious market.

A series of contemporary, colourful plates was produced by Graphique Media Solutions to fit on to the mixing desks.

For durability, the plates were cut from 2mm-thick aluminium, which was powder coated white and printed in full-colour UV ink on the company's Colorspan 97UVX printer.

Once printed, the plates were coated with a clear lacquer and baked at high temperature to give a durable, high gloss finish.

Only one entry in each category received an award, whilst there were 25 entries that were commended by the jury.

John Keith of FESPA's UK national association, DSPA, said: "It's gratifying to find so many UK printers amongst the commendations and to see the creativity and innovation in their entries.

One of the DSPA's missions as a support organisation for UK screen and digital printers is to encourage members to shift their focus from their production processes and adopt the client's creative mindset.

The commended entries all demonstrate very vividly how print service providers that embrace this philosophy can set themselves apart from their competitors and establish a true creative partnership with their clients." He continued: "I hope that the success of these five companies in this year's competition will inspire them and other UK printers to enter work for the FESPA Digital Print Awards 2009 and that we will see many UK entries amongst next year's prize winners.".

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