Organisers of New Zealand’s premier print awards, Pride in Print, say that a number of category changes introduced this year will bring the 2009 Awards more closely in line with trends in the print industry.
Sue Archibald, manager Pride in Print awards, advises of changes to categories 8, 10 and 11. She says, “Category 8, which used to cover only business forms, has now been remodeled to cover the wider concept of business print. All types of business-oriented print jobs have now been brought into the one category, which groups together annual reports, stationery and forms both reelfed and sheetfed.”Category 10c, which forms a sub-group of specialty products and processes, is now called Personalisation – creative use of print in direct marketing. Archibald says Pride In Print devised this change to accommodate direct marketing jobs, which can include innovative postage, handling and distribution solutions.
She describes category 11, which is for industry development – all processes, as an opportunity to showcase products, processes and business developments that represent innovations within the New Zealand market.
Six sub-categories have been formed, namely:
• 11(a) Self-Promotion for the printing industry
• 11(b) Export award
• 11(c) Innovation in the printed product
• 11(d) Innovation in the print business
• 11(e) Innovative use or design of a barcode
• 11(f) Innovation for the environment
Archibald adds “The barcode category is an interesting one and shows how packaging designers in particular are moving towards incorporating barcodes within their designs in a fun and funky way while still having to ensure they are workable and fit for purpose. The innovation for the environment category is also a major step forward and entrants need to be aware that this is not for just entering a job that is printed on environmentally-friendly materials.
“What we are aiming to encourage here is for printers to tell the whole story of their work processes – how they are minimising emissions and encouraging improvements in their carbon footprint in entirety. Entrants need to define the improvement in environmental impact represented by the entry. What innovative environmental features does the entry include? The printing industry has a story to tell about its excellent strides towards carbon neutrality. This category encourages the industry to do just that.”
Open for materials printed in New Zealand between January 1 and December 31, entries may come from any printing process, and made by any person or company associated with the production or purchase of print.
Archibald concludes, “There will be a late entry opportunity at the end of February but it will save time and money to get the bulk of entries in now.”
