Packaging Corp. of America and Print Masters Co. Ltd. win Best of Show honors in annual PLGA Global Print Quality Awards competition.

Mark Spaulding -- Converting Magazine, 2/25/2010 1:23:00 AM

Two gravure packaging printers won top honors Wednesday in the Packaging & Label Gravure Assn. Global's 2009 Print Quality Awards competition (www.plga.com). Recognized at the group's annual Operational Conference in Miami: Packaging Corp. of America (Waco, TX) for its Domestic Best of Show entry—Hoover Vacuum Cleaner Box, and Print Masters Co., Ltd. (Thailand) for its Intl. Best of Show entry—Nescafé 3-in-1 Espresso Roast Coffee Bag.

The Hoover box, submitted in the Cartons, Corrugated, Preprint category, was printed in four colors plus two special colors on 12-pt SBS paperboard. Solvent-based inks and an aqueous coating were used on a Cerutti press. This gravure preprint product replaced an existing offset-printed top sheet laminated to corrugated boxes, which reportedly improved both print quality and speed on the converting line. "The black shows good lay and the density is outstanding," judges commented. "The type is clean and crisp, and the aqueous coating adds to the appeal of the finished job. This is truly an outstanding point-of-display carton and is likely to catch the consumer eye."

The Nescafé package, entered in the Flexible Packaging, Bags category, was printed in eight colors on a PET/LLPDE film lamination using TOYO (Thailand) Co., Ltd., ink on a Sungan press. "The vignettes are outstanding, and the colors are good and contrasting," the judges remarked. "The type is nice and clean, and the package truly represents the quality that gravure can produce."

Although the number of entries was down slightly from year's past, the 2009 PLGA competition still received 59 submissions. A total of 23 awards were bestowed in the domestic division, while 10 international products were honored.

OH printer/converter Multi-Color Corp. won six awards, three in various label subcategories. Its glue-applied label for Leinenkugel's Oktoberfest beer was printed on a Bobst Rotomec press in nine colors on metallized paper using solvent inks. The label puts a lot of information into a small space. "Tight registration was required to bring this scene to life, particularly in the leaves, tent and hat details," judges said. "The reversed-out type is perfectly legible, and the small images are really sharp."

Canada's Alcan Packaging received eight awards, in five different subcategories. Printed on a Cerutti press, its Dannon Activia Yogurt Challenge label used four process colors, a special green color as well as overlacquer on the front and a heat-seal lacquer on the reverse side (all from Sun Chemical Corp.). A package with new graphics designed to enhance shelf appeal, the label's "deep green background contrasts nicely with the yellow," commented the judges. "The vignettes are good as is the type."

A complete list of winners follows:

US Print Quality Awards Winners

Cartons

Paperboard, Top-Coated, Marlboro Blend #54 100s Package, Trident Americas (Chester, VA)

Corrugated, Preprint, Hoover Vacuum Cleaner Box, Packaging Corp. of America (Waco, TX)

Flexible Packaging

Film/Film Lamination-Process, Winner, Ruiz El Monterey Burritos, American Packaging (Columbus, WI)

Film/Film Lamination-Process , Honorable Mention , Tyson Skillet Creations Beef Steak Fajitas, Printpack, Inc. (Elgin, IL)

Film/Film Lamination-Line, Laffy Taffy-Grape 1.5 oz., Printpack, Inc. (Elgin, IL)

Foil/Paper Lamination, Double Chocolate Chewy Chips Ahoy, Printpack, Inc. (Elgin, IL)

Sleeves/Tubes

Reverse-Printed, Spray-It Curly, SleeveCo, Inc. (Dawsonville, GA)

Heat-Shrinkable-More Than 13%, Soft Scrub Total Kitchen, Multi-Color (Batavia, OH)

Non-PSA Labels/Wraps

Paper, Top-Coated, Bush's Best Grillin' Beans Steakhouse Recipe, Mundet Tennessee, Inc. (Surgoinsville, TN)

In-Mold Label-Paper, Downy Touch of Comfort, Multi-Color (Batavia, OH)

In-Mold Label-Film, Tide Loads of Hope, Multi-Color (Batavia, OH)

Heat-Transfer Label, BEHR Premium Interior Eggshell Paint, Graphic Packaging Intl., DI-NA-Cal Label Group (Cincinnati)

Glue-Applied Label, Leinenkugel's Oktoberfest, Multi-Color (Batavia, OH)

Coupons, Premiums & Booklets

Paper, Port Royal, Multi-Color (Batavia, OH)

Medical/Pharmaceutical

No-Label Look, Breg Kodiak Cooler, Gilbreth Packaging (Crydon, PA)

Security

Stamps, Kelp Forest, Avery Dennison Security Printing Div. (Clinton, SC)

Innovations

Materials, Honorable Mention, Kool Cigarette Pack, Alcan Packaging (Richmond, VA)

Overall Innovation, Honorable Mention, Kraft Crystal Light, Printpack, Inc. (Farmingdale, NY)

Specialty

Floor Covering, Falcon Ridge, Armstrong World Industries (Lancaster, PA)

Gift Wrap, Winter Trees, American Greetings Corp. (Greenville, TN)

Special Effects/Novelty, Winter Trees, American Greetings Corp. (Greenville, TN)

Technical Achievement

Specialty Inks, Purex Natural Elements-Citrus & Aloe, Multi-Color (Batavia, OH)

Specialty Coatings, Camel Soft Touch, Alcan Packaging (Reidsville, NC)

International Print Quality Award Winners:

Flexible Packaging

Paper/Paper Lamination, DANONE Silhouette Yogurt, Alcan Packaging (Westin, Ontario, Canada)

Foil/Film Lamination, Heinz Lee & Perrins Worchester Sauce Hard-to-Hold Liquid Neckhanger, Alcan Packaging (Westin, Ontario, Canada)

Paper/Film Lamination, Kraft Bryers Disney Yogurt Lidding, Alcan Packaging (Westin, Ontario, Canada)

Foil/Paper Lamination , DANNON Activia Challenge Label, Alcan Packaging (Westin, Ontario, Canada)

Pouches, Kirkland Cooked Tail-Off Shrimp, Print Masters Co., Ltd. (Thailand)

Bags, Nescafe 3-in-1 Espresso Roast, Print Masters Co., Ltd. (Thailand)

Sleeves/Tube

Reverse-Printed, Dial White Tea Vitamin E Breast Cancer Soap Wrap, Alcan Packaging (Westin, Ontario, Canada)

Non-PSA Labels/Wraps

Paper, Top-Coated, Holographic Presidente Light, Editorial Padilla, S.A. (Dominican Republic)

In-Mold Label-Paper, Stoneyfield Yo Baby Organic Label, Alcan Packaging (Weston Ontario, Canada)

Glue-Applied, Holographic Presidente Regular, Editorial Padilla, S.A. (Dominican Republic)