CARBON8 AND STYLEPRINT TAKE TOP HONOURS AT NATIONAL PRINT AWARDS

Carbon8 and Styleprint took top honours at the National Print Awards, both winning multiple golds, as printers celebrated at in-person events in Queensland, WA and NSW, and at home in Victoria and SA.

MC was well-known Walkley award-winning broadcaster and journalist, Patrick Condren, the NPA presentation dinner was live streamed around the country, and saw Carbon8 from New South Wales crowned as the night’s biggest winner with four Gold Awards and a Bronze, followed by Victoria’s Styleprint taking three Golds and a Bronze.

In the battle for State dominance, New South Wales took the 2021 honours with seven Gold, followed by Victoria with six and Queensland with four. Two medals headed over to Tasmania following the presentations, with the final Gold medal chalked up to South Australia.

In a pandemic-inspired move, the Victorian PICA presentations were hosted prior to the National Print Awards Presentation Dinner at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, and livestreamed to Victorians and South Australians in their homes. The NSW and WA PICAs were presented at satellite events held concurrently in Sydney and Perth.

The National Print Awards was presented following the remaining state PICAs, in a tightly timed event that was broadcast simultaneously into five states across four time zones.

Established in 1983, the National Print Awards recognise and encourage the achievement of excellence in print in Australia. Over the years, the Awards have evolved alongside the industry, to represent all aspects of the diverse and exciting sector.
This year, a sizeable crowd gathered in the Sky Room & Terrace at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre for a sit-down dinner to cap off the industry’s ultimate awards competition with the presentation of the 38th National Print Awards.

Printer of the Year – Offset, was awarded to Rawson Print Co for The Bond Book, with Multi Color Corporation taking out Silver and Rawson also winning Bronze. No Gold medals were awarded in the 1,2,3 – Print! Category, but AB Corp took out Silver and Mercury Walch a Bronze.

Carbon8 took home Gold for Printer of the Year – Digital, for Dive West Papua just pipping CCL Labels with Silver, and Peacock Bros Pty Ltd with Bronze. That same job also won Carbon8 its second Gold, this time in Book Printing – Digital. Colour Chiefs took out Silver and The Fotobase Group the Bronze in that category.

The Gold award for Book Printing – Offset, a staple since the Awards were first introduced, went to Foot & Playstead for Joseph Chromy – One Man’s Legacy, with Silver to Ellikon Fine Printers and Bronze to Scotts.

In Leaflets, Flyers and Brochures – Offset the Gold was won by Eckersley Print Group for Padua Strategic Plan 2021 – 2023 with a Silver in that category going to WHO Printing. A third Gold went to Carbon8 in the digital section for Midtown Centre with The Fotobase Group and S&T Graphic Design and Colour Print taking out Bronze.

 Another perennial NPA favourite is the Booklets, Catalogues and Magazines categories 15 and 16. Here, the Offset Gold was won by Intoprint for The Siding, with Fast Proof Press taking out Silver. Colour Chiefs won Gold for Digital for Topia Edition - Azure, with Satellite Print and Openbook Howden Print & Design taking out the Silver and Bronze.

In the Specialty Printing section Australia’s new $100 bank note won top honours for Note Printing Australia with Cutler Brands Pty Ltd awarded Silver and Poster Boy Printing the Bronze.

In category 18, Commercial Printing, Style Print took home a Gold medal for Mecca Holiday 2020 with a Bronze awarded to Pegasus Print Group, while Focal Printing Tasmania took out the Gold in another perennial favourite, Stationery Printing, with Inclusive Creatives Stationery. The Silver in that category went to Taylor’d Press and the Bronze to Heaney’s Performers in Print.

The Embellishment category always attracts some beautiful entries, and this year was no exception, with CCL Label winning the top gong for a stunningly embellished label for Jacob’s Creek Double Barrel Matured Shiraz. Silver was won by Matte Gold and Bronze by Multi-Color Corporation (Griffith).

Multi-Color Corporation scooped the pool in the Printer of the Year – Labelling, with a Gold for Victoria for Ganglin Mandarin Chilli Gin, a Silver for SA and the Bronze going to Queensland. When it came to Self-Promotion, Styleprint took out the Gold for Styleprint Escape from 2020, with Fast Proof Press winning Silver for their calendar and the Bronze going to Carbon8.

Printer of the Year – Large Format went to Cactus Imaging for Sandstones Building Wrap with Colour Chiefs taking Silver and Styleprint the Bronze, while the similar award for Packaging was won by Networkpak for Pure Body Luxe. Silver was taken home to Tasmania by Mercury Walch and the Bronze to Rawson Print Co.

Kuhn Corp, which scooped the pool at the Queensland Awards, won the Small Business Printer for the Year – Up to 12 Employees, taking home Gold for IGA Marketplace Magazine – Christmas 2020 with Silver going to EPM and Bronze to Taylor’d Press.

Styleprint added a third Gold, this time for Branding & Identity for Baker’s Delight BCNA Insta Wall, with Silver and Bronze in that category going to The Fotobase Group, while Carbon8 rounded out rounded out its tally of Gold, taking out the top award for Multi-Piece Promotions & Campaigns with Kurraba Residences ahead of The Fotobase Group who won Silver and Styleprint who took home Bronze. Designer of the Year went to Sunshine Coast Design for Noosa – The Guide produced for Saturate and Printed by Sunprint Pty Ltd.

Chair of Judges, Luke Wooldridge, said the judging of the 2021 State Printing Industry Creativity Awards saw the panel of industry experts review well over 300 entries across 32 categories, first selecting the PICA winners for each state, then comparing the Gold Medal winning entries from across Australia for the Judges’ Awards and National Print Awards honours.

“While the awards continue to be judged on craftsmanship and print quality, other criteria such as aesthetics, creativity, innovation and the user experience are also major factors in deciding the winning entries, with judges examining every aspect of every job in detail to check for imperfections,” Wooldridge explained.

“The print entries received this year were of the highest quality and reflective of the high standard of production for which Australian print industry is renowned; they were world class,” he said.