Flexo Fabulous

Published: July 01, 2002, By Claudia Hine, Senior Editor

The Flexographic Technical Association presented 127 prizes in its annual Excellence in Flexography Awards Competition. Winners were announced May 5 during the FTA's annual forum, held at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C.

Following are details on the Best of Show winners.

Wide Web Best of Show
Bugs Bunny & Friends Fruit Snacks, submitted by Printpack, Atlanta, GA, earned a gold award in the process/metallized substrate segment and was chosen best of show of all entries in the wide web category. The package design includes multiple characters and illustrations as well as gradients in the background.

Judges were impressed with the perfect registration of process color on the metallized substrate. According to degree-of-difficulty judge Ron Brehm, Bemis-Jason, “Colors popped. It really has some show to it. High quality with high definition.”

Mid-Web Best of Show
Superman Boys' Briefs, submitted by Banner Packaging, Oshkosh, WI, was the gold award winner in the process/film segment and was chosen best of show of all mid-web entries.

Judges commented on the four-color process surface print with high-heat-resistant inks, fine reversed-out type, good highlight, and tight shadows. Level-of-execution judge Tom Cassano, MacDermid Printing Solutions, says, “This was as close to a perfect match to proof as I've ever seen.”

Narrow Web Best of Show
A Kendall-Jackson Collage wine label, submitted by LSK Label Co., El Dorado Hills, CA, won the gold award in the process/film segment and best of show in the narrow web category.

Judges describe it as a “very intense job.” Printed on a slick metallized biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP), registration was very tight, with eight colors, plus two varnished, and foil stamping all meeting at one point on the label. Level-of-execution judge Jim Harris, Water Ink Technologies, notes, “It's an excellent label, particularly in terms of execution relative to the ink laydown, sharpness of the screen, and overall quality of the embossing. It was challenging, and it was done very well.”

Preprinted Linerboard Best of Show
Marsan Foods' Teriyaki Chicken Bowl, submitted by SCI, Mississauga, Ont., Canada, took the gold award in the process segment and best of show in the preprinted linerboard category.

Judges cite crisp, clean graphics and vignettes that drop off to “next to nothing.” According to level-of-execution judge Mark Coffman, Southern Graphic Systems, “It was done so much better than the other entries in that category it just seemed to stand out.”

Combined Corrugated Best of Show
Hoover SteamVac — Farrington, submitted by Lewisburg Container, Lewisburg, OH, was the gold award winner in the process segment and best of show in the combined corrugated category.

Judges note the difficult colors, skin tones, gradations, and tight registration on the hard-to-print B flute. Degree-of-difficulty judge David Nunez, Great Lakes Packaging, says, “Most intricate and finest detail I've ever seen on corrugated postprint flexo.”