For the first time in the 31-year history of the TLMI Label Awards, a digitally printed label has taken the top prize. Label World, of Rochester, NY, USA, has won the Best of Show award in the 2008 Awards Competition sponsored by the Tag & Label Manufacturers Institute. The winning entry, a label for Tavern on the Green’s Parkside Smoked Cheddar Sesame Crisps, was printed on an HP Indigo ws4050 press. It also won a First Place award among North American competitors in the Digital Printing, Food & Beverage Products category.

This year’s competition drew 310 entries from 53 converters, both North American and international. First place awards were presented for 38 North American labels and tags, and for 13 international labels. Twenty-five second place awards were presented, one of them to international converters.

Sixteen companies won multiple awards. The most went to McDowell Label & Screen Printing, four firsts and six seconds; Multi-Color, five firsts, two seconds; Germark, four firsts; Label Technology, three firsts and one second; and Labelgraphics (Glasgow), three firsts and one second.

The judging committee, chaired by Steve Lee of RotoMetrics, included Mike Buystedt, Flint Group Narrow Web; John Coleman, Nilpeter; Page Crouch, Clemson University; Pat Hague, Water Ink Technologies; Ray Mackura, Avery Dennison Fasson Roll; Peter Mulheran, Sani-Blast; Robert Smithson, Trinity Graphic USA; Paul Teachout, Harper Corporation of America; Terry Trexler, Gallus; and Roy Webb, Mark Andy.

Best of Show

 

 

 

First Place: Digital Printing, Food & Beverage Products
Label World
Rochester, NY, USA

Product: Tavern on the Green Parkside Smoked Cheddar Sesame Crisps

Description/Challenges: Printed on silver metalized PS paper to allow for simulated gold; image is backed with three spots of white ink to provide opacity on balance of label. Finished with full overprint of scuff-resistant UV varnish. Printed on HP ws4050 digital press with HP inks; diecut and varnished
on Rotoflex Vericut. Substrate from Green Bay Packaging, tooling from Kocher & Beck, varnish from Wikoff Color Corp.

 

First place: Flexography, Line Prime
Label Technology
Merced, CA, USA

Product: Columbus Peppered Salame

Description/Challenges: Challenging ink lay down and layering required careful selection of inks and stickybacks. Water based flexo. Suppliers: Mark Andy; INX International Inks; Water Ink Technologies; DuPont Cyrel; Harper; RotoMetrics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

First Place: Digital Printing, Wine & Spirits (Beer)

TAPP Technologies
Langley, BC, Canada

Product: AutoMoto 2006 California Chardonnay 750ml

Description/Challenges: A multi pass job: first the printing of the label; then the silver foil; then the clear foil, emboss, coating, diecutting, removing a strip and cutting the labels into rolls. The most significant challenge was the tight emboss around the name “AutoMoto” with the clear foil being added on top of the word as well. Suppliers: Fasson substrate; RotoMetrics dies; HP Electro ink; Sun Chemical aqueous; HP Indigo WPS 4000 press.

 

 

First Place: Letterpress, Rotary Color Process, Prime
LogoTech
Fairfield, NJ, USA

Product: Andiamo Pasta Sauce, Wine & Mushroom

Description/Challenges: Printed five colors on silver BOPP film. Maintaining registration was extremely challenging. We had to slow it down to 125 fpm and manage web tension very carefully to avoid stretching. FLEXcon material, Gallus press.

 

 

 

 

First Place: Flexography, Color Process, Prime
Mid Atlantic Label
Forest Hill, MD, USA

Product: Crêpes Assortment

Description/Challenges: Seven water base colors and one UV silver, plus varnish. Run speed 250. Customer requested that the cookie look “yummy.” UPM Raflatac material, Environmental Inks & Coatings inks, DuPont plate material, Mark Andy press, RotoMetrics tooling.

 

Huggies Bath and Body Wash coupon from A&M

 

 

First Place: Coupon

A&M Supply Company
Wixom, MI, USA

Product: Huggies Bath and Body Wash Coupon

Description/Challenges: Tight registration with printing on adhesive. Wet peel adhesive is placed upon an unsupported facestock. Printing is on the adhesive as well as four color process on the face.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First Place: Coupon (International)
KimBell’s pack
Quezon City, Philippines

Product: Globe Promo Booklet Label

Description/Challenges: The challenge was creating a booklet label without an actual booklet-making machine. Codes were provided by the client. No sets of codes were to be printed more than once. Booklet cover – six colors. Inside panel of the booklet – 4 colors. The cover was laminated onto the inside panel of the booklet and then half-cut with perforation on a laminating/diecutting machine. Gallus press.

 

First Place: Multi-Process, Line & Screen/Tone, Prime
National label Company
Lafayette Hill, PA, USA

Product: Dove Therapy Frizz Control

Description/Challenges: Metallic ink to imitate hotstamp foil, with printing of transparent ink over silver ink, creates a metallic color on a colored bottle with dual varnishes. All products of this therapy line will look uniform in design with a subtle color change from shampoo to conditioner. Gravure, offset, flexo, rotary screen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

First Place: Multi-Process, Line & Screen/Tone, Prime (International)
Pilot Italia
Usmate Velate, Italy

Product: Neutro Roberts liquid soap

Description/Challenges: The challenge was to print a soft white bottom to support the light degrading blue wave. Screen 200 lpi. Offset, screen, cold foil. UPM Raflatac film, Sun Chemical inks, Kodak plates, Stork screen, Kurz foil, Kocher + Beck tooling.

 

 

 

 

First Place: Offset, Line, Non-Prime

Metro Label California
Napa, CA, USA

Product: 3 Old Coins bottle decoration

Description/Challenges: The challenge was to make the coins look old. 280 lpi process; emboss UV.

 

 

 

 

First Place: Letterpress, Rotary Color Process, Prime (International)
Novelprint Sistemas de Etiquetagem
São Paulo, Brazil

Product: Xuxinha Xampu shampoo

Description/Challenges: Very tight registration was
a challenge, besides color quality with five inks (color process plus special). In order to reach that target, the label was printed with 175 line screen at a running speed of 200 fpm.

 

First Place: Promotional

Consolidated Label Company
Longwood, FL, USA

Product: Jeff Triplett campaign products

Description/Challenges: Fund raising event for political campaign. One side is the candidate’s background; the pressure sensitive side is a barbecue admission ticket and bumper stickers. Digitally printed, register printed twice, registered third time for diecut. FLEXcon material, HP Indigo press, AB Graphic finishing.

 

 

First Place: Multi-Process, Color Process, Prime

York Label
Omaha, NE, USA

Product: Caress Exotic Oil Infusions

Description/Challenges: The graphics are made up of many soft vignettes overprinting one another to create the image. Maintaining a soft glow around the droplet and quick transitions of light to dark gradations of all colors gives this label a unique print affect. Print combination: rotary screen, flexo and hot stamp; 10 colors; matte varnish; clear pressure sensitive film.

 

First Place: Offset, Color Process, Prime
Multi-Color Corporation
Sharonville, OH, USA

Product: Kind Laundry Detergent

Description/Challenges: The challenge for this in-mold label was to produce high quality flesh tones with four color process plus two spot colors. Offset, hot foil stamping and embossing. Proprietary film.

 

First Place: Wine & Spirits, Flexography/Letterpress, Line, Prime (International)

Labelgraphics (Glasgow)
Glasgow, Scotland

Product: Passport Scotch Korean

Description/Challenges: Printed seven color UV flexo, rotary hot foil and emboss on high gloss paper using 133 lpi screen. Gallus press, DuPont Cyrel plates, Gerhardt flexible die, MACtac paper.

 

The TLMI 2008 Award Winners

FIRST PLACE, NORTH AMERICAN

A & M Supply
Huggies Bath and Body Wash – Coupon
Listerine Smart Rinse – Flexography Color Process Non-Prime

Amherst Label
Christmas Holiday Assortment – EDP Label

Belmark
Edamame Soybeans – Paperboard/Rigid Packaging

Collotype Labels Pty
Cape Jaffa La Lune – Specialty Decorated Products

Collotype Labels USA
Blackstone Sonoma Reserve – Wine & Spirits Offset Line & Screen/Tone Prime
Wooden Valley – Wine & Spirits Offset Color Process Prime

Consolidated Label
Jeff Triplett campaign products – Promotional

Copac
GNC Echinacea & Goldenseal – Digital Printing Health & Beauty Products

Corporate Express 
MC Metal Clad Cable – Tags Industrial and/or Systems

G-3 Enterprises
Groth Oakville Cabernet Reserve – Wine & Spirits Flexography/Letterpress Line Prime
Blackstone California Cabernet – Wine & Spirits Flexography/Letterpress Line & Screen/Tone Prime

Kopco Graphics
SoBe Life Water Hang Tag – Tags Merchandising

Label Technology
Columbus Salame Specialty Series – Flexography Line Prime
Clif Shot Strawberry – Roll to Roll Line Prime
Jergens Natural Glow Express – Roll to Roll Color Process Prime

Label World (Best of Show)
Parkside Smoked Cheddar Sesame Crisps – Digital Printing Food & Beverage Products

LogoTech
Andiamo Pasta Sauce Wine & Mushroom – Letterpress Rotary Color Process Prime

McDowell Label & Screen Printing
Flameout Dietary Supplement – Flexography Line & Screen/Tone Prime
Grapes Skin Moisturizer – Multi-Process Line Prime
Valentine Classics – Multi-Process Color Process Non-Prime
Light My Fire Tanning Lotion – Roll to Roll Line & Screen/Tone Prime

Metro Label California
Burly – Wine & Spirits Offset Line Prime
3 Old Coins – Offset Line Non-Prime

Mid Atlantic Label
Crêpes Assortment – Flexography Color Process Prime

Multi-Color
Method Touchwood – Digital Printing Household Goods
Cascade All in One Complete – Gravure Color Process Prime
Leinenkugel’s Honey Weiss – Gravure Color Process Non-Prime
Kind Laundry Detergent – Offset Color Process Prime
HyVee Complete Cat – Gravure Color Process Non-Prime

National Label Company
Dove Therapy Frizz Control – Multi-Process Line & Screen/Tone Prime

Spear
Bud Light – Gravure Line & Screen/Tone Prime
O’Douls – Cut & Stack Line & Screen/Tone Prime

TAPP Technologies
AutoMoto 2006 California Chardonnay – Digital Printing Wine & Spirits (Beer)
Pacific Rim Winemakers 2007 Gewürztraminer – Wine & Spirits Flexography/Letterpress Color                   Process Non-Prime
Echo Valley Vineyards 2006 Necks – Wine & Spirits Flexography/Letterpress Line Non-Prime

Taylor Made Labels
Lumos Wine Co. 2007 Gewürztraminer – Wine & Spirits Flexography/Letterpress Color Process Prime

YORK Label
Caress Exotic Oil Infusions – Multi-Process Color Process Prime

FIRST PLACE, INTERNATIONAL

Germark
Esencial Mediterraneo – Digital Printing Health & Beauty Products
Barbie Diamond Castle – Flexography Color Process Prime
Lactovit Hidrata – Multi-Process Color Process Non-Prime
Prada Iris Tester – Multi-Process Line Non-Prime

KimBells pack
Globe Promo Booklet Label – Coupon
Pervil 35% Bigger Violator – Tags Merchandising

Labelgraphics (Glasgow)
Passport Korean – Wine & Spirits Flexography/Letterpress Line Prime
Ballantine’s 12 Year Old 50cl – Wine & Spirits Flexography/Letterpress Line & Screen/Tone Prime
The Arran Malt 10 Year Old 70cl – Wine & Spirits Flexography/Letterpress Color Process Prime

Novelprint Sistemas De Etiquetagem
XUXINHA XAMPU – Letterpress Rotary Color Process Prime

Pilot Italia
Carne al Fuoco – Promotional
Sapone Liquido – Multi-Process Line & Screen/Tone Prime

The Label Makers
Audrey Baxter Gourmet Soup – Multi-Process Color Process Prime

SECOND PLACE, NORTH AMERICAN

A & M Supply – Digital Printing Household Goods
Collotype Labels Pty – Specialty Decorated Products
Dow Industries – Digital Printing Health & Beauty
    Multi-Process Line Prime
    Multi-Process Line & Screen/Tone Prime
Label Technology – Roll to Roll Color Process Prime
McDowell Label & Screen – Flexography Line Prime
    Flexography Line & Screen/Tone Prime
    Flexography Color Process Prime
    Wine & Spirits Flexography/Letterpress Color Process Prime
    Roll to Roll Line Prime
    Roll to Roll Line & Screen/Tone Prime
Metro Label California – Wine & Spirits Offset Line Prime
    Wine & Spirits Offset Color Process Prime
Moore Wallace – Tags Merchandising
MPI Label Systems of Calif. – Wine & Spirits Flexography/Letterpress Line & Screen/Tone Prime
Multi-Color – Promotional
    Gravure Color Process Prime
National Label – Multi-Process Color Process Prime
Prestige Label – Digital Printing Food & Beverage
Spear – Gravure Line & Screen/Tone Prime
Syracuse Label – Paperboard/Rigid Packaging
Taylor Made Labels – Wine & Spirits Flexography/Letterpress Line Prime
WS Packaging Group – Digital Printing Wine & Spirits (Beer)

SECOND PLACE, INTERNATIONAL

Labelgraphics (Glasgow) – Wine & Spirits Flexography/Letterpress Color Process Prime