The L9 associations have announced the results of the 2012 World Label awards competition, which was judged by an international jury during Labelexpo in Chicago in September 2012. The L9 is the alliance of global label associations, formulating policies and strategic information in connection with global matters affecting the worldwide label industry.

The new class structure was introduced for this competition with 22 classes covering all the main printing processes and markets. The results are listed in class order with the winners announced first followed by the Honorable Mention (HM) awards.
“This year we saw the quality level rise once more with excellent technical achievement in many of the classes,” says Tony White, chairman of the judging panel.

“The innovation class showed some new applications for the label process from several of the associations.” 

The associations taking part were: FINAT (Europe), JFLP (Japan), LATMA (Australia), PEIAC (China), SALMA (New Zealand), and TLMI (North America).

Some of the winners include:

Class 1:  Flexo – Line
Winner FINAT: Schreiner Group GmbH  & Co KG, Germany for CLF-Smart Cap
Class 2:  Flexo Line Screen/Tone
Winner TLMI: McDowell Label & Screen Printing, USA for Broad Spectrum SPF 50
Class 14: Combination Line & Screen/ Tone
Winner JFLP: Kansai Takara Printing Co., Ltd., Japan for Floreregina Oliva Shampoo
HM TLMI: Smyth Companies – Dow Industries, USA for Dream Angels Glow
Class 17: Digital Printing
Winner TLMI: Digital Label Solutions Inc., USA for Buy 3 Tires promo
HM PEIAC: Shanghai Komark Labels & Labelling Co., Ltd., China for Mighty 1 L Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Class 20: Rotogravure
Winner TLMI: Multi-Color Corporation, USA for Steel Reserve

In addition to the awards mentioned above, five new L9 Global awards representing the “Best of the Best” will be presented during the Global awards ceremony on the first night of Labelexpo in Brussels in September. The winners are selected form the winners of the World label Awards competition within the following classes: flexo, letterpress, offset litho, combination and digital. The identities of the winners will be revealed at the awards ceremony in September and are deemed to be the “Oscars” of the label industry.
The judging for the 2013 WLA competition will take place before the 2013 Labelexpo event in September in Brussels.