Voting has begun for the fifth annual Colored by INX Can Design Contest. An independent group of judges selected the five finalists. Each design can be viewed online and voting will conclude this Friday, May 24. The winning entry will be announced via the INX website and social media platforms on May 29.

Public voting is again being counted as one vote and will be conducted through INX’s Facebook page and LinkedIn page. Ball Corporation won last year’s contest and has a pair of design entries eligible for voting. The finalists include:

* Ardagh Group, Zombie Ice Undead Double Pale Ale
* Ball Corporation, Elysian Brewing Dragonstooth Stout
* Ball Corporation, Voodoo Ranger Fruit Force IPA
* Jackie O’s Brewery, Mystic Mama West Coast Style IPA
* Olberding Brand Family, Lost Coast Brewery Stargaze Wit

Eligibility for this year’s contest required designers to have produced a commercial can design before January 1, 2024. They needed to use only one color from the INX Color Catalog, the metal decorating industry’s only true color standard. It was recently updated and offers about 650 removable color metal swatches to reduce lead times by improving communication between the designer, brand owner, and metal decorator, and helps get labels to market sooner.

The judges used several criteria to determine the five design finalists. Each entry was based on originality, overall design aesthetics, best use of the color palette, and a project statement explaining how their color choices influenced the design. Renee Schouten, INX Vice President of Marketing, said the change requiring just the one color instead of two from the INX Color Catalog, made a difference this year.

“We addressed this issue and it did have some impact, but we have some finalists who used more than one color in their design,” she says. “One designer told us how the INX Color Catalog is an incredibly beneficial tool that streamlines the design process and provides peace of mind with accurate and consistent colors. Feedback like this is exactly why we created the color catalog.

“Overall, we are happy with the high quality of this year’s entries submitted by brand owners, design agencies, metal decorators and marketers. Each year they raise the bar with the level of creativity and visual appeal.”

At stake for the winner is industry recognition, bragging rights, an engraved trophy, and a feature article in INX’s Color Perfection Magazine.