The Peer Awards Printer of the Year

From the following categories presented, the Printer of the Year trophy will be awarded.

Printers Awards
1. Annual Reports
2. Books
3. Brochures
4. Catalogues
5. Point of Purchase
6. Magazine
7. Packaging & Labels

In addition to the Peer Awards there will be a Triple Excellence Award presented to a printer who has won a Peer Award in the same category for three consecutive years.

Printer of the Year Awards

The entries from the seven categories will compete for one of the most prestigious Peer Print Award – the Printer of the Year, the only award of its kind.

The printer named the 2018 Printer of the Year will receive an award, a fitting tribute for the master printer whose work stood out as the finest of the year’s vintage.

Judging criteria

The Printer of the Year Awards will be an annual event. The judging of the Printer of the Year Awards will be carefully structured to ensure the highest possible standards, coupled with a balanced perspective.

The Peer Award Foundation does not employ the Judges, but are representatives of recognized local & regional print institutions and/or associations or federations recommended by these institutions.

Judging

1. Judging committees of 4/5 members determine the winners in each category.
2. The entries of the overall winners are forwarded to another judging committee for the selection of the overall winner of the awards – the Printer of the Year Awards.
3. A broad scope of technical print expertise in the judges is required.
4. The judges ensure complete confidentiality and should they become aware of the names of the winners they may not divulge them prior to the awards ceremony.

Impartiality

1. Each entry will be a unique number to ensure anonymity.
2. All details about the printer and the submitter of an entry are withheld from the judging committee.
3. Judges with any involvement to an entry refrain from judging that entry.
4. Judge’s decision is final and no correspondence and/or discussion with entrants will be entertained.

Selection criteria

1. The selection of entries relies heavily on the technical expertise and experience of the judges.
2. Winners are initially chosen according to a point system, however the judges’ final selection is based on the unanimous agreement of the selection committee.
3. Separate criteria will in future be used for digitally printed material.
4. 20% of the criteria are related to the difficulty of the work, 55% to technical excellence 20% towards the overall impact of the piece and 5% to finish quality.


Degree of difficulty (20 points)

Printer results incorporating: degree of difficulty in the execution of the design; sheet size dimensions; number of passes; paper substance; equipment; printing process; web versus sheet printing; etc will be evaluated.

Technical excellence (55 points)

A number of technical parameters directly related to the skill and abilities of the printer are judged:
1. Dot structure and integrity 15 points
2. Ink density and colour consistency 15 points
3. Screen 10 points
4. Registration 15 points

Overall impact (20 points)

1. First impression.
2. General appearance
3. Innovation regarding techniques
4. Appropriateness of techniques.
5. Appropriate choice of paper surface and grammage.
6. Finishing quality such as creasing, folding, stitching, headlines and pictures across gutters and registration of backed images.

The design of the piece in not judged, although the overall impact is strongly influenced by design and appeal.


Finishing quality (5 points)

Quality of the finishing, including the binding, folding, embossing, die-cutting, gluing, punching etc.