Reporter Clips
- Published: October 31, 2004, By Edward Boyle, Contributing Editor
Narrow Web Converting Industry News
The Winning World of Labels
COPENHAGEN, DENMARK—The international FINAT Label Competition celebrates 24 years of label excellence with a line-up of winners the association describes as truly intercontinental, one that demonstrates a high degree of technical excellence, innovation, and on-shelf appeal.
Centered on self-adhesive labeling and administered by the international association promoting the benefits of self-adhesive labeling, the FINAT Label Competition judged 259 entries in group categories highlighting excellence in marketing and end use; print and converting; promotional labels and developing alternatives to commercial self-adhesive label print on a narrow web press; and innovative applications within the label industry. A total of 17 awards were presented at a special ceremony during the FINAT World Congress held in Copenhagen, Denmark, in June.
In the group of categories devoted to marketing and end-use applications, the prestigious Group Award went to Labelgraphics Ltd., Glasgow, UK, for the "beautifully evocative" labels on bottles of Ernest & Julio Gallo’s Turning Leaf brand Californian Chardonnay. Judges said the label demonstrates exceptional esthetics, and the high quality of printing—of the lettering and tints, as well as the halftone image—coupled with the intricate die-cutting make it outstanding. Labelgraphics printed the labels using flexo in a single pass in seven colors, including gold foil blocking, plus varnishing on a Gallus EM280 press and self-adhesive Multiprint paper from Raflatac.
The Group Award for overall print excellence goes to Canadian label printer Tapp Technologies Inc., (the winner for the second year in a row), for a "New World" wine label on Oliver Winery’s 2003 Sauvignon Blanc, featuring an image of a butterfly. Printed UV waterless offset in a single pass through a Sanjo PO 2/6 in four colors plus foil blocking using Toka waterless UV inks, the labels were printed on a Classic Linen substrate and overvarnished.
Judges presented a special Innovation Award to Germany-based Schreiner Group for its added-value device containing an electric circuit for application to blister packs of pharmaceutical tablets to control and record when and how many pills a patient has taken. Judges praised the complicated die-cutting and the consistent deposition of the conductive silver ink. Converting included five machine passes on an ICI PET substrate in three colors using a screen process and an SMAG press.
Selected winners will be entered by FINAT in the World Label Assn. Awards Competition.
For a complete list of FINAT label winners, visit finat.com.
The Buzz on Labelexpo Americas
Rosemont, IL—Labelexpo Americas 2004 is in the books. Held in four days rather than three for the first time, the biennial event drew more than 400 industry suppliers and nearly 13,000 visitors (up 5% on the 2002 show) to the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center September 13–16.
Show organizer Tarsus Group reports the conference program was well-attended, and author Mike Fairley was on hand to sign copies of the Encyclopedia of Labels and Label Technology, which was introduced at the event.
As PFFC editors covered the floor, the buzzwords heard this year were RFID, Supply Chain Management, and, of course, digital, digital, and more digital.
On a related note, more than 300 early birds got a jump on another one of today’s hottest topics by attending the Smart Packaging conference, held at the same venue September 8–9. Supported by the Inst. of Packaging Professionals, the conference featured such well-known end-users as Kraft Foods and Procter & Gamble, leading industry specialists, as well as a supplier exhibit.
A highlight of the show was the gala dinner and ceremony during which the inaugural label Industry Global Awards were announced.
The worldwide label industry voted to nominate companies and individuals on-line in three categories: Continuous Innovation; New Innovation; and the R. Stanton Avery Lifetime Achievement Award. A judging panel met in Chicago in July to select the final nominees and winners.
Avery Dennison took top honors in the Continuous Innovation category, with the other two finalists, Esko-Graphics and Nilpeter, judged "highly commended." HP, AVT, and Gidue were the final nominees for New Innovation. HP was declared the winner, and AVT and Gidue were "highly commended."
The R. Stanton Avery Lifetime Achievement Award, the only one of the three awards announced ahead of time, went to Dale Bunnell, selected by a unanimous decision of the judges. Bunnell spent 20 years as VP of sales and marketing at Mark Andy and a further five years as VP, business development, within the company.
The judges commented, "The enthusiastic consensus of the panel was that Dale Bunnell was central to the most significant events in the narrow web label industry for the last 25 years and has been a leader, an innovator, and an ambassador for the industry globally."
For more information visit labelexpo-americas.com.
Also see The Elusive Key to Success, for PFFC editor-in-chief Yolanda Simonsis’ take on the show.
On our Narrow Web New Products page, you will find a sampling of products featured at Labelexpo Americas. Others will be featured in upcoming issues.
