The Bold & The Beautiful
- Published: October 01, 2003, By Nsenga Byrd Thompson, Associate Editor
Some are bold, others subtle, but both styles share the spotlight as the Tag and Label Mfrs. Inst. announces the winners of its 2003 competition. TLMI presented the awards during its annual meeting October 16-19 at the Boca Raton Resort and Hotel in Boca Raton, FL.
A total of 81 awards were presented, including 30 first place, 21 second place, and 30 honorable mention prizes. Here are details on just a few of the first place winners.
Best in Show: Frosted Beauty
Competing in the Multi-Process — Line and Screen/Tone — Prime category, McDowell Label & Screen Printing, Dallas, TX, grabs “Best in Show” for its Frosted Marshmallow label.
McDowell uses a 175-line screen, ultraviolet (UV) flexo inks with a rotary screen print white, plus a special raised patterned UV topcoat on a clear film to achieve the label's 3-D “frosted” look. Suppliers include Ritrama, Akzo Nobel, Wilson Mfg., DuPont, and Gallus.
McDowell also receives first place honors in the category of Multi-Process — Color Process — Prime for its Naturally Aloe label and first place in the Promotional category for its Daredevil entry.
Cool and Refreshing
NorthStar Print Group, Watertown, WI, takes first place in the Gravure — Line and Screen/Tone — Prime category for Leinenkugel's Amber Light Beer label. The eight-color, brush-embossed, metallized paper labels are designed for high-speed, cold-glue application and are rotogravure printed at 600 fpm using solvent-based inks on metallized paper.
The background suggests the freshness of the beer and the fine detail in Leinenkugel's logo, and the “beer” plaque evokes the brewery's long tradition of quality, reports NorthStar. Suppliers include Bobst Champlain, Vacumet, Flint Ink, and NorthStar Print Group.
NorthStar also receives honorable mention in the category of Gravure — Color Process — Prime for its Langers Lemonade Iced Tea in-mold labels.
Super Cool
For MPI Label Systems of Carolina, Charlotte, NC, Marvel Super Heroes reign supreme as MPI takes first place in the category of Flexography — Color Process — Prime for Marvel Super Hero Island. The prime cup label is created on an Aquaflex flexo press using four-color process and line speeds of 300 fpm. Suppliers include IGF, MACtac, Akzo Nobel, DuPont Cyrel, Rotometrics, and Aquaflex.
Seal and Secure
Schreiner GmbH & Co. KG, Oberschleibheim, Bavaria, Germany, makes a splash in the International Div., taking first place in the Flexography — Line — Nonprime category for its flight luggage seal. The seal is printed in two passes: flexo and on-the-spot application (printing of date and time) by a thermo transfer printer.
Any attempt to manipulate the seal will be obvious to security staff carrying out spot tests directly in front of the check-in desks, Schreiner reports. Suppliers include Pantone and Edale.
Schreiner also receives first place in the EDP Label category for the Color Laser Film with Paint Mask and in the category of Tags — Industrial and/or Systems for its Load Compartment Seal.
A Tropical Blast of Colors
Spear, Mason, OH, takes first place in the Flat Screen Printing — Line — Prime category for Tradewinds Tropical Fruit label. The New Age beverage utilizes clear film polystyrene on a glass container.
The label is created using a six-color process, and bright whites and reds are added for opacity and vibrancy. Suppliers include FLEXcon, Avery Dennision, Kurz, Sun Chemical, Nobel, Rotometrics, and ADT.
Etched in Gold
In the category of Plateless Printing, Paragon Labels, Boston Lincs, PE, U.K., takes first place in the International Div. for the Gallop Plus+ label.
Clear bottle two-sided decoration will show through a third design on the back label. Said to be the first time attempted, the label was printed on a digital roll-fed press utilizing liquid toner technology. Suppliers include Raflatac, Indigo, and Gerhardt.
Morning Delight
Label-Aid Systems Inc., Madison, AL, strikes gold in the Flat Screen Printing — Line and Screen/Tone — Prime category, receiving first place for its New England Coffee label.
Applied to commercial coffeemakers to advertise the brand, the label is created on a flat bed screen press using four-color process, two spot colors, white flood, 85 lpi, kiss-cut tab, and UV ink. Suppliers include Bayer, Nor-Cote, Alpha Industries, and ATMA.
Label-Aid also receives honorable mention for its Quantegy entry in the Paperboard/Rigid Packaging category.
Mastering the Possibilities
Valley Forge Tape & Label Co., Exton, PA, places first in the Flexography — Color Process — Nonprime category for its GM MasterCard Direct Mail label. 
The 175-line, digitally imaged 0.067 plates provide smoother vignettes and sharper highlights, the company reports.
Suppliers include American Color, CTS, Mark Andy, RotoMetrics, and Water Ink Technologies.
A Touch of Class
Collotype Labels Pty Ltd., Mile End South, SA, Australia, comes up big at this year's ceremony with five awards, including three first place finishes. In the category of Wine and Spirits — Line and Screen/Tone — Prime, Collotype is awarded first place for the Columbia Crest wine label.
The six-color label is created using rotary offset, rotary hot foil stamping, and rotary embossing. Suppliers include UEI, Flint Ink, Kurz, Nilpeter, Fuji, Rotra Pacific, and Spicers Mirrorkote.
Collotype also takes first place in the Wine and Spirits — Color Process — Prime category for the Hardys Oomoo wine label and second place in the same category for the Kangaroo Ridge wine label. In the category of Wine and Spirits — Line — Prime, Collotype earns first place for the Talomas wine label.
Judging this year's event were Steve Lee, RotoMetrics; J. Page Crouch; Ray Mackura, Fasson/Avery Dennison; Dilip Shah, Nilpeter USA; Paul Teachout, Aquaflex; Mike Buystedt, Akzo Nobel Inks; Patrick Hague, Water Ink Technologies; Peter Mulheran, SICPA North America; Robert J. Smithson, Trinity Graphic USA; Terry Trexler, Gallus; and Roy Webb, Mark Andy.
For a complete list of winners contact TLMI, 40 Shuman Blvd., Ste 295, Naperville, IL 60563; tlmi.com.
