Vibrant colors, foil stamping, brush-embossed metallized paper labels, and gusseted pouches made by hand are just a few of the outstanding looks that exemplify the winners of the 2003 Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute (TLMI) label competition. Photo-like effects, 3-D frosted looks and thermochromic ink producing a heat-sensitive end product also helped demonstrate the latest technology and processes available in the world of tag and label converting today.

Meeting the challenges of their customers' demands for unique printing and designs on a daily basis is what makes these award winners worthy of their prizes. This year's TLMI competition winners were announced at an awards dinner Oct. 17 during the association's Annual Meeting in Boca Raton, FL. A total of 81 winners were recognized from 273 entries. Awards judges represented several leading label printer suppliers, ink suppliers, and label-converter communities.

McDowell Label & Screen Printing (Dallas, TX) went home with the Best of Show award for its 175-line screen, UV-flexo and rotary-screen print label for Frosted Marshmallow, an air-infused foamer applied to your skin before using a tanning bed. As described in the entry form, the challenge was that the customer required a 3-D "frosted look." A special raised topcoating achieved the look and feel of this label. Besides the UV-flexo ink and white rotary-screen print, a special raised patterned UV topcoat on a clear film was added. Suppliers: Ritrama-material; Akzo Nobel-inks; Wilson Mfg.-dies; DuPont Cyrel t-plates; Gallus-press.

Among multiple first-place winners based in North America was Collotype Labels Pty. Ltd. (Napa, CA), which won for the following categories: Wine and Spirits/Color Process-Prime; Wine and Spirits/Line and screen/tone-Prime; and Wine and Spirits/Line-Prime. Its rotary offset-printed wine label for Hardys Oomoo was a replica of one of the first labels produced by this winery in the 1850s. Created for the celebration of the customer's 150th anniversary, this label consists of a 4-color process with gold ink, hot-foil silkscreen clear and emboss. The offset, silkscreen, hot-foil stamping and embossing were all processes with a rotary press. Suppliers: Nilpeter-press; Kurz-foil; Flint Ink-inks; Rotra Pacific-dies; UEI-finecut foil cylinder.

Two different beauty products are what helped Label Technology, Inc. (Merced, CA) win two awards in the Non-Pressure Sensitive-All Processes/Line-Prime and Non-Pressure Sensitive-All Processes/Color Process-Prime categories. The vibrant water-based colors and foil stamping give the Amarige Bath Gel label an upscale look. This was done on a target folding carton, which made it difficult to achieve on a challenging film stock. Suppliers: Mark Andy-press; INX-inks, Roto-Metrics-dies; Dupont Cyrel-plates; Artwork Systems-software.

Besides winning the best of show, McDowell Label & Screen Printing also won in the category of Promotional and Multi-Process/Color Process-Prime. The promotional piece was for the DVD release of Daredevil, which will be accompanied by a game piece. This 175-line-screen job used four CP UV-flexo inks. A rotary silkscreen was used to lay down the thermochromic ink, and a two-level sheeting die sheets and die-cuts around circles. The challenge was to reach exact registration with thermochromic ink laid down with rotary silkscreen. The thermochromic ink reveals the movie stars on the package when heat from the consumer's thumb is applied. Suppliers: Wausau Coated-material; Akzo Nobel/CTI-inks; Wilson Mfg.-die; DuPont Cyrel-plates; Gallus-press.

Spear (Mason, OH) took home two awards in the following categories: Flat Screen Printing-Non-Prime; and Flat Screen Printing/Line-Prime. The 6-color Tradewinds Tropical Fruit label was a challenge due to the bright whites and reds needed for opacity and vibrancy with tight screen tolerances. This New Age beverage uses the clear film PF and glass container. Suppliers: FLEXcon; Avery Dennison; Kurz; Sun Chemical; Akzo Nobel; RotoMetrics; ADT.

TAPP Technologies, Inc. (Napa, CA) won three awards with its waterless offset lithography. The categories include Wine and Spirits/Color process-Non-Prime, Wine and Spirits/Line-Non-Prime, and Wine and Spirits/Line and Screen/Tone-Non-Prime. Leapfrogmilch Medallion label was a challenging print job with its 4-color process. To keep the colors precise, Kurz bronze foil was used with a 300-line screen. The foiling and diecutting were difficult to maintain. Suppliers: Sanjo-press; Toka-ink; Decrevel-foil die; Fasson-estate paper; Sun Chemical-aqueous ink; Foilmark-foil; Kurz-bronze foil.

Schreiner GmbH & Co. KG won for Tag-Industrial and/or Systems, EDP label, and Flexography/Line-Non-Prime. The color laser film with paint mask can be used for several kinds of painting and drying processes.

The first part (color laser film) consists of a high-quality polyester film compound, which can be inscribed emission-free by means of a laser. The black colored layer is protected under a laminate film. The inscription is achieved without melting loss of film particles (emission free); the film remains intact (engraving free) and is resistant to environmental influences. The color laser film is equipped with a firm-adhering acrylate adhesive.

The second part of the label is the paint mask. The paint mask consists of polyester film equipped with a non-permanent adhesive. The paint mask can be removed from the label after painting and drying processes. To improve the removal of the paint mask, a lift tab is adhered to the top of the polyester film. Suppliers: no supplier information provided.

Contact TLMI at 630/357-9222, fax: 630/357-0192.

For a complete list of competition winners, visit TLMI's Website at www.tlmi.com.