The Flexographic Technical Association recognized 123 entries as prime examples of quality printing in its 2007 Excellence in Flexography Awards competition last month (www.flexography.org). Judges reviewed work in six converted-product categories—wide web, mid web, narrow web, folding carton, corrugated, and preprinted linerboard. Gold, silver and bronze winners were announced May 6 during the group's President's Award reception at the 2007 Foundation of FTA Forum in Montréal, Quebec, Canada. Best of Shows were revealed later in the week at the annual awards banquet. They include:

• Wide Web: Huggies Little Swimmers—Sun Sensors (process print, film) by Coating Excellence Intl.

• Mid Web: Willow Brook® Buffalo Style Wings (process print, film) by Sealed Air Cryovac

• Narrow Web: Danielle Peck circle label (process print, coated paper) by Overnight Labels, Inc.

• Folding Carton: Kung Pao Chicken (process print, paperboard) by Belmark, Inc.

• Combined Corrugated: Marque Kleenex tissue-display box (process print, corrugated) by Wellpappe Auerswalde GmbH

• Preprinted Linerboard: Little Tikes® Dora and Diego Sand & Water Adventure (process print, coated paper) by Smurfit-Stone Container Corp.

Brian Jacob of anilox-roll supplier Praxair Surface Technologies, who judged the wide web category, said that the (A) Huggies Little Swimmers was difficult by design and thus earned its prize. “This job had command of all the elements, registration, dot structure, repeat, and on a fairly difficult substrate. There was nowhere to hide mistakes in the design,” he added.

There's more to being the best than having well-formed dots. “The width of the web versus the consistency of the printing was most impressive,” says Sunil Datt, of the Huggies printed film. The customer requested that technical details about the production be kept confidential.

“Willow Brook Buffalo Wings (B) exhibited extremely good dot shape and registration in comparison to other submissions,” said mid-web judge Jim Koppes of supplier Monarch Engraving. “It also had a contract proof that it matched perfectly. A clear understanding of press mechanics, ink, aniloxes and color management were obvious.”

Using electronic prepress systems to create digital-photopolymer plates, Sealed Air Cryovac video-mounted the plates and printed the Willow Brook job with solvent-based inks on a CI-flexo press at 650 fpm. A 120-line screen on the process colors and 100-line was achieved on the metallic gold.

Narrow web judges, such as Cary Peterson of West Essex Graphics, were awed by the accomplishments in the facial tones of the Danielle Peck label (C). “Flexo printers have always struggled with flesh tones and subject matter that contains high-contrast smooth faces,” he explained. “Here is a case where the printer accepted the challenge and pulled it off flawlessly. Producing work of that difficulty level this well is clearly the best the industry has to offer.”

Overnight Labels employed its in-house prepress department to make DuPont Imaging Technologies digital-photopolymer plates that were video-mounted with Anderson & Vreeland equipment. The four-color job, printed in water-based ink on an in-line Aquaflex press at 155 fpm, was UV-coated.

“Visually, the Kung Pao Chicken (D) had a stunning impact on all of us,” commented folding carton judge Gary D. Johnson of printer Hallmark, Inc. “The carton had sharpness in registration, and the coverage of the ink was excellent; but the overall appearance of this product was heads above the rest. There was very little debate that this was the best of best this year.”

Printed in five colors at 300 fpm with both water-based and UV inks, the carton is truly manufactured in-line by Belmark, including flatbed diecutting of the 20-pt paperboard.

Colleen Larkin Twomey of plate vendor MacDermid Printing Solutions, who judged the combined corrugated and preprinted linerboard categories, praised the Little Tikes preprint job for its “tight register, beautiful process color, and use of the web width.” She also complimented the registration and halftone-dot reproduction of the Marque Kleenex corrugated Best of Show.

For the Little Tikes box, Smurfit-Stone Container used Flint Group 0.45-in. digital-photopolymer plates that were video-mounted. Doctor-bladed, water-based inks in seven colors plus a varnish were printed at 530 fpm on a CI-flexo press. Details of the Marque Kleenex work are being kept confidential.