The Gravure Assn. of America (www.gaa.org) celebrated the finest in gravure printing with its 23rd annual Golden Cylinder Awards. Out of more than 100 entries, the association awarded 27 Golden Cylinders during GAA's Annual Convention & Leadership Summit. Categories for the awards span all aspects of gravure's capabilities, and innovative materials, press and post-press technologies also were honored.

The most exceptional entry was the (A) Postage Stamps of the United States, printed by Avery Dennison (www.averydennison.com) for the US Postal Service. Not only did it take home the award for the Postage Stamps and Security Printing category, but the peel-and-stick stamps also took home the Best of the Best award.

Avery Dennison used 10-color printing on non-phosphorus pressure-sensitive stamp stock with a 50-lb liner using type “C” inks by Siegwerk Inks. It spot-coated phosphorus coating over the stamps using a Dainippon Kiko press for each of the six stamp issues. The “Southern Florida Wetlands” stamp issue featured hidden die cuts and careful reproduction of the original artwork. This entry showcased outstanding printing with incredible detail, the judges commented.

Winning the Packaging-Flexible Film category, was the (B) Advance Brands' Fast Fixin' pouch by Nordenia USA (www.nordeniausa.com), which was reverse-printed on PET with six colors using inks from Siegwerk, then laminated to a sealant film. According to Nordenia, the customer chose a gravure-printed pouch to achieve the shelf impact the product needed. “The bright, bold colors and crispness of the print allow consumers to easily recognize the product on the shelf and then easily read product information on the package,” said Julie Greaser, marketing coordinator for Nordenia. The judges agreed, noting the precise product reproduction and graphic quality—even in the sealed areas. “The overall package really pops,” one judge commented.

In the Packaging-Flexible Paper category, Sonoco (www.sonoco.com) took home the prize with its (C) President's Choice Dark & Milk Chocolate Concerto bag. This bag, which was six-color printed on a Bobst Rotomec press, required that the colors be accurately held with viscosity controls over a 6-hr run time. Excellent saturation was achieved through good ink release, Sonoco said. The converter used inks from Sun Chemical and laminated the piece to add impact.

(D) The Leinenkugels Sunset Wheat label made the sun go down over all the other entries in the Packaging-Labels/Wrappers Paper category through Multi-Color Corp.'s (MCC) use of a modified five-color process. “The key to the effects of this label is the modified five-color process, including a process white (fifth channel halftone) separation, allowing the metallized paper to show through and create transparent areas, specifically the sky and the “Sunset Wheat” banner,” said Dirk Edwards, MCC director of marketing. “It's a difficult process to avoid irregular waves and to screen with a tight fit. The label requires a very tight register. The execution of gradient over the background blue is subtle yet very effective.”