News Limited got a return on its investment in KBA press technology tonight when its Tasmanian business unit, Davies Brothers won a gold medal in Australia’s National Print Awards.
The coldset web-offset award – for printing of flagship daily ‘The Mercury’ – follows the installation of a KBA Comet press and Ferag mailroom in a $32 million greenfield project in 2009.
WA’s Colourpress took the silver, but no bronze was awarded.
Offset Alpine was one of five companies to take two gold awards home. It took gold in heatset web-offset for the RM Williams Sprint/Summer catalogue, and in the ‘web-offset publications with a cover price’ category for Selector Spring 2011.
PMP Print Queensland took silver in the heatset category, with Adelaide’s Cadillac Printing taking bronze. PMP Print Victoria took silver in the ‘cover price’ category, with no bronze awarded.
The gala evening in the ballroom of Melbourne’s Crown Palladium was presided over by RocKwiz host Julia Zemiro, her quirky sense of humour and patter of music trivia smoothing the way through the 33 categories and three sponsor awards. Entertainment from comedian Tommy Little – one of the hits of this year’s Melbourne Comedy Festival – expanded the ‘greatest hits’ theme.
Sponsor awards went to Momento Pro NSW (Fuji Xerox Australia award for most effective use of printing technologies), Imatec Digital, WA (Currie Group graphics award for most innovative use of imaging), and Geon Group Perth (Heidelberg award for excellence in craft).
NPA chairman John Wanless descibed the evening as “one of the greatest NPA celebrations we’ve ever enjoyed.
“There’s no doubt it’s been a tough couple of years in the print and graphic communications industry, but it’s wonderful to see that, whatever they throw at us, Australian print professionals still take the time and effort to ensure that our work is on a par with print produced anywhere in the world.”
Next year’s 30th National Print Awards will return to Melbourne during PacPrint 2013.