Awards showcase Diamond’s folding carton decorating capabilities, including cold foiling and embossing.

ROCHESTER, NY – Diamond Packaging today announced that it won nine awards in the 30th Annual FSEA Gold Leaf Awards Competition, the industry's premier showcase for foiling, embossing, and other specialty effects. Awards were presented during the Print Embellishment Conference in Indianapolis, IN.

The competition celebrates the quality, added value, shelf presence, security, and brand recognition that specialty finishing processes lend to the printed sheet. Entries are judged by a panel of industry experts on several criteria including design, execution, and level of difficulty.

Diamond won one Gold Leaf and two Silver Leaf awards in the “Best Use of Foil/Embossing/Diecut – Self Promotion”, “Best Use of Embossing (Registered)”, and “Best Use of Foil/Embossing – Calendar” categories, respectively, for its 2023 “Surf’s Up” corporate calendar.

Diamond's 2023 calendar pays tribute to surfing, a cultural phenomenon that brings together fun, sun, sand, surfboards, "woodie" station wagons, Volkswagen buses, and surf music. The header features a 1966 Volkswagen Type 2 Bus set against crashing waves and the California sunset.

The calendars were converted utilizing Clearwater ReMagine 30% PCW paperboard, cold foiled, and offset printed with four color process inks, in-line with UV matte, UV gloss, and DiamondTexture specialty coatings.

Tightly registered coatings were used to enhance the design and highlight the individual calendar components. UV matte coating was used on the sky, small surfboard, and wooden fish surfboard. UV gloss coating was used on VW bus to add contrast. UV textured specialty coating was applied to the sand to create haptic feedback.

Cold foil delivers shimmering metallic effects on the VW bus and Surf's Up 2023 and Diamond Packaging text. A holographic "wave pattern" cold foil adds more realism to the water.

Multi-level embossing lends distinction and depth to the design. Many of the header components were embossed, including the VW bus, surfboard, and text. The woodgrain of the vintage fish surfboard backer components were also embossed to add more depth and realism.

The calendar pages were converted utilizing Domtar Cougar Smooth 80# Text paper and offset printed with four color process inks and UV matte coating. The watermarks of different surf scenes take you away to your favorite beach. The unique finish and subtle colors beautifully complement the design concept.

The recyclable shipper was converted utilizing Clearwater Candesce SBS paperboard laminated to E-flute corrugated fiberboard, and artfully decorated with a scene of crashing waves.

Diamond won a Gold Leaf award in the “Best Use of Cold Foil (Label or Carton)” category for Iovate’s Hydroxycut Advanced packaging.

The folding cartons were converted utilizing FSC-certified Clearwater Candesce SBS paperboard, cold foiled, and offset printed with four color process and two PMS inks, in-line with UV matte and UV high gloss spot coating.

The UV gloss spot coating is tightly registered to the embossed elements and provides a striking contrast to the overall matte finish surrounding it.

Silver cold foil creates shimmering metallic effects on the upper panel, logo, and call outs highlighting key product attributes.

Embossed accents add depth and dimension along with an appealing tactile quality that promotes consumer interaction.

Diamond won a Gold Leaf award in the “Best Use of Foil/Embossing – Folding Carton (Creative)” category for Parlux Fragrances’ Ciao Vince Camuto packaging.

The folding cartons were converted utilizing FSC-certified Clearwater Candesce SBS paperboard and offset printed with process black, custom pink, and three PMS inks, in-line with UV matte and UV high gloss spot coating.

The UV gloss spot coating on the back panel silhouettes the shape of the signature spray bottle and provides a striking contrast to the overall matte finish surrounding it.

The gold hot foil stamped and multi-level embossed accents on the front and top panels add distinction to the packaging and reinforce Vince Camuto as a prestige brand.

Diamond won a Silver Leaf award in the “Best Use of Cold Foil (Label or Carton)” category for Interparfums' Abercrombie & Fitch Away Weekend packaging.

The folding cartons were converted utilizing FSC-certified Clearwater Candesce SBS paperboard, cold foiled, and offset printed with PMS black and custom inks, in-line with UV matte and UV gloss spot coating.

The graphic design incorporates an overall blind embossed linear wave pattern that adds dimension and contributes to a unique visual and tactile presentation.

Foil and embossing accents lend sophistication to the packaging and provide a striking contrast to the matte finish surrounding it.

The side panels are also cold foiled and overprinted with a custom blue ink, which creates shimmering, colorful metallic effects that catch the eye and invite closer inspection.

Diamond won a Bronze Leaf award in the “Best Use of Embossing (Blind)” category for Interparfums’ Oscar de la Renta Bella Bouquet packaging.

The folding cartons were converted utilizing FSC-certified Billerud CrownBoard Prestige paperboard, cold foiled, and offset printed with three PMS inks, in-line with satin aqueous and UV gloss spot coating.

The graphic design incorporates an overall blind embossed floral pattern that adds dimension and contributes to a unique visual and tactile presentation.

A cold foiled and embossed band (wrapping around the perimeter of the carton) adds distinction and reinforces Oscar de la Renta as a prestige brand.

Diamond won a Bronze Leaf award in the “Best Use of Sustainable Design” category for Big Picture Farm’s Golden Holiday and Silver Goat in a Sea of Hearts gift box packaging.

The folding cartons were converted utilizing FSC-certified Clearwater Candesce SBS paperboard, and offset printed with four color process inks, in-line with aqueous coating.

Shimmering gold and silver foil renditions of two of the farm's goats lend depth and sophistication to the packaging and provide a striking contrast to the matte white finish surrounding it.

Side panels feature hand-drawn sketches of several of the farm's free-ranging companions. The rear panel quickly communicates the product's story, benefits, and environmental attributes through on-product labeling, including FSC and wind energy logos.

Diamond won a Bronze Leaf award in the “Best Use of Transfer Metallization” category for Parlux Fragrances’ Eilish No. 2 packaging.

The cartons were converted utilizing FSC-certified Billerud CrownBoard Prestige paperboard and offset printed with UV process and PMS inks, in-line with UV matte and UV satin spot coating over Envirofoil.

The UV satin spot coating on the front and rear panels provide a striking contrast to the overall matte finish surrounding it.

Multi-level embossed accents, including the metallic bust on the front panel, add dimension and complement the design of the primary container — a bottle gilded in gunmetal grey and inspired by Eilish's favorite areas on the human body: the collarbone, neck, and back.

All of Diamond’s entries were designed utilizing recyclable or recycled paperboards and manufactured using 100% clean, renewable wind energy, in a Zero Waste to Landfill (ZWL) and Carbon Neutral (Scope 1 and Scope 2) facility.