Tokyo, Japan and New York, USA – Toyo Ink Mfg. Co., Ltd., in cooperation with its Americas regional headquarters, Toyo Ink International Corp., was awarded the "Benny", or the best of category honor, in the 2009 Premier Print Awards for its entry, the "Toyo Ink Group 2009 Calendar 'Live With…'".  The calendar took top honors in the Specialty Inks or Coatings, Fragrances, or "Invisible" Printing Inks category.

The Premier Print Awards
The Premier Print Awards, the graphic arts industry's largest and most prestigious worldwide printing competition, recognizes outstanding achievement in print production.  It is hosted by US-based Printing Industries of America, the world's largest graphic arts trade association serving the interests of more than 10,000 member companies. In its 60th year, the annual contest promotes excellence in print communications and rewards companies and individuals who produce the very best in print media. This year, over 3,600 entries were received from printing and graphic arts firms from 14 countries around the world. Judges awarded the Benny to the top entry in each category.

About the Toyo Ink Group Calendar 2009
The theme the company selected for this piece is "Live With…".  The Toyo Ink Group places the highest priority on environmental preservation, and it was the aim of the calendar's creators to inspire environmental action in all who look upon the dream-like imagery.  Toyo Ink Mfg. Company's Take. Watanabe, creative director of the 2009 calendar, explains, "For the base designs, original artwork by world-renowned Japanese graphic designer U.G. Sato were chosen for his use of bold, playful imagery in harsh and even disturbing scenarios.  The illustrations express a sense of urgency, emphasizing the need for us all to respect the environment and do what we can to upkeep it for generations to come."

Various offset printing techniques and specialized printing processes were utilized in creating the eye-catching visual effects showcased in this year's calendar.  The entry highlights some of the advances the Group had made over the past year in printing innovation, such as crepe, phosphorescent, solid printing, pearl reflection and edgeless techniques. 

Of particular noteworthy mention is the execution of the double-flocking process used to create the floral 'spots' of the leopards in the September-October illustration (link to downloadable image below).  Toyo Ink achieved pile contamination control and improved print precision by customizing a screen press and its mechanical settings.  Once thought impossible via conventional printing systems, the company successfully executed the flocky process by mounting piles of completely different color and texture, side-by-side, on to the same print medium. 

In addition, Toyo Ink's TK HyUnity Kaleido Ink series of high-performance offset inks was used to print all base designs.  Acknowledged the world over for its ability to faithfully reproduce colors, TK HyUnity Kaleido Ink four-color process inks incorporate specially formulated, highly saturated pigments that enable it to offer a wider color gamut closer to Adobe RGB. 

Toyo Ink once again partnered with Toppan Printing Co., Ltd. and Fukuju Sangyo Co., Ltd. to produce the 2009 calendar. 

Recognized the World Over for Print Excellence
The Toyo Ink Group 2009 calendar has attracted worldwide recognition for outstanding achievement in print production.  It not only took the "bronze prize" at the International
Calendar Show held in Stuttgart, Germany in January, but also brought home the "association's award" at the National Calendar Contest organized by the Japan Federation of Printing Industries and the Japan Printing News Co., Ltd., in December 2008.

In addition to the Benny, the Premier Print Award judges bestowed on the Toyo Ink
Group calendar a Certificate of Merit in two categories: Calendars and Special Innovation Awards – Printing.

Downloadable calendar images are available at:
Cover page: http://www.toyoink.co.jp/news/2009/img/09082401a_full.jpg
September-October page: http://www.toyoink.co.jp/news/2009/img/09082401b_full.jpg