Granite Colour has become one of the first print companies to be rewarded by the new Howard Smith Paper Graphic Design and Print Awards 02, which have been developed into a unique and first in its kind marketing and promotional package for the winning companies.

Essex-based Granite Colour celebrated its success in the following awards categories;

Chairman’s Special Award – “The Measure” for London College of Fashion, printed on think4 white, designed by William Hall.
Direct Mail-“Molton Brown” on think 4 bright.

Granite also achieved a Highly Commended in the Books & Magazines category-“Franklyn Rodgers” for Autograph ABP printed on think4 bright,
and Direct Mail – “Hill & Knowlton Marketing Pack”, also on think4 bright.

There is no glitzy awards ceremony, instead for the winners and commended companies they will receive a multi-pack of media promotional material produced by Howard Smith Paper, which will be made available for Winners and/or Highly commended entrants to utilize.

Commenting on their success, Granite Colour Managing Director Danny Kirk, said, “It is always great to be a part of the design process, and The Measure was a fantastic challenge for us.
William Hall (designers) were looking for the rule lines that run on the inside cover to start just 2mm from the top. There was also the issue of getting the dimensions of the cover just right so that it would wrap around the front of the text.”

Designers and co-collaborators on The Measure, William Hall, also offered their congratulations at the success of the printed matter in the awards. “Apart from their experience, the great thing about Granite is their communication. They keep me aware of potential problems, and when problems do occur - which they inevitably do on a project of this complexity - they deal with them quickly and professionally. Danny Kirk has become a vital part of our team,” stated William Hall, associate at William Hall.

The Hill & Knowlton Marketing Pack had also proved to be a project of particular detail, as Kirk explains. “For this project, think4 bright was the preferred stock because of the fine detail we could reproduce on the uncoated substrate. It also allowed us to print excellent solid colours throughout. We printed with a 220-line screen, using specially formulated uncoated inks.” This was a particular tricky brief, as the pack had to communicate Hill & Knowlton’s specialisms, sectors and services in one piece of collateral. This required a keen attention to detail to get all the flat colours perfect.

At the same time, the Franklyn Rodgers book, Philosophy of Strangers, for which Granite received a Highly Commended, also involved some tricky work. Rich photographic images, combined with metallics, a laminated dust jacket, varnished typography and foil-blocked cover were all part of the process, as Kirk elaborates. “Producing a book for a photographer is always demanding. Having a great relationship with Studio8 Design helped the process on both sides. We produced a round of machine-proofing on three different materials and chose think4 white for its printability and off-white qualities. We also sourced a binding cover material that was durable and foiled brilliantly.”