Nashville, TN – The Printing Industry Association of the South, Inc. (PIAS) announced the winners of its 2010 Graphic Awards at a special presentation on June 22nd 2010, during the PIAS Annual Convention at the Hilton Clearwater Resort in Clearwater, Florida.

The PIAS Graphic Awards competition, held annually, is designed to recognize and appropriately honor those responsible for the creation, design and production of top-quality printed materials; those which have impact, appeal and effectiveness as sales/marketing, communications or educational medium.

Entries were submitted in one of four divisions:  Printers with less than 25 employees; Printers with 25 to 75 employees; Printers with more than 75 employees; and Trade Houses specializing in Binding & Finishing Services.  The judges determined which would receive: the coveted Golden Ben for Best of Show; one of five Silver Bens awarded for Best of Division; mounted certificates for Best of Category; or unmounted certificates for Excellence or Merit.  One special award winners was also decided for the best Self-Advertising piece.  In total, 693 awards were presented this year, including: 156 Best of Category awards; 674 Awards of Excellence; and 19 Awards of Merit; in addition to the Special Category, Best of Division, and Best of Show awards.

The PIAS Graphic Awards Competition is judged by a panel of 3 experts using a point system. A printed piece must earn a certain number of points based on set criteria to receive an Award of Excellence. The entry receiving the highest composite score within each category will receive the Best of Category Award. After judging is completed for each category within a division, all of the Best of Category winners from that division are grouped together and judged again to determine which entry is to receive the Best of Division award, the Silver Ben. After judging is completed for all divisions, all of the Best of Division winners are grouped together and judged again to determine which entry is to receive the top honor - the Best of Show, the Golden Ben trophy.

The trophy winners are:
BEST OF SHOW:    
Adams Lithographing Co. of Chattanooga, Tennessee, for "With Our Own Hands"

BEST OF DIVISION – PRINTERS WITH LESS THAN 25 EMPLOYEES:
TrueBlue of Chattanooga, Tennessee, for "TrueBlue Strokes of Nature Calendar."

BEST OF DIVISION – PRINTERS WITH 25 TO 75 EMPLOYEES:
Adams Lithographing Co. of Chattanooga, Tennessee, for "With Our Own Hands"

BEST OF DIVISION – PRINTERS WTIH MORE THAN 75 EMPLOYEES:
Lithographics, Inc. of Nashville, Tennessee, for "Gallopalloza II Book."

BEST OF DIVISION – TRADE HOUSES –  BINDING & FINISHING SERVICES:
Bindtech, Inc. of Nashville, Tennessee for "Geoffrey Chaucer."

SELF ADVERTISING AWARD:
TrueBlue of Chattanooga, Tennessee, for the "TrueBlue Natural Strokes Client Gift."