Warrendale, Pennsylvania - Printing Industries of America (PIA) is partnering with Sinapse Print to conduct a worldwide PrintSkills contest for educational institutions offering printing and graphics education. Schools are encouraged to have their students compete in both the design and print portions of the contest. The finalists receive an all-expense paid trip to drupa 2016 in Dusseldorf, Germany.
 
The contest will use Sinapse Print simulators to assess students’ problem-solving skills in sheetfed offset and flexographic printing. The Cloud versions of these simulators will be available to schools for practice and competition rounds. Contest registration is free and open through December 2015. 
 
The PrintSkills contest is also sponsored by EFIA (European Flexographic Industry Association), PTAC (Print Technology Association of China), and the leading global supplier of touchscreen solutions, Elo Touch Solutions.
 
Contestants can use the simulators in any of a dozen languages. The Sinapse multi-lingual learning management allows results between all contestants to be easily compared and posted regularly on the competition website. In each round, contestants compete to solve flexographic and sheetfed offset press problems. Each team of students and a coach competes in 4 rounds.
 
Students at each competing school can also submit designs for a poster and package. The winning designs will be incorporated into the simulator and used in the final rounds of the contest. The designer of the best poster, the designer of the best package, the print finalists, and their respective coaches all win a trip to drupa 2016, the world’s most prestigious print fair, where the “live” press final will be held. The winning school will receive a two-year connection to the simulator of their choice. All participants will be listed on the contest website and receive certificates of achievement.
 
Visit www.Sinapseprint.com to find out more about the contest and register.