Chicago, Ill. – GPA, the market leader in substrate solutions for digital, offset, and wide format printing, announces the winners of their 2017 Print & Design Contest, which has been honoring creativity and excellence in printing since 2004. Companies across North America submitted their entries on GPA substrates to compete in six product categories for the Best of Category award; from those winning entries, one was chosen as Best of Show. Six additional entries were presented with the Award of Distinction for making a lasting impression on judges.

Hodgins Engraving of Batavia, N.Y. won the 2017 Best of Show award for their entry highlighting the vitality of print – a playfully macabre capabilities book titled “Print is Alive.” Hodgins collaborated with ad agency FIFTEEN in Buffalo, N.Y. to create a campaign targeting marketing and creative agencies in the New York area. By using tactile effects, bright colors, and a multitude of substrates, Hodgins wanted to demonstrate the full potential of print rather than just talking about it. The book has been met with excitement by both Hodgins’ and FIFTEEN’s audiences since its release.

“It’s an honor to receive the Best of Show award,” shared Becky Almeter, President of Hodgins Engraving. “The relationships that made this possible are at the center of it all. FIFTEEN has remarkable creative minds and translated our vision into amazing design work, and vendors like GPA provided innovative products as well as the platform to promote them. We at Hodgins have enjoyed a reputation for quality and excellence in the industry for many years, and we look forward to going even deeper with our vendor and customer partnerships in the future,” said Almeter.

Hodgins Engraving selected two GPA boards for this project, which won in the Papers: C1S & C2S Boards, Pre-Converted Substrates category. Ultra Digital® 18 pt. White C1S Boards were used to demonstrate the impact of using a thick stock, and 12 pt. Silver Mirri® Board shows how a metallic board can add drama to a printed piece.

“Substrate selection is critical to the success of the job, and as printers, we know that it’s going to make or break the project. One reason we selected the GPA products that we used was the variety and suitability – GPA has such a variety to choose from, and that opens up the possibilities. We have a strong faith in the GPA stocks that we’re using, and we know they’re going to perform,” said Almeter.

The Best of Category Winners are:

• Bennett Graphics of Tucker, Ga. – Papers: Coated & Uncoated
  “Bennett Graphics Sensational Tool Kit”
• Cedar Graphics of Hiawatha, Iowa– Papers: Specialty Fine Substrates
  “Cedar Graphics ‘Secret Awesome Sauce’ Mailer”
• DCG One of Seattle, Wash. – Pressure Sensitive Synthetics
  “Hyrule Warriors Legends for Nintendo 3DS Signage”
• GLS / NEXT Precision Marketing of Brooklyn Park, Minn.– Pressure Sensitive Papers
  “TPC Rose Event Invitation Labels”
• Oliver Printing of Twinsburg, Ohio– Non-Adhesive Synthetics
  “Hitachi CT Scanner Scanner Mailer”

The Award of Distinction Winners are:

• Bennett Graphics of Tucker, Ga. – “Saltshaker Marketing & Media Magazine #1”
• Cedar Graphics of Hiawatha, Iowa – “Cedar Graphics 2017 Calendar”
• GLS / NEXT Precision Marketing of Brooklyn Park, Minn. – “GLS / NEXT ‘Mail Magic’ Interactive Event Invitation”
• GLS / NEXT Precision Marketing of Brooklyn Park, Minn. – “‘Topics in 20’ Dimensional Fold-Out Mailer”
• Visions Inc. of Brooklyn Park, Minn. – “Visions ‘Unmask Your Potential’ Open House Invitation”
• Dreamworks Graphic Communications of Glenview, Ill. – “Dreamworks 2017 Calendar”

This year’s contest was judged by a panel of four esteemed industry professionals who are subject matter experts in topics ranging from marketing, digital printing, and design. Entries were evaluated on uniqueness of design, number of substrates utilized, complexity of production, application use, and quality of printing.

GPA’s Print & Design Contest is an annual opportunity for printers and end-users to showcase their best work and gain industry recognition. For a submission to be eligible, it must be from an actual job or promotion that was printed by a GPA customer on a qualified GPA substrate. Each year yields exciting examples of the opportunities available with GPA substrates.

Hodgins Engraving of Batavia, N.Y. won the 2017 Best of Show award.