Two Indian printers make us proud once again!

HP Inc. has announced the winners of the HP Digital Print Excellence Awards 2020. Now in their 13th year, the awards celebrate the invaluable contribution print service providers (PSPs) from Asia Pacific make to advancing the print industry through HP Indigo digital presses. With winners hailing from 14 countries across 25 categories, the judges were impressed by the outstanding imagination, expertise and talent of PSPs who delivered innovative and high-quality prints for brands across the region.

“Each year we are astounded by the caliber of entries for the HP Digital Print Excellence Awards,” said Oran Sokol, director and general manager, HP Industrial business, Asia Pacific, HP Inc. “Our PSPs are doing inspiring work to elevate brands across Asia Pacific by creating bold, expressive and personalized experiences. Their customers are increasingly demanding on quality and speed of delivery, so we want to support PSPs by helping them to make their creative ideas reality while reaching new levels of profitability. New innovations such as our silver ink and HP SmartStream Collage allow PSPs to not only leverage the efficiency and quality of HP digital print, but also push the boundaries and develop new opportunities to impress their customers.”

Entries showcase the future of print

Judges for the awards included senior executives from HP, publishers, marketing consultancies and education institutes. This range of expertise was required as the print industry converges with adjacent industries such as fashion and product design, and trends such as sustainable materials rise in importance.

This year’s awards included a new category – Environmental Responsibility. The winner, Thai Nam Poly Pack, used the HP Indigo 20000 Digital Press to print die-cut bags, adhesive pouches and single-use aprons using a revolutionary new bioplastics material. Biologically based and combustible, Thai Nam Poly Pack printed three kilometers worth of goods which, when disposed of, will biodegrade and leave no trace on the environment.

Entries were scored based on overall aesthetics, impact and marketing effectiveness, shelf appeal, design suitability, uniqueness and innovation, and best use of media and substrate. Judges awarded three Grand Winners and two Creative Winners in recognition of their outstanding print quality, finishing and innovative designs.

Countries from around the region were well represented this year. China has eight winners, followed by Thailand with six. Australia and Indonesia both had four winners, while India and the Philippines have two. Singapore, Taiwan and Vietnam have one winner each.

The India Grand Winners and Creative Winners are:

Grand Winner: Premium Photobook

Sri Sivarama Digital Press (Printonica), India
Printonica’s differentiated photo book was printed in Vivid Green and Vivid Pink and was beautifully embellished to produce a multidimensional end-product. Its attractive and unique print defines a new standard for photo books, varying from the usual half-fold format and allowing brands to delight their customers with best-in-class, quality prints.

The full list of India winners is as follows:

Commercial Press Categories

Photobook: B2 Size Photobook
Sri Sivarama Digital Press – Printonica, India

Photobook: Premium Photobook
Sri Sivarama Digital Press – Printonica, India

In addition, Special Recognition winners in both Commercial Press and Labels & Packaging include:

High-end Coffee Table Books: Aakruti Digipress Pvt Limited, India

Pushing the boundaries of print year-on-year

The annual awards also see many familiar names, with PSPs returning year after year to retain their crown or win in new categories. Amongst them are Carbon8, Sri Sivarama Digital Press (Printonica) and PT Bintang who have each won multiple awards over the last three years.

Sri Sivarama Digital Press (Printonica)

Special Recognition for ‘B2 Size Photobook’
in 2018; Four awards in 2019; ‘Grand
Winner: Premium Photobook’ in 2020.

“As a leading print company, we are constantly looking at ways to surprise and delight our customers. One of our specialties is in photobooks, where we have been pushing the boundaries using technologies like HP Indigo Vivid Pink and Vivid Green, HP ElectroInk and embellishments to further beautify our prints,” said Gokul Murli, Director, Sri Sivarama Digital Press (Printonica).