Victorian printer Adams Print won the top honour and the most gold medals at this year’s National Print Awards held in Melbourne on Friday night.
The veteran printer from Melbourne bagged the esteemed Judge’s Award at the awards ceremony for its piece Hermitage: The Legacy of Catherine the Great printed for the National Gallery of Victoria. It also won the top title at the 2014 National Print Awards.
Adams Print also scored the highest amount of gold medals during the night with two for the category of booklets, catalogues, brochures and magazines, and three in the printed book category. The champion printer also managed to achieve five silvers and one bronze medal.
Upon accepting the prestigious Judge’s Award gong, Adams Print owner Shane Soutar paid tribute to his hard working team, and says producing the winning job was a hard task that ultimately proves print is still alive and strong.
“We worry, fight, kick, scream, and argue every day at Adams Print, but we do it well,” says Soutar.
The runner up for this year’s Judge’s Award was NSW photo printer Momento Pro for its printing of The Ken Duncan Portfolio, a limited edition photo book for the Ken Duncan Gallery.
Melbourne’s Press Print also enjoyed triumph during the ceremony, snagging four gold medals and three bronze.
Last year’s top performer Advance Press from WA still came out a winner this year, grabbing gold for the casebound offset book printing category and for presentation folders.
IPMG also collected at the awards, striking gold twice with its printing of Frankie Magazine for web offset and Vivid Magazine for the booklet category.
Rooster IMC was awarded gold twice for the packaging and wide format categories, and collected the Fuji Xerox Effectiveness Award for digital printing, presented by national sales manager for graphic communications Michael Gillis.
Digital printer Nulab Group also took out two gold medals for the calendar printing and wide format categories, as well as one silver and one bronze.
Murray Scott from Picton Press was presented with the Media Super Young Executive of the Year Award; a young printer who has worked his way up through the ranks at Picton and is recognised to have great potential to lead print’s future.
The founder and managing director of Lamson Paragon Arthur Frost was also acknowledged on stage for his illustrious print career with the Industry Legend Award.
[Related: All the 2015 National Print Award winners]
Upon accepting the award, Frost fondly recalled inventing and printing the mag strip on eftpos cards some 30 years ago, and stated his steadfast faith in the print industry.
“There are so many opportunities in print, and we can’t be negative. One day the print industry will be producing solar panels around the world,” says Frost.
The formalities of the evening concluded with acting PIAA president Kieran May addressing the crowd, and invited all winners to showcase their entries PacPrint 2017.
“The winners tonight highlight the skill and diversity in the industry, there is no doubt we have a future,” says May.
The night was hosted by comedy duo Julian Morrow and Charles Firth, and the pair’s blend of satire and admiration of the industry was a fitting tribute to the printing trade.
“This is the one night of the year when it feels like the print industry will never end,” Morrow joked on stage.
The Plaza Ballroom in Melbourne’s CBD was a full house, with the three course dinner and award ceremony set in an historic room dating back to the 1920s.
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