Grimmer, who works as a creative director and designer on the ProPrint magazine, credited working for a client that understood the value of print and that was willing to loosen the purse strings as integral in producing the winning work.
“I’d say the reason we won was the client was willing to spend money,” Grimmer said. “They saw the value of keeping the job onshore to maintain quality control.”
“In the end the book was opulent like the jewellery it was a catalogue for. [The client] understood that the book had to be as lavish as the product.”
Printed by McPhersons Printing Group, one of the strengths of the book was its use of a six colour Hexachrome press to produce the cover (pictured).
Grimmer also described it as “gratifying” that the book wasn’t the work of a major publisher, saying “this was simply the work of a bunch of talented people brought together to do something”.
Meanwhile, McPhersons also picked up the Award for Innovation in Publishing and Printing for the book Coloured Women, whilst Hong Kong-printed atlas Earth took out Book of the Year.
The Awards were held on Saturday night at the Harbour’s Edge Events Centre in Sydney, with over 150 guests attending the event.
A full list of winners is published below:
Category One: Sheetfed – Case bound book with RRP under $35
To Point Unknown: The First Al Muthann Task Group. Published by Mesh Publishing. Production by Catherine Harris. Printed by The BPA Print Group.
Category Two: Sheetfed – Case bound book with RRP over $35
Balance and Harmony. Published by Murdoch Books. Production by Tiffany Johnson and Nikla Martin. Printed by Imago Australia.
Category Three: Sheetfed – Limp sewn/perfect bound/saddle-stitched book with RRP under $25
Australia’s Island State, Tasmania. Published and production by Harding’s Productions. Printed by Everbest Printing.
Category Four: Sheetfed – Limp sewn/perfect bound/saddle-stitched book with RRP over $25
A Brush with Birds. Published by The National Library of Australia. Production by Susan Hall. Printed by Imago Australia.
Category Five: Sheetfed – Mono book, case or limp bound, no price limit
Commonsense Cookery Book. Published by HarperCollins Publishers. Production by Jill Donald. Printed by Everbest Printing.
Category Six: Sheetfed – Duotone book, case or limp bound, no price limit
Practical Measures: 100 Years at Swinburne. Published by Tertiary Press. Production by Susan Moore. Printed by the BPA Print Group.
Category Seven: Sheetfed – Limited edition book, no price limit
Earth. Published by Millennium House. Production by Bernard Roberts. Printed by Sing Cheong Printing.
Category Eight: Webfed – Mono/duotone book/4c, case bound, no price limit
The Western Front Diaries. Published by Simon and Schuster. Printed by Griffin Press.
Category Nine: Webfed – Mono/duotone book/4c, limp bound, no price limit
Women’s Weekly Vegie Stars. Published by ACP Books. Production by Victoria Jefferys. Printed by Dai Nippon.
Category Ten: Non-standard – Non-retail publication (annual report, catalogue)
Lantern 2008 Brochure. Published by Penguin Group Australia. Production by Sue Van Velsen and Abigail Hockey. Printed by 1010 Printing.
Category Eleven: Non-standard – Novelty book or stationary item (bath book, board book, calendar, diary)
Peter Alexander Hype Book. Published by Paper Stone Scissors. Printed by Bookbuilders.
Category Twelve: Non-standard – Mono/Duo/4c digitally printed item
Coloured Women. Published by OnetoSi. Production by Naomi Simpson. Printed by McPhersons Printing Group.
Category Thirteen: Non-standard – Mono digitally printed book
Doomsday Rats. Published by HarperCollins Publishers. Production by Chrysoula Georgopoulos. Printed by Griffin Digital.
Category Fourteen: Periodicals – Perfect bound, registered periodical up to 70gsm, no price limit
Two Wheels Aug 08. Published by News Magazines. Production by David Hooley. Printed by Hannanprint NSW.
Category Fifteen: Periodicals – Perfect bound, registered periodical over 70gsm, no price limit
GC Magazine Dec 08/Jan 09. Published by News Magazines. Production by Michelle O’Brien. Printed by Offset Alpine.
Category Sixteen: Periodicals – Saddle-stitched, registered periodical up to 70gsm, no price limit
Live to Ride Sept 08. Published by News Magazines. Production by David Hooley. Printed by Hannanprint NSW.
Category Seventeen: Periodicals – Saddle-stitched, registered periodical over 70gsm, no price limit
Appliance Retailer Oct 08. Published by The Intermedia Group. Production by Jill Lehmann. Printed by SOS Print & Media Group.
Award for Innovation in Publishing and Printing
Coloured Women. Published by OnetoSi. Production by Naomi Simpson. Printed by McPhersons Printing Group.
Book of the Year
Earth. Published by Millennium House.
Non-standard item of the year
Peter Alexander Hype Book. Published by Paper Stone Scissors. Printed by Bookbuilders.
Perodical of the Year
GC Magazine Dec 08/Jan 09. Published by News Magazines. Production by Michelle O’Brien. Printed by Offset Alpine.
Australian Printed Book of the Year
Jewellery. Published by Fairfax & Roberts. Production by Sam Grimmer. Printed by McPhersons Printing Group.
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