Nulab wins top prize at American print awards

The Nulab Group has cleaned out the American Premier Print Awards, winning eight prizes from eight categories, including the prestigious Benny, a gold statue in the shape of Benjamin Franklin.

 

Nulab also won five awards at the National Print Awards, and a special award for high commendation in digital printing, with its digital limited-edition book said to be “an example of print in its finest” by the judges.

 

In the past 9 years, Nulab Group has been the most awarded digital printer at the National Print Awards, which Michael Warshall, executive director, Nulab Group says inspired the company to see how its print work compares globally.

 

“We started entering Asia Pacific print awards four years ago, and have taken out most of the awards there. The American Premier Print Awards has printers from all around the world, with 2,200 entries this year.

 

“We entered in eight categories and got eight awards, including the Benny for digital printing and novelty books,” says Nulab.

 

The American judges noted that: “There were 2,200 entries, and this was chosen as it exemplifies the highest standards in the printing industry. The Benny goes to those firms who create a visual masterpiece.”

 

The company has been working directly with physicists at HP for the past two years to create its own inks capable of competing with silver halide, the photographic standard of the past 150 years. Printing on a seven-colour HP Indigo, Warshall believes he has finally reached that level of quality, and the 13 awards between the US and Australia give credit to the claim.

 

Warshall says, “Alon Bar-Shany, the vice president and general manager of HP Indigo, told me our reputation has now become global, and that we have set a benchmark for what can be achieved with an Indigo.”

 

Warshall notes that there were struggles in getting here.

 

“When we first converted to digital print people said we could never get that same image. We had staff leaving over unacceptable prints, with key staff saying that HP will never fix it.

 

“I just said they need to invent it.

 

“I was lucky enough to meet Bar-Shany in Israel, as VP he had the power to put me in touch with the physicists, and colour technicians. I spent time talking to them, and working together they produced unique batches of ink for me. It took 5 versions before I got the results I wanted.

 

“HP will have the ink available in their new devices. A general printer will not use it, as the ink is done in small batches and will be too expensive, but for professional photographers it is different.”

 

“As a printer and photographer, I want to make sure people’s memories are printed to the best possible standards, so they can enjoy it, and their children’s children can. With the technology we are using now, printed products can expect to last 200 years, far beyond what digital versions of files could offer,” says Warshall.

 

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