2021 Print Excellence Competition

The 2021 Print Excellence Competition has closed

The Print Excellence Competition call for entries deadline has passed. Winners will be recognized at imPRESS 2021 on November 3 at the Delta Flight Museum.

Questions? Please contact Jennie Thomas at jennie@piag.org.

Now Boarding! The 2021 Print Excellence Competition is about to take off.

Each year, the Excellence Competitions (made up of Print Excellence and Performance Excellence) award the best combinations of technology and craftsmanship within Georgia’s dynamic printing, imaging, and finishing community. Enter those unique projects you have produced between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020, and realize the value of having a marketing tool that recognizes the superior work produced by your company. The 2021 Excellence Competitions are open to all printing, imaging, print equipment, print finishing, and design facilities within the state of Georgia.

Past winners have found that winning an Excellence Competition award can be a powerful marketing tool in helping grow their business. Receiving an award in one of the largest, most prestigious graphic communication competitions tells your customers and prospects that your company produces some of the finest work available in our field. In the age of social distancing, mask wearing, and virtual environments, enter those uniquie projects you did in 2020 that showcased just how adaptable & resilient the printing industry is.

Winners will benefit all year long from a rich mix of public relations and marketing opportunities, including recognition at imPRESS 2021, inclusion in the 2021 Excellence Awards Annual; announcement of winners across various media channels; and one complimentary set of printed award certificates for display at your facility. The promotional possibilities are endless, and your employees will appreciate recognition for their top-notch work.

Eligibility

All printing, imaging, print equipment, print finishing, and design facilities within the state of Georgia may enter the Print Excellence Competition. Entries are limited to Georgia-produced work only. A minimum of 75% of every entry must have been produced within Georgia between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2020.

Divisions

Division 1 (1 – 9 employees)*
Division 2 (10 – 25 employees)*
Division 3 (26 – 50 employees)*
Division 4 (51 or more employees)*
Division 5 (Schools)

*Divisions 1-4 are defined as the total number of employees located in Georgia.

Entry Fee Schedule

PIAG Members Rates

First Entry = Free
Early Bird Entries (before March 19) = $25/entry
Regular Entries (before April 16) = $35/entry
Late Entries (by June 4) = $45/entry
Multiple Categories = $20/ per additional category

Nonmember Rates

Entries = $75/entry
Multiple Categories = $40/per additional category

A single piece may be entered into multiple categories for a discounted price for each additional category entered. The first entry for the piece will be at full price (see Fee Schedule above). To enter a piece into more than one category, you must submit an additional copy for judging, pay an entry fee for each category in which you enter the piece, and include each category as a separate line item on the online entry form.

Payment for entries can be done online when submitting entries. If you wish to pay by check, please indicate it on the form and place your check payable to PIAG in with your entry delivery.

Entry Delivery

At least one printed piece must be submitted after registration. You will be provided with instructions on how to label your entries after online submissions are completed.

Please deliver all entered pieces to:

Printing & Imaging Association of Georgia
Attn: Print Excellence Competition
5020 Highlands Parkway
Smyrna, GA 30082

Awards

Certificates will be awarded for “Best of Category” winners and for “Awards of Excellence” signifying those entries that deserved recognition for their work. The following may also be recognized at imPRESS 2021.

Best of Division: One for each Division (1-5) may be awarded for an entry that exceeds all others in overall quality.

Top Notch: One for each Division (1-5) for the company that wins the most Best of Category awards.

Top Gold: Among all entries, awards may be given for Most Innovative, Best Color, They Said It Couldn’t Be Done, Best Self Promo, Best Execution of Ink, Most Creative Use of Paper, Best Digital Printing, Best Web Printing, Best Print Finishing, Best Fine Art Reproduction, Best Combination of Print & Finishing, Best Brochure, Best Booklet, Best Calendar, Best Catalog, Most Environmentally Sustainable, Best Design, Best Collaborative Project, and Best Annual Report

Entries are judged on: Registration, Visual Impact, Illustration & Halftone Detail, Finishing, Richness & Tonal Qualities of Color, Degree of Difficulty, Paper & Ink Selection, and Ink Consistency

Entries are judged by impartial, out-of-state printing specialists.

Judging: Summer 2021
Winners’ Notification: Fall 2021

*A note about the former PIA Premier Print Awards: With the merger of Printing Industries of America and SGIA into PRINTING United Alliance, the former PIA Premier Print Awards program has been now been combined into a larger awards program along with the SGIA Golden Image Awards, the Printing Impressions Gold Ink Awards, and the Packaging Impressions Excellence Awards. The new PRINTING United Alliance Premier PRINT Aawards program will have no affiliation with PIAG's Print Excellence Competition, and PEC winners will not receive any complimentary entries into the new national awards program. Visit www.printing.org/programs/awards for more information.