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Print Excellence Competition

The 2021 Print Excellence Competition will be kicking of soon! Check back soon for updated dates & entry requirements.

The Printing & Imaging Association of Georgia is excited to kick off the 2021 Excellence Competitions soon.

Each year, the Excellence Competitions (made up of Print Excellence, Design 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 in the United States tells your customers and prospects that your company produces some of the finest work available in our field.

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. Top PIAG winners will also receive FREE entries into the national PRINTING United Alliance awards program (valued at $100 per entry) as well as a publicity kit with sample press releases and customer letters to help you make the most of your winning entries.

Additional information & registration for the Print Excellence Competition can be found at www.piag.org/pec. Please reach out to Ian Webb at ian@piag.org or (770) 433-3050 if you have any questions or concerns.

We look forward to seeing your entries!

Jason Cline
President/CEO
Printing & Imaging Association of Georgia

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 January 31) = $25/entry
  • Regular Entries (CURRENT RATE) = $35/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 2020.

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: TBD 2021
Winners’ Notification: Starting TBD 2021

Categories

A-1 Presentation Folders/Portfolios – (1-3 colors)
A-2 Presentation Folders/Portfolios – (4+ colors)
A-3 Binders (Loose-leaf)

B-1 Brochures and Broadsides – Small
B-2 Brochures and Broadsides – Large
B-3 Booklets – (1-3 colors)
B-4 Booklets – (4+ colors)
B-5N Booklets – (4+ colors, nonprinter)
B-6 Flyers – (1-3 colors)
B-7 Flyers – (4+ colors)
B-8 Booklet or Brochure Series

C-1 Product/Service Catalogs – (1-3 colors)
C-2 Product Catalogs – (4+ colors)
C-3N Product Catalogs – (4+ colors, nonprinter)
C-4 Service Catalogs – (4+ colors)
C-5N Service Catalogs – (4+ colors, nonprinter)
C-6 Product/Service Catalogs (Cover – Sheetfed; Interior-Web)

D-1 Juvenile Books
D-2 Hard-Cover Trade Books, Journals, and Other Books
D-3 Soft-Cover Books
D-4 School Textbooks – (Elementary through College)
D-5 School Yearbooks
D-6 Book Jackets
D-7 Novelty Books
D-8 Diaries and Desk Calendars
D-9 Art Books – (1-3 colors)
D-10 Art Books – (4+ colors)
D-11 Cookbooks

E-1 Fashion/Popular Culture Magazines
E-2 Architectural/Art/Travel/Other Magazines
E-3 Magazine Sheetfed
E-4 Magazine Web
E-5 Magazine Sheetfed and Web
E-6 Magazine Inserts
E-7 Magazine Series

F-1 Internal Communication Pieces – (1-3 colors)
F-2 Internal Communication Pieces – (4+ colors)

G-1 Newsletters – (1-3 colors)
G-2 Newsletters – (4+ colors)

H-1 Business and Annual Reports – (1-3 colors)
H-2 Business and Annual Reports – (4+ colors)
H-3N Business and Annual Reports – (4+ colors, nonprinter)
I-1 Point-of-Purchase Materials Large
I-2 Point-of-Purchase Materials Small

J-1 Posters
J-2 Fine Art Prints

K-1 Cards (Printers)
K-2 Cards (Finishers)

L-1 Invitations – (1-3 colors)
L-2 Invitations – (4+ colors)
L- 3 Invitations (Finishing)
L-4 Programs – (1-3 colors)
L-5 Programs – (4+ colors)

M-1 Calendars

N-1 Digital Printing – Brochures and Booklets (72 pages or fewer)
N-2 Digital Printing – Brochures and Booklets (more than 72 pages)
N-3 Digital Printing – Flyers
N-4 Digital Printing – Packaging
N-5 Digital Printing—Juvenile Books

N-6 Digital Printing—Novelty Books
N-7 Digital Printing—Cookbooks
N-8 Digital Printing -Customized/Personalized/Variable Data – Personalized or customized product.
N-9 Digital Printing – Campaign

O-1 Foil Stamping
O-2 Digital Enhancement Printing
O-3 Embossing/Debossing
O-4 Die-Cuts & Pop-Ups
O-5 Specialty Inks or Coatings, Fragrances, or “Invisible” Printing Inks
O-6 Folding
O-7 Binding
O-8 Other Special Finishing Techniques

P-1 Hi-Fidelity Printing
P-2 Stochastic Printing

Q-1 Directories and Source Books

R-1 Letterhead
R-2 Business Cards
R-3 Envelopes – Includes all sizes of envelopes.
R-4 Stationery Packages – (1-3 colors)
R-5 Stationery Packages – (4+ colors)

S-1 Environmentally Sound

T-1 Cartons, Containers, Boxes, and Totes
T-2 Media Packaging
T-3 Labels and Wraps—Cut and stack, sheetfed
T-4 Labels and Wraps – Rolled products/pressure-sensitive
T-5 Flexographic Printing

U-1 Print/Graphic Arts Self-Promotion (Printer)
U-2N Print/Graphic Arts Self-Promotion (Non-printer)

V-1 Web Press Printing – (1-3 colors, coated or uncoated paper)
V-2 Web Press Printing – (4+ colors, coated paper)
V-3 Web Press Printing – (4+ colors, uncoated paper)
V-4 Web-Sheetfed Press Printing (Combination – Sheetfed and Web)

W-1 Promotional Campaigns, Business-to-Business
W-2 Promotional Campaigns, Consumer
W-3 Promotional Campaigns, Internal
W-4 Direct Mail Campaigns, Business-to-Business
W-5 Direct Mail Campaigns, Consumer
W-6 Media Kits
W-7 Single Promotional Self-Mailer
W-8 Cross-Media Promotion

X-1 Large-Format Printing (more than 40 inches, less than 60 inches)
X-2 Large-Format Printing (60 inches or more)
X-3 Exceptionally Large-Format Printing
X-4 Screen Printing
X-5 Decorative Printing (wallpaper, wrapping paper, displays)
X-6 3D Printing
X-7 Fabric/Textile Printing
X-8 Functional Printing
X-9 Miscellaneous Specialties—Other

Y-1 Special Innovation Awards—Printing
Y-2 Special Innovation Awards—Other

Z-1 Collaborative Project

S-A They Said It Couldn’t Be Done

S-B Design