FUJIFILM Business Innovation Asia Pacific has announced the winners of the 14th Innovation Print Awards (IPA), with Australian companies recognised this year including Peter Wagener's Perth large format business All Flags Signs and Banners (runner up - Large Format/Poster/Banner), Intertype (winner - Direct Mails) and Fandata (winner - Company Self Promotion).
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| The winning entry of the Best Innovation Award from Art Book Coop. online in Japan was printed on both IridesseTM Production Press and FUJIFILM Jet Press 750S |
There were 248 entries received this year from Australia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Each of the entries had to be created on FUJIFILM Business Innovation or Fujifilm products. Out of 28 winning entries, 22 entries were printed using the IridesseTM Production Press.
A panel of independent judges included head judge, Paul Callaghan, and member judges, Major Wong Wing Kwong and Sarah Tang. Callaghan holds several leadership positions in the print industry such as chairman of the Regional Asian Packaging Conference and chairman of the Asian Print Awards committee since 2001. He is also a publisher at Print Innovation Asia magazine, the region's only print industry magazine. Wong Wing Kwong was past President and General Secretary of the previous Institute of Printing (Singapore), and has extensive experience as a print consultant and judge in local and regional print awards. Tang is the co-founder of Sarah and Schooling, a graphic design practice that supports local publishers in Singapore and she is an adjunct lecturer at the prestigious Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA).
“We are simply in awe with these amazing colours and would not have seen them just a few years back,” said Callaghan. “The sheer highlights of Gold, Silver and Pink simply stood out in this year’s competition, and we were heartened to see businesses adopting new technology and applications. The judging process is definitely tougher than previous years, as the entries received this year are truly world-class.”
Tang said: “When it comes to design, I have to look at the entry in its entirety – it’s not just about the visual aesthetics. Rather, it’s about how well the concept is executed. It's about effective communication. Graphic designers will have to update themselves with new technologies and tools to bring out the best for their clients.”
“The winner of the Best Innovation Award contains exceptional design creativity while applying technological ability to raise the bar once again,” said Scott Mackie, GM, Graphic Communications Business Group at FUJIFILM Business Innovation Asia Pacific. “From the materials, metallic duotones, beautiful photography and simple complexity of print, it is truly a fantastic piece of work, made to look easy. We would like to thank our customers for their hard work and taking time to make a submission. I’m very encouraged to see the remarkable quality of entries submitted this year. The works really exuded boundless creativity and showed everyone’s persistent drive for innovation.”
All the winning entries will be showcased in the FUJIFILM Business Innovation Graphic Communication showroom in Tokyo, Japan and in regional Graphic Communication industry events. FUJIFILM will also submit all entries to the Asian Print Awards.
