The International Print  & Innovations Awards was held on 26 October at The Hilton London Metropole and comprised 13 categories. These related to various technical and quality-oriented aspects of producing prime-product labels, flexible packaging and folding cartons. The event was organised by FlexoTech magazine with a panel of six judges from the Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany and the UK.

‘While we have had several nominations short-listed in past versions of the competition, this was the big one for us. Naturally we are all highly delighted and it should give a boost to our business’, said Bob Fedora, sales director. The winning entry was a filmic label for a dark premium bottled beer, brewed on the Isle of Arran in Scotland by the Arran Brewery. The substrate was a top coated gloss white, 60-micron polypropylene supplied by Ritrama with API Foils supplying cold foiling material. The labels were printed on a nine unit Nilpeter F-3000 press with a maximum web width of 300 mm using UV-flexo, rotary screen and cold foil.

S A Labels was founded in 1984 and has around 50 employees. It serves national accounts in the Beverage, Food, Personal Care and Cosmetics labelling sectors. Equipment includes in-house platemaking and proofing facilities, while the main printing processes are UV-flexo, UV-rotary letterpress, rotary screen and cold foil.