The 15th National Awards for Excellence in Printing (NAEP) were presented to 69 distinguished printers of India at a glittering ceremony at JW Marriott Mumbai on 29 March 2023. At the same ceremony, the Global Print Excellence Awards (GPEA-2023) were also conferred to 12 eminent printers. The top winner in both the categories was JAK Printer from Mumbai.
Organized by the All India Federation of Master Printers, NAEP is the biggest and most recognized award for the printing sector. AIFMP has been speaking for the printing industry in India for decades – taking up issues of printing and packaging stakeholders such as entrepreneurs, employees, etc.
In all, 69 gold, 66 silver, 59 certificates of merit, and nine special jury awards were distributed to the winner of the 15th NAEP 2023.
The top winners of this year were:
National Star Printer of the year 2023: JAK Printers Mumbai
Best Printer of the year 2023 (supported by Drupa): Pragati Offset Hyderabad
Best Packaging Printer of the year 2023: Parksons Packaging Mumbai
Best Digital Printer of the year 2023 (supported by Bindwell): Avantika Printers New Delhi
Best Screen Printer of the year 2023: DRS Arts Company Ahmedabad.
Speaking on the occasion, Kamal Mohan Chopra, organising secretary, said, the 15th edition of the coveted print awards was conducted under the guidance of its chairman Vijay Kumar Chopra, former president of AIFMP. “Combining the NAEP and GPEA, we have received 1,833 entries from 162 printers. For NAEP, region-wise, 71 printers from the North, 29 from the West, 26 from the South, and four from the East took part in this competition. Taking into consideration the number of entries, the maximum number of entries, 596 were received from the North followed by 459 from the West, 323 from the South, and 64 from the East. City-wise, New Delhi with 211 entries remained at the top, followed by Mumbai (160), Ahmedabad (157), Kolkata (64) and Hyderabad (57), and so on.”
‘Karigari’ was, once again, the theme of the 15th NAEP 2023, because, printing, though a centuries-old technique, is considered a mechanical, almost robotic, process or reproducing ideas on paper. “It is, however, much more than merely pressing buttons on sophisticated printing machines. It is an art comparable to the weaving of rich brocade, the painting on exquisite canvasses, and the sculpting of rock. A printer is, therefore, nothing less than an artist, and only the exceptionally skilled one can produce some brilliant examples of print. This Karigiri needs to be dignified with recognition, and it is the mission of AIFMP, I believe,” Chopra added.
In his report, Chopra said that to widen the peripheral of awards, an international competition was arranged alongside the NAEP for the first time ever. The Global Print Excellence Awards (GPEA) were introduced to recognize excellence in printing the world over. “Though the GPEA just made its debut, I am glad to mention that the message was taken earnestly and all the leading trade magazines from around the globe covered it in their print and online editions. For this first edition of GPEA, we received 391 entries of 32 printers from six countries. 241 entries were received from India, 160 from Sri Lanka, 6 each from Bangladesh and Bhutan, 4 from UAE, and one from Indonesia. “
In GPEA 2023, 24 gold, 20 silver, 18 Certificates of Merit, and five special jury awards were conferred on 29 March in Mumbai.
The prominent winners in the Global competition:
Best of GPEA 2023 and Best Offset Printed Products: JAK Printers India
Best Digital Printed Products: Printcare PLC Sri Lanka
Best Screen-Printed Products: Archana Advertising India
Best Flexography Products: Kumar Labels India.
Judging was streamed live to be viewed throughout the globe. Special software was prepared, and technical tools were provided to facilitate the judging. To get an unbiased decision, even the judges were not allowed to discuss with each other.
The judges evaluated each sample individually on factors such as i) Aesthetic and visual appeal ii) Colour rendering, image def and appearance iii) Quality print iv) Registration v) Finishing vi) Use of technology and media vii) Degree of difficulty and creativity and viii) Innovations. Based on the evaluation, five top entries were selected as nominated entries and were put on display at the ‘Hall of Fame’ on 27, 28, 29 and 30 March during Pamex 2023 at hall no 3.
