The 2018 edition of the FESPA Awards will be held from 15 to 18 May 2018 in Berlin, Germany. Entries for this competition, which honours the best prints across all disciplines, are already open. For the 2017 edition, the jury made up of printing experts rewarded winners in no fewer than 14 categories. The experts not only reward the best prints, but also the people responsible for their creativity and production.

For this 2018 edition, participants have until 26 January to submit their work. The deliberations and selection of the winners will take place in March and the winners will be announced during the FESPA 2018 exhibition in Berlin at the gala dinner on 16 May 2018.

Digital printing rewarded in all its forms

As last year, there will be 14 categories to enter, from which candidates will be able to submit their work in 3 sub-categories which will be: digital printing only, screen printing only, as well as mixed techniques (offset + digital/screen, or digital + screen, etc.). The various types of printing are not limited to paper or poster printing. They include direct printing on three-dimensional products such as packaging, mugs and other everyday products, as well as functional products such as nameplates, printed circuits, RFID, CDs, etc. The FESPA Awards also reward non-printed displays, such as neon or acrylic, which are not part of traditional printing. Last year, for example, Australia-based Omus, a company specialising in 3D printing, won an award for its Louis Vuitton ephemeral shop created using three-dimensional printing. Alongside the experienced players in the printing industry, the FESPA Awards will also be honouring a young talent in the Young Star category. This is an all-category award for a young person aged between 15 and 25 who is a student or young worker in any printing-related discipline.

Competition entry criteria

To enter the competition, you will need to excel in printing quality and techniques, and demonstrate expertise in the field for which you are applying. Sharpness, precision and colourimetry are all factors that will be taken into account when examining the various applications. The jury’s experts focus on the appropriate use of techniques, design, media and creativity to achieve the project’s goal. But they also look at the complexity of the work, the creativity and, of course, the final result. The creative and visual aspect is not the only criterion, however. The jury will also be looking at the economic impact for the end user of the printed article.

Why enter the FESPA Awards competition?

To maximise their chances, candidates can submit up to 3 entries per category. For entrants who post their work, it’s the chance to see it rewarded by recognised experts in the printing world and the chance for those who win to attract new customers, as well as the opportunity to reward the work accomplished by an entire group. For the winners, it’s a chance to get good publicity for their company and to make contacts with the professionals on site.

With 20,000 people expected in Berlin in May, it’s an opportunity to raise your profile in front of an audience of printing professionals, many of whom will be potential customers.

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