Three printers from The Netherlands have been honoured with silver and bronze awards at this year's Sappi European Printers of the Year Awards in Stockholm, Sweden. The prestigious awards were presented at a glittering awards ceremony on 10 June in the magnificent Renaissance-inspired City Hall.

Drukkerij Damen, Werkendam, and EuroFlex, Zwolle, both won silver awards for their respective entries 'Miniatuur 2006' and 'Frico Maasdam Vendange' in the calendars and packaging and labels categories. Gravo Groep, Purmerend, received a bronze award for its entry 'Orange jaarboek' in the general print category.

The independent panel of judges chose the entries from more than 2,050 projects submitted by printers from 31 countries across Europe and the Middle East. The judges said that the standard of this year's entries was exceptional in many of the nine award categories and that it had been a "privilege" to judge them.

Presenting the awards, Sappi Fine Paper Europe's Chief Executive Officer, Wolfgang Pfarl, praised the winning printers. “For print to remain a value-added form of communication, printers and papermakers must be totally committed to creating the very best products they can," he said. "This year's awards have given us invaluable insight into the latest trends in the European print industry so that we can continue to provide the products our customers want and appreciate."

Drukkerij Damen, silver award - calendars

Drukkerij Damen's "Miniatuur 2006" calendar features extreme close-up photographs of small everyday items such as a match, a pin and lead type and hangs in a silver box frame from which small versions of the images can be displayed. Drukkerij Damen produced the calendar in four colour sheetfed offset, with metallic inks and solid, spot and UV varnishes, on Hello Matt 250g/m2. According to the judges: "The combination of very good printing, design and special finishing techniques produces a very interesting calendar."

EuroFlex, silver award - packaging and labels

EuroFlex produced its fresh looking "Frico Maasdam Vendange" circular cheese wrapper for Friesland Foods in four colour flexo on Sappi's Leine Silk 21g/m2. The panel of judges commented: "The print register and quality of the result with the flexo process is much appreciated."

Gravo Groep, bronze award - general print

The 'Orange jaarboek' promotional pack from Gravo Groep consists of a black box with a gloss varnish 'ribbon' holding the mobile phone provider's activity report. Gravo Groep produced the report in four colour sheetfed offset on Hello Matt 150g/m2 supplied by Merchant Proost en Brandt, Diemen. The judges said that the range, quality and consistency of the entries in this category clearly highlighted the breadth and depth of printers' skills available in the region. They added: "Ingenious use of colour and varnish, combined with outstanding cutting and finishing, add to the impact of the entry."

Sappi is the world’s leading producer of coated fine paper. Its fine paper brands include the graphic papers Next Generation, Magno, HannoArt, Presto and Royal, as well as the merchant brands Hello and Profi, and the label and packaging papers and boards Algro, Leine and Parade. Customers in more than 100 countries worldwide specify these for the highest quality publishing, promotional, labelling and packaging applications.