Wan-Ifra announces ICQC 2018-2020 winners

Total 67 publications, newspaper and magazines, produced by 54 publishing and printing companies in 20 countries have achieved membership in the ICQC for two years.

“By their successful participation in the competition, the companies have demonstrated that they can supply printing in outstanding quality and offer readers and advertisers high-quality products,” said Manfred Werfel, deputy CEO, Wan-Ifra.

“The Color Quality Club is more than a technical printing competition, as it offers participating companies the additional possibility to benchmark their printing quality against recognised international standards and improve it,:” he added.

Indian publishers who entered into the club include ABP; Bennett, Coleman & Co; Express Publications (Madurai); Jagati Publications; Jagran Prakashan; Malayala Manorama; MM Publications; Sakal Papers; Telangana Publications; The Hindu Group Publishing; The Mathrubhumi Printing & Publishing and The Printers (Mysore).

Started in 1994, through this print-quality competition, every two years Wan-Ifra offers newspapers worldwide an opportunity to demonstrate their colour printing excellence.

In the 23rd edition Wan-Ifra has opened the competition to the magazines as well because many publishing and printing companies are no longer printing only newspapers but magazines as well.

This year, 121 publications from all over the world participated in the competition, which was organised by the World Printers Forum (WPF), the print community within Wan-Ifra.

The International Color Quality Club membership is offered to all companies who have successfully produced high-quality newspapers consistently over an extended time-period by following international printing standards. The quality evaluation of is composed of two parts – an evaluation based on objective measurements made on a print test element (Wan-Ifra ‘Cuboid’) that participants must print every day of a specified week per month for a period of three months; and a visual inspection of the general print quality by a jury of international newspaper experts. Participating companies must meet the defined quality criteria and should print without any common possible quality defects. This competition rewards those companies that not only print within approved international standards but also establish a fool-proof system for print production.

A brochure presenting the successful participants and their publications will be available at this year’s IFRA World Publishing Expo from 9 to 11 October 2018 in Berlin, Germany.

At Ifra World Publishing Expo, the new Club members will receive their certificates and new members of the Star Club of multiple winners will be honoured.

Companies from South and East Asia will collect their certificates during Wan-Ifra India annual conference to be held in Hyderabad from 25 to 27 September 2018.