Innovation at the PrintWeek Awards

For 14 years, the PrintWeek Awards have celebrated outstanding achievements in the print and packaging industry, establishing a high standard for creativity and quality. Now in its 15th year in 2025, the awards are returning with a focus on bold innovation, highlighted by the theme, Print and Packaging That Pushes the Boundaries.

This year, the Awards seek to acknowledge risk-takers and leaders who have defied conventions with new ideas and fearless innovation in printing and converting.

The PrintWeek Awards encompass 33 categories, comprising 10 Performance Awards, 19 Quality Awards, and three Special Industry Awards, all designed to recognise the very best in printing and packaging.

In 2024, the event saw significant participation with over 260 entries and 800 samples from more than 100 companies, including submissions from emerging talent in tier-II cities. A panel of 22 industry experts judged the entries, resulting in 55 winners who exemplified the increasing emphasis on quality throughout the country.

As the PrintWeek Awards embarks on its 15th year, the awards continue to serve as a platform for recognising and promoting excellence within the print and packaging sectors. The awards not only celebrate current achievements but also inspire future innovations, driving the industry forward with a focus on quality, courage, and groundbreaking ideas.

Innovation at the PrintWeek Awards

The innovative categories in the Quality Awards seek entries that showcase intricate detailing, creativity, and the synergy of man and machine to produce a unique product.

Judges will specifically evaluate entries for distinctive graphics and colours, alongside extensive and outstanding details, all meticulously crafted. Innovation can be demonstrated in any or all of the following disciplines: pre-press, printing, post-press, or electronic media.

Innovative Printer of the Year (paper/paperboard/corrugated)

In 2024, the Innovative Printer of the Year (paper/paperboard/corrugated) Award was shared by Jayna Packaging and Kumar Printers.

Jayna Packaging created a sculpture of Mahatma Gandhi, made entirely of corrugated board. The process was challenging as each layer had to be designed and assembled with precision to achieve perfect alignment and detailing.

Mayuri Nikumbh, head of design at Conran Design, is a design professional with over 20 years of experience, and was one of the jurors at the PrintWeek Awards 2024. This sculpture caught her eye. She said, “What was specifically interesting about this was that each layer is specifically cut and pasted together, so it is quite a bit of effort. A lot of manpower has gone into creating something like this, and it was really impressive in terms of a new material to play with. Besides that, I thought some of the books were very interesting in terms of the crafting and printing.”

Kumar Printers, in response to cost and sustainability concerns, redesigned a folding box board/whiteboard-based carton, with foam cavity, grey board, and art paper all replaced. The design was light, cost-effective, sustainable, and quicker to produce due to the removal of foam-cutting, pasting, and box-making operations. Kumar Printers designed an internal die-cut structure that was sturdy enough to keep the product safe.

Innovative Printer of the Year (PET, LDPE, HDPE, PVC, PP, PS, metal/glass)

In 2024, this category saw three joint winners: Casablanca Industries, Spectrum Scan, and S Kumar Multiproducts.

Casablanca Industries created a special feature of the Engage Nature Woody Musk Deo 150-ml can for ITC, with the reproduction of the graphic elements. The pre-press was done on Esko CDI plates; the software used was Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop. The job was printed in an eight-colour dry offset printing press for aluminium cans. White, black and six Pantone colours were deployed. Lastly, post-press, a silver gloss finish was added.

Spectrum Scan developed a high-impact and eye-catching unit along with a display area LED screen, featuring a cloud-based solution, based on a brief behind the Dove floor-standing unit. The unit was made in medium-density fibreboard, PU-painted with a high-gloss finish, and HP Latex printing on self-adhesive vinyl.

S Kumar Multiproducts, for the launch of its two new products, created labels adorned with a holographic foil to highlight the product name, followed by emboss UV on strategic elements on the label, such as its vegan nature or the product being approved by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), and of course, the brand name to communicate its key USP. It was finished off with a thermal velvet lamination to give it a premium feel. The special feature of the job is the use of silver holographic foil and silver ink.

Tasneem Vasi, managing director at Ctrl M Print Management India, was another juror at the Awards last year said, "I saw a lot of variety — right from using metallics, sustainable paper, understanding the substrate beyond what was just designed are some of the things I saw today. Digital always impresses. Every year, I’ve felt that something is exciting and new to see. There’s never been a stagnation. Digital is being used innovatively, in ways that I have not seen before.”

Yugandhara Dalvi, senior creative director of communication design at Elephant Design, and a juror last year, said, "Digital printing, especially, is a very nice innovation in itself. The runs with digital printing are far fewer. Structurally, I saw some POSMs that were very well done. PET printing eliminated the need for glass. Exploration is endless. What I love about digital is that you can print a lot of colours in one go.”

The PrintWeek Awards continue to be a crucial platform for recognising excellence. Jury members consistently highlight the variety, innovation in digital printing, and exploration of new materials within entries. As the industry evolves, converters are invited to submit their groundbreaking work and demonstrate how they are pushing boundaries in print and packaging for the upcoming awards.

The Awards Night for the 15th edition of the PrintWeek Awards will be held on 13 October 2025 at The Westin Mumbai Powai Lake.

To register for the awards, participants must visit the official website, printweekindiaawards.com

For any queries or assistance during the process, entrants can reach out via email at avinash.bhakre@haymarket.co.in or call +91 99303 51282.