The Great Lakes Graphics Association (GLGA) has announced that Western States Envelope & Label is an award winner in the 2015 Graphics Excellence Awards competition. The judging was concluded on March 17-18, 2015, by a team of independent judges. The GEA competition is one of the largest printing competitions in the nation.

Western States won 1 Best of Category Award, 1 Best of Division Award, 4 Awards of Excellence, and 4 Certificates of Merit. Our winning entries included:

• Best of Category in the Flexo Narrow Web Labels and Wraps Category: Foil Embossed Olive Oil Labels. These specialty labels were produced for a high-end olive oil brand. The foil-embossing and crisp flexo printing gave this product the elegant look the customer was looking for.
• Best of Division in the Specialty Inks or Coatings Category: Color-Logic Envelope. This eye-catching envelope was created and printed using the Color-Logic Process Metallic Color System. You can learn more about this envelope and the Color-Logic process in our blog post and video
• Award of Excellence:
• Flexo Narrow Web Labels and Wraps Category - Pure Bacon Bits Food Label
• Foil Stamping and Embossing/Debossing Category - Foil Embossed Olive Oil Labels
• Flexo Narrow Web Labels and Wraps Category - Bloody Mary Peanuts Food Label
• Cards Category - Cling2™ Label and Postcard
• ​Certificate of Merit:
  • Digital Tag/Label Category - Lionshead Digital Coffee Labels
  • Digital Tag/Label Category - Delmar Gardens '50 Years' Foil Embossed Label
  • Special Innovation Awards (Printing) - Cling2™ Label and Postcard
  • Flexo Narrow Web Labels and Wraps - Olive Garden Die-Cut Childrens Stickers

A panel of out-of-state judges with extensive experience in printing and print production was brought in to examine the work. Each entry was judged on its own merit in a category with similar printed pieces. The judging criteria included registration, crossovers, clarity and neatness, sharpness of halftones and line drawings, richness and tonal qualities of color, paper and ink selection, ink coverage, difficulty of printing, effective contrast or softness, finishing, bindery and overall visual impact.

About the GLGA

Since 1886, The Great Lakes Graphics Association (GLGA) has been dedicated to advancing the success of the printing and graphics industry. Working together with Printing Industries of America, the world’s largest graphic arts trade association, GLGA represents the three state region of Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin and provides training, resources, and a voice of advocacy on both a state and national level. You can learn more at www.glga.info.

About the Graphics Excellence Awards

The Graphics Excellence Awards (GEA) competition, owned and managed by The Great Lakes Graphics Association (GLGA), is an annual event that recognizes and rewards printing and finishing companies who combine fine craftsmanship with technology in order to produce outstanding finished products. The award-winning companies are honored each year at the GEA Celebrations, which were held this year on May 20 simultaneously in Milwaukee, WI, and Addison, IL.