Gold Ink Awards Entry: This Calendar Comes to Life with Special Effects

PHILADELPHIA—June 11, 2015—This 2015 Gold Ink Awards entry was entered into the Calendars category by Carlson Print Group of Eden Prairie, Minnesota. The self-promotional calendar incorporates a variety of special effects, combined with beautiful photography, to makes this compelling piece really stand out.

The calendar, which the company has been producing for its clients for several years, has become a legacy piece, notes Bonnie Budke, client services, Carlson Print Group. "Over the years, we have produced many different high-quality pieces that we are proud of. Our calendar is one of them and is the most popular."

A January winter scene.

The calendar was printed on Carlson Print Group's eight-color, 40" Manroland HiPrint 700 sheetfed offset press, using xpedx 100# Opus Gloss Cover, for a print run of 4,000 copies. To showcase various special effects, a combination of gloss UV, soft-touch and rough-touch coating was used, along with dull UV varnish and in-line cold foil. Finishing consisted of embossing, Wire-o binding and a calendar hanger.

According to Budke, the calendar project was complex to produce in that it had multiple forms, which required multiple passes through the press, while also maintaining the color consistency and high quality of the piece.

"Every year we challenge our employees to push the envelope and come up with new and creative ways to showcase our capabilities, and every year they exceed our expectations," she enthuses.

Do you think you can beat this Gold Ink Awards entry? If so, let’s see your best work! Click here to choose from a complete list of categories and to learn more about why you should submit to the industry’s most prestigious print competition. But hurry, the deadline to submit ends June 26th!

In December, a mix of snow and holiday cheer.

All winners will be recognized on the Gold Ink Website, through our social media platforms, in Printing Impressions magazine, and will have the chance to win the "People’s Choice Award" at the gala awards event held during GRAPH EXPO 2015 in Chicago.

Additionally, we will be regularly selecting a "Best Entry" winner that will be promoted across our multi-channel platforms.