Diamond Packaging Wins Highest Honor for its Centennial Calendar
Rochester, NY – Diamond Packaging won its first ever Benny Award in the 62nd annual Premier Print Awards competition, the graphic arts industry’s largest and most prestigious worldwide printing competition. Printing Industries of America (PIA) hosts the Premier Print Awards, which recognizes the creation and production of superior print communications. The event promotes excellence in printing and rewards companies and individuals who produce the very best in print media. Of the more than 3,200 entries received, Diamond’s entries were chosen for exemplifying the highest standards in the printing industry.
Diamond won the coveted Benny Award for its Diamond 2011 Centennial Calendar, and in recognition will receive the “Benny”, a bronze statuette of Benjamin Franklin. The Benny is awarded to the most outstanding entry in each category. To win, an entry must be flawless. Given this high standard, the judges do not always award a Benny in every category.
Diamond also won Certificates of Merit for the Beiersdorf Mini Gift Set and for the Diamond 2011 Centennial Calendar. The total represents the highest number of awards Diamond has ever won in this competition.
“We are thrilled to have won the Benny Award,” said Karla Fichter, Chief Executive Officer of Diamond Packaging. “It’s an honor to be recognized by the industry as a company that produces best-in-class packaging.”
Michael Makin, president and CEO of Printing industries of America, agrees. “The Benny winners represent the best our industry has to offer. This year’s entries were outstanding. There were entries from companies in 13 countries. Despite the fierce competition, Diamond Packaging, through hard work and dedicated craftsmanship, produced a piece worthy of the Benny.”
Diamond continues its annual tradition of producing a corporate calendar, a popular promotional item given to customers and suppliers. This year's centennial-themed calendar is the company's most ambitious to date, featuring twelve layouts: one for each decade that Diamond has been in business along with a futurevision layout and a 9-11 tribute. Each decade depicts memorable moments from that time period supporting Diamond's message that “We Were There”. The distinguished calendar cover protects the piece, which also serves as a capabilities book.
The calendar was decorated with the latest in package printing technologies, including specialty coatings (emboss, pearl, textured, soft touch), MiraFoil™ environmentally-friendly coating, Cast and Cure holographic effects, foil stamping, and multi-level embossing.
Diamond introduced several of its new specialty coatings (DiamondEmboss, DiamondPearl, DiamondTexture, and DiamondTouch) on the cover and several of its layouts. The goal was to produce unique decorative effects through an in-line process without requiring a separate stamping or embossing pass, thereby reducing material and energy usage.
The calendar cover and both the 1921 and 1991 layouts (inserts) feature MiraFoil®, a key component of Diamond's Green Chic™ packaging model, which delivers “Beauty without Compromise” by capturing the essence of luxury or upscale brands through more sustainable converting methods. MiraFoil® specialty metallic UV coating delivers “Foil on demand at print speed”. It is an economical, in-line alternative to film and foil laminates that enhances the brilliance of the printed surface while providing environmentally-friendly benefits.
Diamond applied its new specialty coatings and MiraFoil® in an initial flexo dispersion coater on its new state-of-the-art Heidelberg Speedmaster XL 105 offset printing press prior to printing up to eight colors and two additional specialty coatings — all in a single pass. The Heidelberg Speedmaster XL 105 offset printing press represents the state-of-the-art in package printing technology, providing Diamond with an unprecedented combination of cost innovation and sustainability. It offers the latest in coating capabilities, including a flexo coating unit upfront (to lay down eco-friendly metallic coating effects) and a dual flexo coating unit on the end to apply UV, aqueous, or specialty coatings.
Several layouts also feature Cast and Cure holographic effects. Diamond’s Cast and Cure technology is a cost effective, inline process that produces high-gloss, holographic finishes through the use of UV coatings and specialty film.
All of the components were manufactured using 100% renewable wind energy.
About Diamond Packaging
Founded in 1911, Diamond Packaging is a WBENC-certified woman-owned business specializing in developing innovative and sustainable packaging solutions. Utilizing state of-the-art technologies, Diamond designs and manufactures paperboard and plastic folding cartons, and provides comprehensive contract packaging services for the personal care (cosmetics & skin care, fragrance, hair care), health care, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and food and confectionery industries. Its client portfolio includes Bausch & Lomb, Beiersdorf, Coty, Elizabeth Arden, Estée Lauder, Godiva Chocolatier, Johnson & Johnson, L’Oreal, and Procter & Gamble. As part of the Global Packaging Alliance® (GPA), Diamond and its alliance members offer packaging solutions to companies operating on an international scale. Customers receive responsive, localized service, award-winning creative designs, identical product specifications and consistent brand recognition, resulting in unparalleled worldwide packaging support. For more information about Diamond Packaging, contact Dennis Bacchetta at (585) 334-8030 x229 or visit the website at www.diamondpackaging.com. For more information about Diamond’s greenbox initiative, visit the sustainability microsite at www.diamondpackaging.com/green.
