Offset Alpine to take on the world after Sappi awards gold

Offset Alpine's 'Capabilities' book will offer perhaps the best-ever chance for Australia to beat the world at the Sappi International Printers of the Year awards.

Click here for photos from the event.

The sample book won this country's only gold at last night's bi-annual Sappi Trading Printers of the Year awards, held at Doltone House, Sydney.

Capabilities has been an unstoppable juggernaut, sweeping nearly every awards ceremony it entered, including a gold at last year's National Print Awards, the Galley Club Awards and three 'Bennys' at Printing Industries of America Premier Print Awards, including the best of the best.

At last night's Sappi ceremony, the book secured gold in the 'Printer's Own Promotion' category, and will be the only Australian work to be entered in the international awards, where gold winners from four worldwide regions will vie for the coveted Sappi Elephant.

The IPMG-owned company was the night's biggest winner, also taking a Silver award for 'Magazines – Web' for an issue of Vogue, published by News Life Media. Offset Alpine also took a gold at the 2010 awards for its work with Vogue.

Offset Alpine general manager Craig Dunsford told ProPrint that Capabilities was developed "to instil an interest in the industry among young designers to show them the amazing things that can be done with print and paper".

At last night's affair, Wayne Rau, chief executive officer of Sappi Trading, told 100-odd assembled printers, paper merchants and publishers: "Your printing brings our paper to life."

Blue Star took home two awards, with the evening's only other Silver in the Brochures category and a Bronze to Webstar in 'Magazines – Web'.

The famous Body of Work brand handed Sydney Allen two Bronze awards, in Books and Calendars.

Brisbane-based Platypus Graphics also took a pair of awards, with Bronzes in 'Annual Reports' and 'General Print'.

West Australia's Scott Print, which joined Offset Alpine as a gold winner at the 2010 awards, won a Bronze award in 'Magazines – Sheetfed'.

LIST OF WINNERS 

Annual Reports

Platypus Graphics (Bronze)

Books

Sydney Allen (Bronze)

Brochures

Blue Star Print (Silver)

Calendars

Sydney Allen (Bronze)

General Print

Platypus Graphics (Bronze)

Magazines – Sheetfed

Scott Print (Bronze)

Magazines – Web

Webstar (Bronze)

Magazines – Web

Offset Alpine (Silver)

Printers' Own Promotion

Offset Alpine (Gold)