Perfection in Print

Other winners of note were "The Beauty of Speed," in the "Books, Fine Editions" category, which was hailed for its crisp color printing and impressive example of binding images across spreads, and "New Century Math" in the "Textbook" category, which was awarded a Gold designation for its "superb and consistent printing throughout; a good example of very high manufacturing standards," noted the judges.

Broadening the Field

The toughest competition among the book categories was in "Hardcover Books," which yielded 13 Pewter winners, and the "Children's Books" category, which yielded nine Pewter winners.

This year's competition included four more categories, some of which were created during last year's judging, in order to broaden the scope of the awards and make the competition fairer for some of the entrants.

After 18 years, the Gold Ink Awards competition continues to become more and more competitive. "It's pretty impressive when you're throwing things out that last year would have taken a gold," noted one judge, who also judged the Gold Ink Awards in 2004.

In fact, so many pieces were of such high quality that judges were forced to evaluate many pieces using the loop and light box, and determine winners based on nitty-gritty detail. "I'm seeing a hairline of chapping due to the stock," a judge commented in examining one of the finalists.

"Those pieces that took home awards this year were truly outstanding in their execution of high-quality design," says Mark Hertzog, PrintMedia Group publisher, and organizer of the Gold Ink Awards competition. "Every year, as the scope and reputation of the Gold Ink Awards grows, so does the competition and the challenge to our judges."

BookTech Magazine would like to thank all the printers and publishers who entered pieces in the competition this year, and all of the judges who shared their time and expertise to judge the entries fairly and honorably. And most of all, congratulations to this year's winners!