Seeking innovation in printing

Xerox's seventh annual multinational Printing Innovation with Xerox Imaging (PIXI) Awards will open for entries on Thursday, 29 May 2008, to coincide with drupa, the world's leading print industry exhibition. For the first time, the awards will this year recognise a new business application category and also print providers using Xerox production systems in an environmentally friendly manner.

"Xerox has a long-standing commitment to sustainability, as do many of our customers,” says Rob Abraham, MD of Bytes Document Solutions, authorised distributor of Xerox products and solutions to 24 African countries. “This year we are searching for applications that demonstrate the qualities of an environmentally conscious print shop that follow sustainable business practices such as embracing print on demand, adopting energy-reducing workflow automation tools, and using more environmentally-efficient papers.”

The PIXI award categories are:

Books and manuals: Short-run vanity titles, customised school books (including teacher's editions and custom courseware), product manuals, training materials, booklets, wire-bound presentations, annual reports and more. Entries can be black and white or colour, or a combination of both.
Collateral: Essential for brand management and consistent messaging, collateral materials are designed to promote a product or service, increase awareness and inform businesses. The collateral category can include a variety of finishing techniques, from flat, single sheets to folded, stitched multi-page literature. It can take the form of brochures, calendars, postcards, sell sheets, wide format posters, signage, business cards and catalogues, or any other form of product or promotional literature.
Direct marketing: Digitally printed direct marketing designed to target specific audiences, featuring personalised text or graphics. Includes materials such as postcards, self-mailers, multi-piece flat mailing packages, dimensional mailing packages (including posters in tubes), envelopes and labels, and cross-media programs (including printed elements and personal URLs), as well as personalised or print-on-demand fulfilment materials.
New business application - Highlights lucrative new print applications that are seeing increased adoption in the industry. Digital printing has gone well beyond short runs and personalised pieces. Today's toners, media and finishing options enable an amazing array of new printed applications including: photo specialty products such as photo books, calendars, and greeting cards; packaging solutions that are ideal for short-runs, versions, or personalisation; plus specialty imaging solutions for document security and fraud deterrence.
Transactional promotional: All types of customer account statements, especially communications that use unique customer information to provide recipients with more relevant promotional offers and customised information. Examples include: credit card statements with personalised offers, bank statements that cross-sell additional financial services, mutual fund statements or retirement fund reports that graphically depict investment mix and rate of return, telecommunications or utility statements that include retention-building information.

Entries will be evaluated by an independent panel of judges on the use of digital technology, business effectiveness, overall aesthetics and the degree of innovation or inventiveness of the entry. There is a Best of Show award, as well as three winners in each category.

The contest will also recognise the most innovative use of Xerox technology, the most outstanding use of Xerox supplies and the environmental honours.

More than US$50 000 in travel certificates will be awarded as prizes in this year's PIXI awards. The competition will be judged by experts representing key segments of the international graphic communications industry.

Keiger Printing Company took Best of Show honours at the 2007 PIXI Awards, besting more than 500 entries from around the world. “Not only did we receive international recognition but our winning sample generated ideas for clients and increased the number of requests for innovative digital print jobs,” says Louis Crockett, president of Keiger Printing Company.

Participation in the PIXI Awards is free and open to more than 70 countries worldwide. Submissions will be accepted through the website until 1 August and must be produced using Xerox digital printing systems. The submission website is available in six languages. Winners will be announced during Graph Expo, a major commercial printing trade show held from 26 - 29 October in Chicago in the US. The 2008 PIXI Best of Show winner will have the opportunity to participate on the 2009 PIXI panel of judges.

Go to ww.xerox.com/pixi for an online entry form, judging criteria, biographies of judges, a list of the eligible countries and information about past winners.