Paarl Gravure wins international printing award

Paarl Gravure Management

Comments Paarl Media Group CEO Stephen van der Walt, "The ERA Award is a meaningful award for our printing group. We have competed against the best in the world and we are proud that our quality and standards of print here in Cape Town, South Africa, is better than many other gravure printers worldwide.

According to Paarl Gravure MD Chris Snyman, this is the first truly international award received within the Paarl Media Group. "Over the past year, we have focused strongly on pre-press improvements at Paarl Gravure. Clive Tamlin and Allan Turner played key roles in ensuring improved quality. With the necessary checks and balances in place, quality is upheld throughout large print runs. We selected our entries from our normal print runs and didn't prepare special sections."

Entry categories for the ERA Publication Awards are according to paper grades used in the printing of sections of publications. Paarl Gravure won the ERA Publication Coated Paper Award 2006 for the printing of the July 2006 issue of Glamour magazine. This Cape Town-based printer also received an ERA commendation for the printing of the July 2006 issue of HomeChoice on super uncoated paper.

International showcase

The ERA Publication Gravure Award, which this year coincided with ERA's 50th anniversary, is an international showcase for publication gravure printing. The judging criteria is based on various aspects of product quality, including register, tone, detail in images and text, evenness of print, fold accuracy, job complexity and absence of printing faults.

Section samples were judged, eliminating any judging bias in favour of the look and feel of the publications entered. The judging was by recognised international professionals in the gravure printing industry and ERA awarded a total of eight awards.

Snyman adds that these accolades are also of significance to Paarl Gravure's paper and ink suppliers. "Glamour magazine is printed on Stora Enso's Nova Press 70 gsm and HomeChoice is printed on UPM Ultra 60 gsm."

Service excellence

Locally, Paarl Gravure also received one of only three annual awards awarded in the JD Group's Suppliers Awards. This award was received in recognition of service excellence and Paarl Gravure is the first printer ever to receive this award from this group of leading retailers. The judging criteria included consistent quality of the product, service, administration of accounts and communications.

Comments Snyman: "This is an excellent achievement for us and we are proud to have proven our ability to deliver the goods for such a valued client. Well done to Mark Timothy and Allan Turner who manage our relationship with JD Group. This account sets high expectations and we print around 106 million catalogues every year for the JD Group, using some 6 000 tons of paper.

"Our international ERA Award, combined with this local award from one of our biggest commercial clients, proves that teamwork pays off. I am proud of the commitment and enthusiasm of Paarl Gravure's people."