Where’s the Money? Competition is Good for the Soul

“The printing press is either the greatest blessing or the greatest curse of modern times, one sometimes forgets which.” - James Matthew Barrie

Nearly everyone in the printing industry will agree James Barrie knew exactly what he was talking about. For an elite group of printers, the printing press has certainly been a blessing. Those printers have shown their commitment and skill in a number of ways, particularly through competition.

There are printing competitions worldwide, and it seems that many of the awards are spread evenly across the globe. However, there are people in our own back yard that have taken home more than a few awards.

By far, the most prestigious award in the printing industry is the Premier Print Award, aka the “Benny”. The Benny is a bronze statue honoring Benjamin Franklin, father of the printing industry in the United States. The best and brightest in the industry have taken home Bennys—sometimes more than one at a time.

In addition to the prestige of winning a Benny or another printing competition prize is the boost it can give to the company. Awards act as a promotional tool, attracting more, perhaps higher end, customers. Shops that may have been struggling can easily achieve greater success if the award is one that is marketable and relevant.

The Bennys are open to more categories than ever, as shown on the competition’s Web site: “The Premier Print Awards has categories that cover work done by printers, trade binderies and other finishing craftsmen, prepress specialists—everyone involved in the production of an outstanding printed piece!”

There is a place for every printer in this particular competition. Winners have an unusual opportunity to use that award to get more clients, and perhaps land more challenging and profitable jobs moving forward.

For example, a shop that wins a “Best in Show” award can easily promote the win in many ways and in different areas, depending on the types of jobs it wants. A printer that receives an award for its achievements in variable data may land a large direct mail account. To be certain, there is great prestige in receiving an award, but the savvy printer knows how to use it.

And the Winner Is…

Meridian Printing in East Greenwich, R.I. is one of the few printing companies that can boast the acceptance of three Bennys in one year. Meridian president Robert Nagle takes great pride in his company’s work and with good cause. Nagle stated that the company has also won the award for North American Printer of the Year at the Sappi Awards—one of four awards presented throughout the world. Meridian has also won three “Pewter” awards in the Gold Ink Award competition sponsored by the North American Publishing Co. “We feel we are in the upper echelon of companies in the world not just the United States,” Nagle said, adding that the company still looks upward. “We haven’t won the international award...yet.”

Meridian first entered the Premier Print Awards three or four years ago. This year, the company plans to enter six pieces. Among those is an entry in the magazine category for Blind Spot, a magazine devoted to publishing the unseen works of living photographers; an entry for the Yale University Gallery; and another in the poster category, which features a limited edition print by world renowned photographer Richard Avedon.

Benjamin Franklin said: “The eye of the master will do more work than both his hands.” Meridian embodies this principle by employing a team of highly skilled people, from pre-press to finishing. “We have people who have spent 25 years with Meridian,” Nagle said. “You might find other people who have spent 25 years in the printing business, but they have worked for 15 different companies.”

When a piece goes on the press, whether it is a book cover or watercolor reproduction, Nagle relies on his staff of experts to produce a piece that will amaze even the most critical eye. Nagle believes it’s important to achieve that level of quality, and being able to do so consistently is what puts Meridian a step above.