Two months left to enter the prestigious awards for the Printing, Packaging and Signage industries in Southern Africa.

Print plays an essential part in conveying the story of a brand to its respective audience. Much as there is oftentimes the perception that the only requirement is to simply is click a button and the job comes out of the other end of the machine, specialist printers, packaging manufacturers and signage companies will tell you otherwise - they are well aware that it requires effort and attention to detail.  

Ultimately, their actual task is to be brand custodians, through transforming intangible concepts and designs into tactile works of art that will captivate and delight the brand’s audience; to help shape the way that people perceive and relate with it; and to ultimately forge a meaningful connection with the brand as well as with their respective clients. Some will go the extra mile to achieve the highest quality, which then determines the difference between a job well done and attaining excellence.

The GAPP Awards is a celebration of the contribution that print in all its forms, makes to the economy, to communication and to everyday life in Southern Africa. The competition looks at it in all its forms – be it print, packaging or signage - with the aim of promoting quality and creating a sense of pride within the industry. The Awards is a broad-spectrum competition that addresses all these sectors, while incorporating all of the different methods and technologies of print involved in the production of the final product, including the “Design For Print” category, which looks at the design element from the context of how it pertains to the printed final product. 

An important aspect of any competition is the process of determining the winners. While the criteria for all sixty categories serve as a guideline, the physical process of judging the entries requires knowledgeable, experienced and impartial judges. Judges are selected from all sectors of the industry in sufficient quantities to ensure a fair process resulting in winners, who are deserving of a trophy. If the judges’ scores determine that no winner is declared, then so be it; awards are not presented for the sake of it – they are earned and ultimately, deserved.

Entries are submitted to the judges anonymously, with all identifying information and marks removed. They are allocated a random number and become the only manner in which they are identified by the judges. The panel of judges are not given access to any information pertaining to the entry, other than the technical details regarding the job if it is deemed pertinent or required for the judging process. Motivations are permitted, which will also be presented to the judges. 

The entries are judged against a set of criteria specific to each type of print production or category. In order to foster the desire to produce improved levels of quality and thus to “up your game”, a minimum of 80% is required in order to be eligible to win a Gold Award. All winners receive certificates and the top three winners in each category receive a custom-designed, handmade trophy. 

With the closing date for entries being 31 October, time is running out for members of the industry to create their own legacy and demonstrate that they are amongst the crème de la crème of print in the Southern African region, through having reached the “Pinnacle of Excellence”.

For more information and to enter visit www.thegappawards.co.za.

Time is running out!