The Foil & Specialty Effects Association (FSEA) has announced the honourees in its 29th Annual FSEA Gold Leaf Awards competition. Award winners were celebrated during a reception held on Tuesday, June 14, at Amplify – The Print Finishing and Embellishment event in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
“Every year, we receive incredible examples of decorative foils, coatings and laminates with print embellishments; and the techniques and applications continue to expand,” said FSEA executive director Jeff Peterson. “To be able to honour the award winners and display their work to the audience of a new expo and educational event – Amplify – made this year’s competition even more special. And, we look forward to celebrating our 30th year of the Gold Leaf Awards in 2023.”
Entries were received from countries around the world, including the U.S., Canada, Denmark, Japan, Australia, South Africa and Taiwan. Gold, Silver and Bronze winners were honoured in 39 categories. And, in recognition of the rise in digital embellishment techniques, two Best of Show honourees were revealed – one awarded to the best digitally finished piece and one to the entry displaying the best use of conventional finishing techniques.
Studio On Fire, St. Paul, Minnesota, was awarded the Best of Show: Best Use of Foil and Embossing for “Theory11 Beatles Box Set.” Originally entered in the category of Best Use of Foil/Embossing – Miscellaneous, Studio on Fire was hired by Theory11, a producer of luxury, designer playing cards, to pay tribute to a band that has shaped the world’s music scene for decades. The Beatles box comprises five main components: four decks of cards and the outer special edition box that houses them. The outer box has three passes of foil and then a heavy embossing pass, which gave the artwork the tactility that Studio on Fire is known for. The outer box and internal tray/insert were diecut before final assembly, including the addition of a magnetic closure.
Best of Show: Best Use of Digital Embellishments was awarded to Print Panther Direct, Ont. Originally entered in the category for Best Use of Foil/Embossing: Client Promotion, the Konica Minolta “Print So Real You Can Feel It – Extreme Digital 3” package allows users to see and feel the beauty of each included piece, featuring artwork from invitations, labels and more. The outer box and lid were in an aluminum form that was printed and etched. The belly band was printed, laminated, embellished and scored to create a sleek and modern outer box that gave a stunning first impression. The inner images were embellished using gloss foils, holographic foil, spot varnish, metallic inks and fluorescent inks.
The competition evaluates submissions that utilize a wide range of specialty finishing techniques, from foil stamping and embossing to specialty coating, film laminating, laser cutting, diecutting and cold foil applications. Submissions come in a variety of formats, including greeting cards, folding cartons, labels, promotional pieces, calendars and more. For the full list, visit www.fsea.com.
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