PIAG Parties and Honors Its Own PIAG Parties and Honors Its Own The Printing Industry Association of Georgia (PIAG) recently recognized the finest printing in the state at the PIAG Celebration of Print Gala at the Cobb Galleria Centre. 751 printing professionals reserved their spot for the celebration. The competition is the fourth largest state printing competition in the nation, attracting 1,201 entries from 92 printing companies in Georgia. Printing is Georgia's fifth largest industry.

Each printed piece was judged on its own merit in one of 35 categories with similar printed pieces. The judging criteria included clarity, sharpness, readability, effective execution of color, and overall visual impact. One Best of Category (first place) and one or more Awards of Excellence (second place) were given in each category. There were 176 Best of Category awards and 256 Awards of Excellence presented. Once the initial level of judging was complete, only Best of Category award winning pieces moved on to a higher level of judging to be eligible for the top 10 awards given in the competition.

This year, a calendar produced by Sea Island Business Center for the Cloister Resort was named Best of Show for Division One (companies with five or fewer employees). The piece was designed by Sea Island Business Center. An image campaign produced by Claxton Printing Company for Mark Wilcox Design was named Best of Show for Division Two (companies with six to 35 employees). A real estate brochure produced by Lee Graphics for Hodges Ward Elliott was named Best of Show for Division Three (35 or more employees). Dickson's Inc. won two of the Top Ten Gold Awards. Dickson's also won the Best Execution of Special Treatment Award for their packaging of holiday biscotti treats for customers of Deep Designs. A postcard produced by American Digital Communications entitled "A Bug's Life" was the recipient of the Best Execution of Image Reproduction Award. A brochure/pocket folder produced by Perfect Image for H.J. Russell & Company was the recipient of the Best Nonprocess Printing Award. This award recognizes the best piece printed without the use of four-color process. Williams Printing Company took home the Most Creative Use of Paper Award. A pocket folder created for The Bella Collection earned this recognition. A self promotion piece produced by Station to Station displaying their digital photography capabilities was named recipient of the Best Process Color Printing Award. Executive Printing, Inc. assisted Callaway Gardens by donating the printing for a fundraising campaign that served as a revenue generator for Ida Callaway Cason Foundation. Because of its commitment to the public and its commitment to quality printing work, Executive Printing, Inc. received the PIAG sponsored Community Spirit Award.

PIAG also announced the recipient of its highest individual award, the Benjamin Franklin Award. The winner is printing veteran Wiley (Tuck) A. Tucker, Jr., CEO of Tucker Castleberry Printing, Inc. in Atlanta. The Benjamin Franklin Award recognizes an individual who has made major, long term contributions to the printing industry.