The award, announced this month at the Gravure Association of America's annual convention, saw Alcoa Packaging receive a Golden Cylinder for exceptional gravure printing.
The GAA conducts the annual awards competition to promote the gravure process and to provide peer recognition for technical achievement. Alcoa Packaging's entry was judged by a panel of experts in the gravure industry over a two-day period in which entries from various gravure industries were evaluated to determine the "Best of the Best."
The Nestle 90 oz. Hot Chocolate Syrup shrink sleeve features 8 colour, reverse gravure printing on a 50-micron PETG shrink label from Alcoa Packaging's Downingtown packaging plant in Downingtown, Pennsylvania.
"This award denotes Alcoa's ability for exceeding the packaging industry's standards of gravure printing," said John Kay, Downingtown plant manager.
"The shrink sleeve label for the Nestle package presented a challenge for our graphic consultants yet through a combination of innovative thinking and drawing upon the expertise of our employees, we were able to design a distinct, distinguished label for our customer."
The graphic elements that utilise black were separated into two cylinders in order to specifically control the colour in multiple areas. In order to be discreet about this separation, an in-depth review of the graphics was conducted so that the black trappings could be placed in areas that would be discreetly hidden.
In addition to the separation of the black cylinders to provide rich chocolate images supported by a warm, flowing red velvet background, the gold banners that enhance the words "Hot Chocolate" have gradient vignettes that enhance the copy.
The Alcoa Downingtown Packaging Plant was able to show its additional expertise in providing a smooth gradient transition of dark, to light, to dark. Alcoa says that the overall effect is rich, decadent chocolate enhanced by a sumptuous red velvet background for a premium quality appearance.
This is the second printing award that Alcoa Packaging has received for the Nestle 90 oz. Hot Chocolate Syrup shrink sleeve. It also achieved a Silver Award for Printing Excellence from the Flexible Packaging Association at the organization's annual meeting in March 2006.
Alcoa Packaging is a packaging and consumer business unit within Alcoa. The group's packaging and consumer segment made a profit of $6bn in 2004, accounting for about 26 per cent of total profit.