My fiancée and I are both in the printing industry, and both attended Ryerson University’s Graphic Communications Management program. Often, when gifts are being distributed, we marvel at the wrapping, or the card, or the binding on a book. There’s usually a minute or two of discussion on how it was done, how much it would cost, and the merits of the piece. Our families listen intently and then chuckle to themselves when the conversation is done. They are all curious as to how things are made, but for the most part, no one (save the two of us) is impressed with some of the more remarkable pieces we encounter.

I have often debated the optimum level of quality vs. quantity in the printing industry. I continually find pieces where I would have gladly paid the extra for the quality achieved, only to have a friend or family member chuckle at my willingness. Many such incidents have revealed to me that the only people impressed by printers’ work are other printers.

Printing awards are doubtless impressive to a first time buyer. Someone demanding high quality products may also be interested in these accolades, but to the average buyer, the bottom line seems to stand out. I love the printing awards, and am pleased as punch when I witness an award-winning piece. I glow with pride for the whole industry when I show off an unconventional piece that makes average people oooh and ahhh. It doesn’t even have to be a piece I personally worked on for me to feel this pride. It’s as if the award is going to a teammate, a brother in the common printing struggle.

However, I don’t get that warm fuzzy feeling as much as I used to. I cringe every time I hear the words “what a nice card,” and then watch that card get tossed aside like a napkin after an all-you-can-eat rib dinner. My suspicion that we only impress ourselves with our clever innovation increases daily. So what can we do about it?

Currently, printers must pay a fee to enter most printing awards contests. The pieces entered are often the few best samples of larger runs in the tens of thousands. The pieces are then judged by people with vast knowledge of print. While this process is almost perfect for deciding which printers would most impress other printers, it doesn’t indicate who the best printers are as far as the client goes. If you really want to impress end users, involve them in judging. Subcategorize pieces by price; it is unfair to compare pieces in different price brackets on the same scale. Finally, make nominations and entries free of charge.

I envision the process going something like this: anyone with the ability to buy print could log on to a website and nominate a piece. A piece must have five unique nominations in order to achieve a place at the judging table. (Unique nominations are ones from individuals who are not related through blood, business, or other means of mutual benefits.) In categories with an unusual number of nominations, only the top ten, based on total number of nominations, make it to the judging table.

The final judging is done by a panel of three clients, one industry official, one student of the industry, and two clients from a different market (such as Europe). Each section of the competition would use a unique group of judges, to ensure unbiased judging. The pieces would be judged on quality, value, impact, and originality.

By judging awards in this way, the industry would gain much more than through the current process. The industry would not only see what types of products impressed their customers, but would also be able to see what types of products gained the most recognition from customers on the whole. The awards could both serve as market research and as rewards to printers for a job well done. After the judging, what printer would not be willing to pay a small fee to receive such valuable information?

As always, email your questions and comments to johnathonanderson@graphicartsmag.com