Copyright 2002 Xeikon America, Inc
 XEIKON ANNOUNCES DIAMOND AWARD WINNERS High Standards of Digital Printing Applications Demonstrated at Sixth Annual Xeikon Diamond Awards Wood Dale, IL (November 16, 2001) - The sixth annual Xeikon Diamond Awards held in Antwerp, Belgium demonstrated the quality, Innovation and business opportunities of digital printing in today's markets. Xeikon received hundreds of entries from more than 25 countries and assembled a group of five industry experts for the judging panel. All entries were printed on color or black & white Xeikon presses such as the DCP 500 D, CSP 320 D, Varypress T800, and the Xeikon 7000. "Xeikon's global base of users have built successful business on the speed, quality, and flexibility of Xeikon presses," says Herman Remmerie, senior vice president, marketing & corporate planning. "The Diamond Awards highlight the most innovative projects from this global user base in distinct market categories. The winners this year reaffirm the fact that printers around the world are continuing to find success and build business with Xeikon digital color printing." Remmerie also commented on the growth in self-promotion among Xeikon users as the market for digital printing has expanded. Xeikon added 'Self-Promotion' to the Diamond Award categories this year and received a large number of entries. "Xeikon users have become very sophisticated in using the quality and flexibility of Xeikon presses to market their own business," says Remmerie. "This demonstrates that digital printers, as well as being at the leading edge of digital technology, also clearly understand the importance of effective promotion of digital printing to print buyers." The judges commented that the Xeikon Diamond Awards has grown to become a synonym for high quality and innovative digital print applications. Moreover the Diamond Awards prove digital printing is a technology for today and the future in all aspects of the commercial print arena and other printing sectors such as the packaging and label industries. "The variety of the digital print applications presented to us was very impressive," said the judging panel. "Xeikon presses are definitely used today on a very sophisticated level serving a wide array of industries. Xeikon users are clearly benefiting from the high productivity and unique features of the presses to generate value-added and cost-effective digital print work." This year, the Awards were judged by a panel of five judges from Europe and Brazil. The judges were: Thomas Fasold, (editor-in-chief of Druckspiegel, Germany), Max Schrappe, (president, Graphic Arts Association of Brazil- Abigraf, Brazil), Gareth Ward, (group managing editor, Printing World, UK), Merete Jaasund, (manager, Image Graphics Department, Norwegian Institute of Graphic Media, Norway), Henny Van Gerwen, (creative managing director, BBDO/Direct, Belgium). The winners of the Xeikon Diamond Awards 2001 follow. Color Applications E-Printing First: Varigraphics, a division of C.I.T. Technology Group Inc, Canada, for the development of personalized and non-personalized promotional materials to be ordered via a web site for General Motors. GM dealers can order a large range of promotional materials in different formats, such as invitations, flipcharts, posters and signs via the web site for a program called 'New-Owner Orientation Clinic'. Sections of the material can be personalized and customized in a number of ways, with other sections of the material standard and non-personalized. The material is printed on a Xeikon DCP/50D. Web site: http://www.gmnewownerclinic.com Second: Vestcom International, USA, for healthcare templates that can be ordered via a web site for Pfizer. Remote users (representatives for Pfizer products) can pick up a template for 13 different products, pick a logo, soft proof and order on-line in small quantities. The company developed the web site, prints the orders on a Xeikon DCP/50D, finishes and sends the orders out. The orders are accumulated weekly, turned around in 48 hours. http://www.vmaweb2.com/dms-html/pfizer/index.html One-to-One marketing First: Group Joos, Belgium, for a personalized direct mail campaign for advertising agency DVN. The entry was a full-color, original and high quality direct mailer with multi personalization printed on a Xeikon DCP/32D on 150 gsm Ivolaser Matt substrate. The personalization included different pictures of the DVN agency staff members relevant to the recipient and several mentions of name and company of the addressee in the text. Production of the mailer was very complex and included excellent finishing. Second: Kallenbach GmbH & Co. KG CrossMedia Produktion, Germany, for a personalized mailing for Continental AG (car components). Third: Medienfrabrik GmbH, Austria, for personalized souvenir brochures with variable texts and pictures for the Entall Classic old timer races. Printing On Demand First: Tercie Praha, Czech Republic, for the book 'Exlibris', Czech Bookplate. The winning entry in this category was a full-color 172 page (230mm x 290mm) book produced by a combination of offset and digital printing. The inside was printed on a Xeikon DCP 500 D on 150gsm Nopacolor matt paper. The fly-leaf and cover were printed in offset. The first run consisted of 500 books printed in just under 42 hours. To date 1,200 copies have been printed. Second: EL & KA, Germany for a gatefold brochure with 3 integrated booklets for IQMobil to use as a luxury handout at presentations. Third: Ypsilon, Belgium, for a collection of monthly menu mailouts and other collateral produced on the sheet-fed CSP 320 D for Restaurant "Loreto" in Bruges, Belgium. Large Format Printing First: Morisawa & Company Ltd, Japan, for banners for a display box. This was a vivid color-printed film for insertion in a 743mmx1200mm display box. Printed on a Xeikon DCP/50D IntelliStream on 100gsm Opaque white DBF film, it was finished with a UV coating. The banners are printed and personalized in pairs, are ready in 30 minutes and delivered in a special display box. Users can order and replace banners when necessary. Second: McGowans, Republic of Ireland, for A2 Posters (localized county by county) for National Lottery agents 'Take Gold'. Third: Kallenbach GmbH, Germany, for short run POD orders for point-of-sale display panels for Hettich Appliances. Innovating Applications First: In brevi Digitaltechnik GmbH., Germany, for 126mmx2000mm Venetian Blind slats, with individualized pictures or designs for companies or private use. The slats were printed on a Xeikon DCP 320 D on 100µ PET Durakote White foil. The slats include an image overlap and can be any length required. Labels and Packaging First: Simpson Label Company, Scotland, for labels for the Manchester United Football Club's energy drink. The job consists of short-run printing between 600 and 900 sheets of six different labels for energy drink cans featuring different members of the team. The labels were printed on a Xeikon DCP/32S on 60µ transparent Fasson Polypropolene film with in-line varnishing and die cutting. The digital printing is cost effective and allows customization, short-runs, high-quality color and perfect proofing of the product. Second: Altrif Label, The Netherlands, ten different full-color labels for chalk boxes for Talens (Rembrandt). Third: Altrif Labels, The Netherlands, for a set of 20 full color labels for a line of children's bathing products for Mades Cosmetics. Self -Promotion - New Category First: Digital Repro, Germany, for a self-promotional calendar. The full-color high quality self-promotional calendar was printed on a Xeikon DCP/50D on 240 and 170gsm Silverblade. 200 A2 calendars, with 13 pages, have been printed. The quality of the pictures and the reproduction was superb and demonstrates how this print shop has mastered the complete digital workflow perfectly. Second: Drukkerij Michiels, Belgium for a full-color, personalized, self-promotional mail-out for an open house to promote the new digital print business. Third: Kallenbach GmbH., Germany, for a self-promotional mailer with personalized letter and computer mouse mat. Black and White Applications One-to-one marketing First: Goodkind & Goodkind Direct Inc, USA, for a personalized direct mailer for The National Arbor Day Foundation. The black-and-white data was added to pre-printed full-color sheets, produced using offset printing. It was printed on a Xeikon 7000 on 7pt Recycles Hi-bulk paper. 20 million sheets, including a laminated membership card, were printed in 13 days. 30 variations of the text are printed depending on the geographical zone of the recipient. Second: DirektCom, Germany, for a 'fun beer mat' for a beer manufacturer's contest. The entry printed variable letters on the inside ticket of a 170gsm beer mat and was printed on a Xeikon Varypress T800. The beer mats are cracked open and the inside ticket taken out. Special Mention: Be'eri Printers, Israel, for Israeli Driving Licenses. The job consists of production and distribution of 15,000 Israeli driving licenses per week, on A4 duplex sheets (8 licenses per sheet), printed on a Xeikon DCP/32D on Teslin SP1000 Digital paper. Files are provided by the Israeli Ministry of Transportation. Be'eri prints, laminates and punches the licenses. They are then attached to a printed carrier and mailed. Turnaround time for the new driving licenses is 48 hours. Almost 3,200,000 licenses have been produced and delivered this way in the past four years. Xeikon America, Inc. Headquartered in suburban Chicago, Xeikon America, Inc. sells high quality digital printing systems. Its parent company in Belgium, Xeikon N.V. (Nasdaq: XEIK), founded in 1988, is the world's leading provider of digital color printing solutions for professional applications in the commercial printing, production variable data printing, packaging and label printing and special applications markets. Xeikon is also a major manufacturer of digital black and white printing systems, which use a proprietary "magnetography" technology most suited for use in heavy duty printing applications. These systems and their related consumables have been specifically designed to meet the quality, speed, reliability, cost and variable content requirements of the global digital printing market. Xeikon supplies both original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), including IBM and MAN Roland, as well as a global network of over 40 value-added distributors (VADs). At the end of 2000, over 2200 Xeikon color systems were installed worldwide. For more information about Xeikon or its products, please call (630) 616-5600 or visit Xeikon's web site: http://www.xeikon.com. # # # # Editorial Contact: Johan Laurent James Krouse
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