Digital Print Innovators Prepare to Shine; Xerox Seeks Printing Innovation Award Entries

UXBRIDGE - It’s time for digital innovators across the globe to shine! Xerox announces the call for entries in the seventh annual Printing Innovation with Xerox Imaging (PIXI) Awards. The multinational competition’s theme this year is “Shine,” and recognises the most innovative and effective work customers are printing with Xerox digital systems. For the first time, this year’s PIXI awards will recognise print providers using Xerox production solutions in an environmentally friendly way as well as a new business application category.

"Xerox has a long-standing commitment to sustainability and we know many of our customers do as well,” said Valerie Blauvelt, vice president of marketing, Xerox Production Systems Group. “This year we are searching for applications that demonstrate the qualities of an environmentally-conscious print shop that follow sustainable business practices such as embracing print on demand, adopting energy-reducing workflow automation tools, and using more environmentally-efficient papers.”

Xerox will begin accepting entries on May 29th, the opening day of drupa, the largest conference and exhibition for the print industry held every four years in Dsseldorf, Germany.

The PIXI award categories are:

• Books and Manuals - Short-run vanity titles, customised school books, product manuals, training materials, booklets, wire-bound presentations, annual reports and more. Entries can be black and white or colour, or a combination of both.
• Collateral - Essential for brand management and consistent messaging, collateral materials are designed to promote a product or service, increase awareness and inform businesses. The collateral category can include a variety of finishing techniques, from flat, single sheets to folded, stitched multi-page literature. It can take the form of brochures, calendars, postcards, sales flyers, wide-format posters, signage, business cards and catalogues, or any other form of product or promotional literature.
• Direct Marketing - Digitally printed direct marketing designed to target specific audiences, featuring personalised text or graphics. Includes materials such as postcards, self-mailers, multi-piece flat mailing packages, dimensional mailing packages (including posters in tubes), envelopes and labels, and cross-media programmes (including printed elements and personal URLs), as well as personalised or print-on-demand fulfilment materials.
• New Business Application - Highlights lucrative new print applications that are seeing increased adoption in the industry. Digital printing has gone well beyond short runs and personalised pieces. Today’s toners, media and finishing options enable an amazing array of new printed applications including: photo specialty products such as photo books, calendars, and greeting cards; packaging solutions that are ideal for short-runs, versions, or personalisation; plus specialty imaging solutions for document security and fraud deterrence.
• Transactional Promotional - All types of customer account statements, especially communications that use unique customer information to provide recipients with more relevant promotional offers and customised information. Examples include: credit card statements with personalised offers, bank statements that cross-sell additional financial services, mutual fund statements or reports that graphically depict investment mix and rate of return, telecommunications or utility statements that include retention-building information.

Entries will be evaluated by an independent panel of judges on the use of digital technology, business effectiveness, overall aesthetics and the degree of innovation or inventiveness of the entry. There is a Best of Show award as well as three winners in each category. The contest will also recognise the most innovative use of Xerox technology, the most outstanding use of Xerox supplies and the aforementioned environmental honours. More than $50,000 in travel certificates will be awarded as prizes in this year’s PIXI awards. The competition will be judged by experts representing key segments of the international graphic communications industry.

Keiger Printing Company took Best of Show honours at the 2007 Printing Innovation with Xerox Imaging Awards besting more than 500 entries from around the world. “Not only did we receive international recognition but our winning sample generated ideas for clients and increased the number of requests for innovative digital print jobs,” said Louis Crockett, president of Keiger Printing Company.

Participation in the PIXI Awards is free and open to more than 70 countries worldwide. Submissions will be accepted through the Web site until August 1st, and must be produced using Xerox digital printing systems. The submission Web site is available in six languages. Winners will be announced during Graph Expo, a major commercial printing trade show, held Oct. 26-29, 2008 in Chicago, USA. The 2008 PIXI Best of Show winner will have the opportunity to participate on the 2009 PIXI panel of judges.

For an online entry form, judging criteria, biographies of judges, a list of the eligible countries and information about past winners, visit http://www.xerox.com/pixi


About Xerox UK

Xerox UK, the UK operation of Xerox Corporation, markets a comprehensive range of Xerox products, solutions and services, as well as associated supplies and software. Its offerings are focused on three main areas: offices from small to large, production print and graphic arts environments, and services that include consulting, systems design and management, and document outsourcing.

Xerox also has manufacturing and logistics operations in Ireland, the UK and the Netherlands, and a research and development facility (Xerox Research Centre Europe) in Grenoble, France. For more information visit, www.xerox.com

Xerox is a trademark of Xerox Corporation. All non-Xerox brands and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Prices, features, specifications, capabilities, appearance and availability of Xerox products and services are subject to change without notice.

Media Contact

Robert Corbishley, Xerox Europe, +44 (0) 1895 843 239, robert.corbishley@xerox.com

Philipp Haberland, Trimedia Ltd, T: +44 (0) 207 025 7584, email: philipp.haberland@trimediauk.com

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