A different medium to stamp

Do you remember me saying a few months back I took my stamping kit to work?

Well, that was to create an entry into an award that was presented at the weekend.

And we won gold for it!

I work a couple of days a week at a printing company, Willprint Shepparton.

For two years running, our production manager Marshall has worked his absolute butt off to get us our Level 2 Sustainable Green Print (SGP) accreditation and drastically reduced the environmental footprint our printshop leaves.

This is no mean feat, the judging to gain accreditation is tough and the work to fit the criteria is tougher.

Marshall wanted to enter us in the annual PICA (Printing Industries Craftsmanship Awards) in the Environmental category award.

He enlisted my help to write and help present an entry into it, so we came up with the idea to present it on a bunch of recycled printing equipment ... old parts of presses, matrix, plates, pallets, bindery wire and so on.

We exposed the written part of our entry onto a printing plate and then cut down old metal printing plates, which I stamped subheads onto and then screwed in their places.

Check out how it looked below.

The judges' comments included this: "The entry not only conveys the efforts undertaken to reduce the company's environmental footprint, but - just as importantly - uses an interesting and innovative approach to communicate its successes, which will engage both industry and non-industry people," Tony Duncan.

To win this award means an awful lot to all involved.

Our little printing place of less than 20 employees was up against companies that have 1000 staff and print things like Australia Post stamps and Prime Minister's dinner invitations.

For us to even be considered in a field like that is amazing.

It just goes to show even the littlest lion can roar.

Check out:

www.picavic.com.au for information on the awards

www.printnet.com.au for information on SGP

www.willprintshepparton.com.au for all your printing needs!

The awards night was held at the Grand Ballroom, Hotel Sofitel, Melbourn