Masterton print firm lands gold

EXCEPTIONAL: The beauty catalogue which won Masterton-based printer Webstar two national awards for its presentation and complexity.

A Wairarapa printing press scooped two national accolades for "exceptional pressmanship" at the 2014 Pride In Print awards in Auckland last Friday.

Masterton's Webstar won the Promotional Print Category and Web Process Awards for its commercial beauty catalogue for the Farmers Store Chain.

Judges were wowed by the complexity, colour use and overall presentation of the catalogue - especially considering the mass-circulation job requirement that 620,000 copies be produced in 24 hours.

Pride In Print judge Arthur Lenssen said Webstar's catalogue "lifted the bar in web offset printing".

"Its presentation and finish defy the limitations of its manufacturing process and turnaround time," he said.

"It has outstanding colour density and registration, with added design features. The general pressmanship is exceptional."

Webstar national sales manager Robin Bowkett said the award was awesome, and praised the "innovation and can-do attitude" of Masterton operations manager Trevor Howard.

"This award has come out of a lot of hard work and thinking outside the square," said Mr Bowkett.

"We are taking our presses to the limit."

Webstar also won four gold awards at last year's Pride In Print Awards, gaining the Promotional Print Category Award for a mailer for Warehouse Stationary.

The Pride In Print Awards have been held for the past 21 years, and celebrate high achievement in the New Zealand printing industry, including books, print media, advertising and web-based design.