The Academy of Certified Printers was created by Arjowiggins Creative Papers in order to guide printers to better know and print our creative papers. The programme brings together high-end printers from around the world who aspire to achieve the best printing quality on our papers.

About the Programme

The programme has first been launched in Asia in 2016, with printers located in Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Beijing. Printers were selected on their proven ability to print on creative papers using a variety of printing and finishing technique, and on their experience working with demanding customers.

Arjowiggins Creative Papers is planning to extend the programme to new creative printers in 2017, in the Middle-East, Europe and the rest of the world.

In order to participate, the printer’s task is to reproduce a print job. The piece combines 4 different printed techniques - offset, screen printing, hot foil stamping and blind embossing - and should be reproduced on a selection of our papers representative of the colours, textures and finishes available within our range.

To execute the job at hand, each printer received the necessary supplies: a toolbox containing instructions, print references, ready-to-print files, and dies for embossing and hot foil stamping, as well as gold and silver foils and of course paper. Die manufacturer h+m provided the embossing and hot stamping dies, while Kurz provided the foils directly to each printer.

Both in-house experts and print partners are made available to assist printers seeking advice at any time during the process.

Once a printer has completed their task, they are to send their work back to Arjowiggins Creative Papers. The Jury members will evaluate the printed pieces according to the overall print rendering and will consider a list of criteria such as precise registration, crisp embossed reliefs, precise foil details, smooth solids and bright colours.

Printers who succeed will be awarded the Academy of Certified Printers diploma. They will be listed in our online directory of Certified Printers and appear in the Certified Printers register which will be communicated internally and with our merchant partner sales force.

The Jury

The Academy of Certified Printers Jury brings together experts from paper, print and design.

• Guy Delteil, Print consultant with over 40 years of experience on press
• Thierry Denis, Owner of high-end print shop les Ateliers Asdourian & Gustave Gernez
• Frank Perina, Director of h+m France
• Julien Douek, Art Director of design studio Stereochromie
• Trevor Sowood, Technical Customer Service Manager at Arjowiggins