Charlotte, NC — The Printing Industry of the Carolinas (PICA) has announced that Chowan University – University Graphic Services of Murfreesboro is an award winner in the 2019 PICA Awards Competition.

The announcement was made September 23, 2020, during the 2019 PICA Awards Banquet in Charlotte, North Carolina. The PICA Awards competition is celebrating its 54th season and continues to be one of the largest printing contests in the nation. This year, the PICA Awards attracted more than 585 entries from 43 printing companies, along with more than 200 entries from 6 graphic arts high schools and 6 college graphic arts programs from across the Carolinas.

Chowan University – University Graphic Services won 2 Best of Category Awards, 1 Special Judges Awards and 0 Awards of Excellence. Only one “Best of” may be given in each category. One or more Special Judges Award or Award of Excellence may be given in each category, limited to no more than one third of total entries per category. 

A panel of out of state judges with extensive experience in printing and print production was brought in to examine the work. Each entry was judged on its own merit in a category with similar printed pieces. The judging criteria included: registration, crossovers, clarity and neatness, sharpness of halftones and line drawings, richness and tonal qualities of color, paper and ink selection, ink coverage, difficulty of printing, effective contrast or softness, finishing, bindery, and overall visual impact.

For more information, call Charles Futrell of Chowan University – University Graphic Services at 252-398-1224.

Since 1931, The Printing Industry of the Carolinas, Inc. (PICA) has been dedicated to advancing the success of the Carolinas’ printing and imaging industry. Working together with Printing Industries of America, the world’s largest
graphic arts trade association, PICA provides training, resources, and a voice of advocacy on both a state and national level.

PICA is a trade association representing the graphic communications industry in North and South Carolina. North Carolina ranks as the 16th largest state print market in the United States with $3.78 billion in sales, 1,215 total printing establishments and 20,050 employees. South Carolina ranks 30th in the nation, with $1.48 billion in sales, 501 establishments, and 8,357 employees. PICA is headquartered in Charlotte, NC. For more information, visit www.picanet.org.

The PICA Awards Competition, owned and managed by The Printing Industry of the Carolinas (PICA), is an annual event established in 1966 that recognizes and rewards printing and imaging companies who combine fine craftsmanship with technology in order to produce outstanding finished products. The award-winning companies are honored each year at the PICA Awards Banquet.

Best of Category for the Presidential Inauguration Invitation set (designed by Brooke Reich, prepress by Lauren Rodil, printing & finishing by Charles Futrell)

Best of Category for vinyl light post signs (designed by Jennifer Newton, printing & finishing by Charles Futrell)

Special Judges award for the President's Christmas card (designed by Lauren Rodil, printing & finishing by Charles Futrell).