Winners of the 2011 Impressions Awards Announced

October 03, 2011

This year's overall Grand Champion and Screen Printing Grand Champion, "ToasTee," which was submitted by ETF Tekstil A.S., Istanbul, was composed using multicolor and multi-layer screen printing with Wilflex inks.

The results are in! For months, decorators of all sizes and experience levels submitted their entries for the 33rd annual Impressions Awards, the industry’s most prestigious apparel decorating contest. The 2011 competition was judged at the Fort Worth Imprinted Sportswear Show (ISS), which was held Sept. 29-Oct. 1 at the Fort Worth Convention Center.

The Impressions staff would like to thank the following judges who agreed to evaluate this year's entries: Dane Clement, Great Dane Graphics; James Ortolani, Hix Corp.; Charlie Taublieb, Taublieb Consulting; Richard Bloedow, GS USA; Deborah Jones, MyEmbroideryMentor.com; Jimmy Lamb, Sawgrass Technologies; Lee Caroselli-Barnes, Balboa Threadworks Inc.; and industry veteran Jeff Proctor.

The winners are as follows:

This year’s overall Grand Champion, as well as the Grand Champion in Screen Printing, was “ToastTee,” submitted by ETF Tekstil A.S., Istanbul. The Grand Champion of Embroidery was “Creams Racing,” submitted by Andy's Tee Shirts Inc., Concord, Calif.

Results for individual categories are listed below.

Multicolor Screen Printing on Light or Dark Garments
1st place: “H5 Clown,” Hangar 5 Shirt Co., Louisville, Ky.

2nd place: “Lone Star,” Andy's Tee Shirts Inc., Concord, Calif.

3rd place: “Calistoga,” Andy’s Tee Shirts Inc., Concord, Calif.

True Process Color Screen Printing
1st place: “Mystere,” Target Decorated Apparel, Naperville, Ill.

2nd place: “New Orleans,” Target Decorated Apparel, Naperville, Ill.

3rd place: “A Midsummer Knight's Read,” Target Decorated Apparel, Naperville, Ill.

Simulated Process Color Screen Printing
1st place: “Garth,” Anderson Studio Inc., Nashville, Tenn.

2nd place: “Sara Evans,” Anderson Studio Inc., Nashville, Tenn.

3rd place (tie): “Austin Live Music Guitar,” Outhouse Designs, Austin, Texas

3rd place (tie): "Texas Cowgirls," Monstro Graphics, Azle, Texas

Special Effects Textile Screen Printing
1st place: “ToastTee,” ETF Tekstil A.S., Istanbul

2nd place: “Airship Printing,” Airship Printing, Castle Rock, Colo.

3rd place: “Labirynth,” ETF Tekstil A.S., Istanbul

Manual Textile Screen Printing
1st place: “Terracotta Soldiers,” ETF Tekstil A.S., Istanbul

2nd place: “Starry Night,” AtlasPrint.com, St. Augustine, Fla.

3rd place: “BJHS Mardi Gras,” D. Long & Co., Savannah, Tenn.

Most Creative Use of Screen Printed Logo/Mascot
1st place: “Willy Dilly,” Outhouse Designs, Austin, Texas

2nd place: “UT Texas Rocks,” Outhouse Designs, Austin, Texas

3rd place: “Sporting Invitational,” Matteo Studios, Santa Clara, Calif.

Outstanding Design: A Screen Print Artist’s Award
1st place: “Torn Heart,” Kerusso, Berryville, Ark.

2nd place: “Fear Not,” Kerusso, Berryville, Ark.

3rd place: “Calistoga,” Andy's Tee Shirts Inc., Concord, Calif.

Multimedia
1st place: “Rock and Roll,” Shockwaves Promotional Apparel, Des Plaines, Ill.

2nd place: “Golden Dragon,” Shockwaves Promotional Apparel, Des Plaines, Ill.

3rd place: “Live Wire,” Shockwaves Promotional Apparel, Des Plaines, Ill.

Digitizing Artistry
1st place: “Elephant," Edigitize, Tulsa, Okla.

2nd place: “Jesus,” Quality Punch, Torrance, Calif.

3rd place: “Stain Glass,” QDigitizing, Cave Creek, Ariz.

Most Creative Use of an Embroidered Logo/Mascot
1st place: “Creams Racing,” Andy's Tee Shirts Inc., Concord, Calif.

2nd place: “North South,” Quality Punch, Torrance, Calif.

3rd place: “Bull Frog,” Quality Punch, Torrance, Calif.

Embroidered Stock Designs
1st place: “It's A Dog's Life,” Unique Impressions, Hicksville, N.Y.

2nd place: “Butterfly,” Quality Punch, Torrance, Calif.

3rd place: “Mexican Floral Jacket,” Swan Threads, Houston

Direct-to-Garment Digital Apparel Decoration
1st place: “Legends,” KA Grafix, Fredericksburg, Va.

2nd place: “Rock and Roll,” Shockwaves Promotional Apparel, Des Plaines, Ill.

3rd place: “Legends, B&W,” KA Grafix, Fredericksburg, Va.

Sublimation on Finished Apparel
1st place: “Fires,” Dynamic Designs Inc., Killeen, Texas

2nd place: Vapor Apparel, N. Charleston, S.C.

3rd place: Vapor Apparel, N. Charleston, S.C.

Most Creative Use of Heat-Applied Graphics (Digital Transfers, Cut-and-Sew or Print/Cut Materials)
1st place: “Stylus,” Savi Customs, San Diego

2nd place: “We Will Never Forget,” Savi Customs, San Diego

3rd place: “POW,” Savi Customs, San Diego

People’s Choice Award (Voted best by ISS show attendees)
“Terracotta Soldiers,” ETF Tekstil A.S., Istanbul



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