Industry Awards

2025 Lawter Lecture Series Award

NAPIM is accepting papers for its Lawter Lecture Series to be held during the 69th Annual Fall Technical Conference. Submissions are open for topics related to chemistry, formulation, manufacturing, or other technical aspects of the printing ink business; all papers must be original and of scientific value.

Title, abstract, and author(s)’ name must be submitted by July 1, 2025, with the final paper for review and balloting due on July 15, 2025. The NAPIM Technical Board of Directors will select winners and award three honorariums. NAPIM will notify all lecture competition participants no later than August 1, 2025. Winners will be announced formally during the conference.

The NAPIM/Lawter Lecture Series is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious technical paper competitions in the printing ink and graphic arts industries. The lecture series was established by Joseph S. Stevens of Superior Varnish & Drier Company in 1978 at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA.  Originally the lectures were held at Lehigh, but because the content of the papers proved to be of equal value to technical people in the printing and printing ink industries, they became an integral part of NAPIM's Annual Technical Conference.

The Lawter Lecture Series Award winner will be given an opportunity to present their winning paper in the opening session of the 2025 Technical Conference on September 9, 2025. In addition, the first and second place winners will receive cash honorariums ($1000 and $500, respectively).

To submit a paper for award and consideration into the Lawter Lecture Series, please email George Fuchs, Director of Regulatory Affairs and Technology at gfuchs@napim.org.

The Ault Award

The Ault Award, which has traditionally been the highest award that members of the ink industry can bestow on one of their peers, was established in memory of L.A. Ault, an early leader in the industry and a founder of the Ault and Wiborg Company. Each year nominations are sought from all U.S. and Canadian Ink Manufacturers for submission to a special Awards Committee, which makes the final selection.

See Past Ault Winners

The Printing Ink Pioneer Award

The Printing Ink Pioneer requirements are:

  • Twenty years of industry service with one or several printing ink companies. Longevity is, in itself, not sufficient to qualify the nominee for a PIP Award.
  • True service to the industry is also required.
    • Service might include work on committees or as an officer of NAPIM or NPIRI.
    • Service to local ink associations, production clubs, and the like might also be included.
    • Service to allied associations serving the print industry will also be considered, but it must include significant service on allied association committees, conferences, or another substantive service, not just membership.
  • Technical contribution is an important consideration, but routine technical service is not enough.
    • Technical contributions should be real and could be in the area of laboratory, engineering, production, or product development. It might include the presentation of papers on behalf of the ink industry to prestigious groups of other industries.
  • The practice has established that the recipient does not need to be from a NAPIM ink company member even though the nomination must originate from a member.
See Past Printing Ink Pioneer Winners

The TAM Service Award

It is the purpose of the TAM Service Award to recognize and honor an outstanding individual who, as a supplier to the printing ink industry, has played a major role in the progress of printing ink technology. Printing ink manufacturers, with the help of their suppliers, transform chemical raw materials into useful industrial end-products vital to the existence of the graphic arts. This complex conversion requires a high order of scientific competence achieved through research and development. New applications of raw materials, new methods of production, and new achievements in performance and service to the users (made possible by the dedicated service of the supplier industry’s technical personnel) have all contributed to the vitality of the ink industry today.
 
See Past TAM Service Winners

The Technical Achievement Award

Technical achievement in the form of research, development, or other technology is one of the characteristics sought in determining eligibility. Candidates also may have contributed outstanding service to the printing ink industry in management, marketing, public relations, and government affairs. Nominations are solicited from members of both the ink and raw materials industries and the final selection will be made by a committee composed of individuals from both TAM and Active Member companies.

The Technical Achievement Award is awarded for making contributions to the science of printing ink formulation, manufacture, or application.

See Past Technical Achievement Winners

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