The award ceremony recognizes, rewards and honors the printers' craftsmanship and attention to their work. Each winner receives a coveted cast-bronze elephant trophy created by world-renowned sculptor Donald Greig, symbolizing Sappi's South African heritage.
Sappi Chief Executive Officer, Ralph Boëttger congratulated the Sappi International Printers of the Year saying, "Tonight we witness the best of the best in print for 2008. You have brought someone else's ideas to life and despite budget and time constraints have turned them superbly into reality. Be assured that your effort is appreciated each and every time someone picks up your work and marvels at the rich colour, the clarity of each image and the feel of paper between their fingers. It is for this reason that people develop emotional bonds to books, magazines, calendars and have their decisions influenced so strongly by annual reports, catalogues, brochures, packaging and labels. Paper connects with human emotion in a way that a computer screen will never do.