The commercial printing firm secured the prestigious award in the Direct Mail category, leveraging advanced digital press technology to create high-impact, boutique-quality fundraising materials.
In a significant recognition of US technical printing prowess, TEAM Concept Printing, a Chicago based commercial printing operation, has become the first American company in the fifteen year history of the competition to win a FUJIFILM Global Innovation Print Award. The 2025 Global Innovation Print Award, bestowed by FUJIFILM North America Corporation’s Business Innovation Division, recognized the firm for its superior craftsmanship and creative execution in the Direct Mail category, underscoring how modern digital printing technology is pushing the boundaries of traditional print applications. This achievement validates the increasing sophistication of US commercial printers in harnessing cutting edge technology to produce visually stunning and complex communication pieces.
A Digital Press Revolutionizing Print Craftsmanship
The winning submission was a highly complex direct mail piece designed for the Brookfield Zoo’s Annual Whirl Gala, a vital fundraising event that successfully raised a record $2 million for the zoo’s animal care and conservation initiatives. The nature of the event demanded a premium, high-impact aesthetic for the core fundraising materials, a requirement that TEAM Concept Printing met by utilizing the advanced capabilities of the FUJIFILM REVORIA PRESS PC1120.
The REVORIA PRESS PC1120 is central to this success, known for its ability to deliver high impact finishes and boutique quality with exceptional color consistency and fidelity at production scale. The machine allows commercial printers to integrate specialty inks and coatings in a single pass, which is essential for creating the luxurious, attention grabbing effects necessary for premium direct mail, especially in the competitive philanthropic sector.
Vince Manini, a partner at TEAM Concept Printing, expressed the firm’s pride in this pioneering achievement, noting the press’s role as a game changer in their production floor. The successful realization of the Brookfield Zoo project demonstrates a shift in the market, where high-speed digital technology is now capable of achieving the bespoke quality previously associated only with traditional, small batch artisan methods.
Fusing Technology and Artistic Execution
The prize winning entry was a masterful blend of state of the art digital production and meticulous traditional finishing. The piece was printed on 25×35 specialty paper, which was then subjected to precision die cutting and scoring. Due to the intricacy of the design and the required cuts, each final envelope had to be hand folded. This specific detail highlights the boutique quality and the exacting attention to detail that earned the firm the global accolade. The complexity of the design demanded not only advanced digital printing capabilities but also exceptional post press execution.
Yuji Oki, General Manager for FUJIFILM North America Corporation’s Business Innovation Division, emphasized that the winning submission perfectly illustrates the immense creativity and technical execution achievable in modern direct mail. He noted that the work perfectly demonstrates how state of the art digital printing technology can drive both artistic vision and real world results, specifically pointing to the vital fundraising efforts of the Brookfield Zoo.
The Global Innovation Print Awards, hosted by Fujifilm, are designed to celebrate creativity and excellence across various printing applications, recognizing customers who are redefining the limits of digital print technology and advancing their craft. This award serves as a global benchmark for technical innovation in commercial printing.
A History of Innovation Driving Business Solutions
Fujifilm, through its Business Innovation Division, is leveraging its extensive industry knowledge to develop comprehensive digital and traditional print solutions for commercial, wide format, and packaging industries. The company’s commitment to advancing its proprietary core technologies and deep expertise is a consistent theme across its diverse business segments, which range from healthcare and electronics to imaging and business innovation.
The recognition of TEAM Concept Printing highlights the strategic relationship between printing technology providers and the commercial firms that utilize them to create tangible, impactful business results. By enabling the production of such sophisticated pieces, technology partners like Fujifilm empower their customers to deliver premium quality communications that effectively serve high value clients and philanthropic causes. TEAM Concept Printing’s historic win signals a bright future for advanced digital print applications within the US market. The award winning piece and more about the competition can be found on the Fujifilm website.
