Kodak's Prosper 600 inkjet web press and EFI's cross-media software which links print with internet marketing are among winners in this year's PIA InterTech technology award competition.

The Prosper 6000 is prints at up to 305 metres/minute with new driers, interstation drying and nanotechnology ink allowing production on glossy and other coated stock with heavy coverage. An intelligent print system monitors inputs and adjusts on the fly to maintain registration and colour quality. Speaking for the panel, a judge commented that the speed and quality were impressive, and the coated samples "really got our attention".

Another technology which may be of interest came from RIP developer Electronics for Imaging. Its DirectSmile Cross Media automates the process of executing cross-media campaigns including sending out mass and individually-triggered emails and messages, pushing messages to social media, personalising print communications and tracking results. Integration with third-party CRM solutions such as Salesforce.com has also been streamlined.

Judges chose ten technologies from a collection entered by vendors in the annual competition. The Prosper inkjet web is one of two digital presses honoured this year - the other is sheetfed - in a competition again dominated by packaging-orientated products. Kodak won two of the InterTech stars, the other for its NX advantage flexo screening system, bringing its tally to 40 since the competition was created in 1978 and chief technology officer Terry Taber says, "an affirmation of the mission we embarked upon almost 40 years ago".

Other winners are Canon's Océ VarioPrint i300 sheetfed inkjet press; CGS Publishing Technologies' Oris CxF control system for spot colours; Esko's Automation Engine Connect interface for information interchange; Heidelberg's Prinect Media Manager multi-channel publishing tool; Highcon's Euclid digital system for creasing and cutting paper, labels and board; MGI's iFoil digital foiling system; and X-Rite's eXact spectrophotometer, able to scan colour patches without using a track.

The InterTech stars will be presented during the 2015 PIA's print awards gala in Chicago on September 13. A technology review booklet will be distributed during the GraphExpo trade show.