Deadline: Entries received before Dec. 31 are judged in January of the following year

Be distinctive. Be creative. Be recognized when you enter your best work in Fox River’s juried competition of today’s outstanding design. Entries must be printed on Fox River and/or Gilbert paper (a combination with coated stocks is acceptable). The Best of Show winner will be featured in the following year’s call for entries and shared with designers everywhere.

For more information, go to: www.foxriverpaper.com.

Deadline: Ongoing

CTI asks creatives, “What saved your creativity?” for their competition in conjunction with their new whimsical promotional piece, Our deepest sympathies for the death of your creativity. You are invited to tell your own unique tale of stubborn clients, unreasonable budgets and tapped-out creativity that led to your creative death and resurrection.

For more information and registration for the competition, go to www.thepapermill.com/death.

Deadline: Quarterly

Neenah knows you’ve done the work and now they want to reward designers, printer representatives and their paper distributors in their PAPERWORKS Letterhead and Text and Cover Contests. Added July 1, 2009, there's a new category for digitally printed work - a national winner will be selected from the year's entries who receives $1000. For more information and registration forms for both competitions, go to www.neenahpaper.com/contestforms/.

Deadline: July 10, 2009

The UCDA Design Competition recognizes the best of the exceptional design work done to promote educational institutions (secondary, vocational or higher education). This year's show will be on display at the 39th Annual UCDA Design Conference. Categories include Publications, Going Green (Sustainable Design), Illustration, Photography, Electronic Media, Student Work and Classroom Work or Assignments.

Deadline: July 17, 2009

A decade ago, Sappi launched the industry’s only grant program aimed at helping designers contribute their talents to the charitable activities that they care about most. Applications may be submitted by individual designers, design firms, agencies, in-house corporate design departments, design instructors, and individual design students and design student groups.

Deadline: July 20, 2009

InvitationConsultants.com has created this competition as way to find new invitation designs to sell on its site. There will be three winners, 1st prize $1000, 2nd prize $500 and 3rd prize $250 plus 5 percent royalties on sales. You may submit as many invitation designs as you like for the occasions of your choosing. Download terms and conditions.

Deadline: July 30, 2009 online

The International Design Awards invite designers to submit their designs, whether the poster is your creation, or your work was featured in it. First Prize is $1000; Second Prize $500; Third Prize $250; and People’s Choice $250. Plus, the top 20 posters will be featured on the IDA Web site, and recognized at the annual awards gala.

Deadline: August 1, 2009

Christopher Simmons, principal of the noted San Francisco design firm MINE, is looking for the best examples of design work to feature in a new book he’s authoring. You can submit as many pieces as you like in any medium — posters, logos, brochures, campaigns, naming/branding, etc. Get complete details at the Web site.

Deadline: August 21, 2009

This is one of the longest running international advertising and graphic design competitions. Each year, the judges choose the best designs, advertisements, Web sites and commercials from all over the world to be reproduced in the 400-page Creativity Awards Annual. You may submit original design or art pieces created between June 1, 2008 and May 31, 2009.

Deadline: August 31, 2009

Print Magazine features an annual issue called the New Visual Artists Review, introducing and profiling 20 of the most promising rising talents in graphic design, advertising, illustration, digital media, photography and animation—all under the age of 30. This is an invitation-only competition, and choices are drawn from nominations made by art directors, designers, critics, and industry professionals.

Deadline: September 1, 2009

One Best of Show winner will score a free trip to the 2010 HOW Design Conference (round-trip airfare, hotel and conference registration) and an award to be presented at the conference. All winners will see their work in HOW's April 2010 International Design Annual, get $100 discount to the 2010 HOW Design Conference and receive a nifty certificate. Get full details and download an entry form.

Deadline: December 11, 2009

Appleton Coated is introducing U360 — a new competition for 2010 that is the next generation of U B the Judge. U360 is a celebration of the role print plays in today’s marketing mix. U360 will embrace excellence in communication, design and execution of projects. '360' reflects that the judging will take on a more holistic or 'all around' assessment of the project – from concept and writing, imagery and design, and finally quality of print and bindery execution. All winners will be featured in a showbook distributed throughout North America, on the Appleton Coated Web site, and in press releases.

Deadline: December 31, 2009

Mohawk Fine Papers is celebrating work that is printed on HP Indigo presses with this new competition. Printers, designers and merchants may submit entries of projects produced on any of their i-Tone paper grades and printed on an HP Indigo press. Best of Show winner will receive $1,000 and honorable mentions will receive $250 each. Download an entry form.

2009 Quarterly Deadlines: March 31, June 30, September 30 and December 31

This prestigious design competition is for letterheads and identity systems produced on Strathmore’s premium writing grades. Entries may be submitted by designers, printers, merchants and Mohawk representatives on behalf of their customers. Each quarter, the first 25 designers who enter the letterhead contest receive a special gift.