Nothing in life comes for free except for advice. That’s something people dole out to you unsolicited and don’t even charge you a red cent! This theory gets a twist when you’re someone as innovative as ZINK Imaging, who’s actually asking the design community for new “solutions” and applications (not new form factors for existing products etc.) that enable and enhance printing with the ZINK Technology. Essentially, it’s about the whole design solution, not just the fit and finish. If you think you got it in you to provide a super solution; then enter ZINK Imaging’s Zero Boundaries Design Competition.

Roughly two weeks are left before the contest closes and the first 50 submissions received by June 1 will receive a free ZINK-enabled product and ZINK Paper supply. Cool!

The contest is open to established design firms, emerging designers, and students of design. As ZINK puts it, “The design challenge is to re-imagine printing and its role in the digital world using the ZINK Technology to fuel the future possibilities of this unique technology platform.”

Registrations are open NOW and the Design Submissions are due on June 8th 2009. The Finalists will be announced on June 22nd and the Winners take home the booty by June 29th 2009.

What are the awards?

• First place - Option 1 - $10,000 cash prize
• First place - Option 2 - $10,000 cash prize
• Second place - Both Options - $1,000 each
• Third place - Both Options - $500 each

There are many rules and info that you need to go through before you register, but lemme highlight a couple of them for you.

- Participants can submit multiple entries AND win multiple prizes.

- A fresh perspective on printing is desired; a global perspective from both students and professionals that explores printing possibilities beyond the traditional thinking about how and where printing integrates into a person’s life.

- Entrants are challenged to design a complete ZINK-enabled product “ecosystem” that demonstrates the power of the ZINK Technology to link the digital world to the real world via a tangible ZINK Print. Entrants have two ways they can solve this challenge: 1) by creating a ZINK ecosystem that will make today’s youth crave ZINK products in the context of their digital and mobile world or 2) by creating a “ZINK World” in a context or market of their choice.

For complete details head here and here.

All the best!