SGIA – Printed United Alliance

Screenprinting has existed since 1870 when Henry W. Rudolf first patented the process in the United States (Patent 106874) with a frame with mesh attached. Although he used a brush to transfer the ink through the mesh and onto the substrate. Before that, there was stenciling and pochoir. The squeegee and photo-reactive stencils would not become part of the process until 1910, 40 years later.

Seventy-eight years after Rudolf filed the first patent, the Screen Process Association (SPA) became the first association dedicated to all segments of screenprinting on 22 October 1948. And it would be another 20 years until the association attempted to go international in 1968 and changed its name to the Screen Printing Association International (SPAI).

In 1978, they founded the Academy of Screen Printing Technology (ASPT), now the Academy of Screen & Digital Printing Technologies (ASDPT).

Then in 1995, after decades of not being able to grow internationally, the association changed its name once again to Screen Graphics Imaging Association (SGIA), removing the word international altogether. When SGIA consolidated the Digital Printing & Imaging Association (DPIA) and the Screen Printing Technical Foundation (SPTF) into the organization, they changed the name. Still, they retained the acronym, rebranding to the Specialty Graphic Imaging Association (SGIA) disassociated the organization from screenprinting as they moved toward the large-format digital printing process.

In 2016, in moving even further from screenprinting, the Screen Printing Technical Foundation (SPTF) was shut down, and the assets of the Foundation moved into the general fund of the Specialty Graphic Imaging Association (SGIA).

On May 1, 2020, SGIA, the Printing Industries of America (PIA), and NAPCO Media officially combined to create the PRINTING United Alliance (PUA).

PRINTING United Alliance now produces the yearly PRINTING United Expo and Conference.