David (Dave) Reed Swormstedt, Sr. (1904 – 1978) was born in Ohio to George Willliam (Willie) Swormstedt (1874-1960) and Helen (nee Short) Swormstedt (1873-1951). Swormstedt, Sr. was married to Helen (nee Menefee) Swormstedt (1904-1991) in 1926, and together, they had two sons, David R. Swormstedt, Jr. (1929-2013) and Jerry R. Swormstedt (1934-2015).

Swormstedt, Sr. was a former president of Signs of the Times (ST) Publishing, and later ST Media Group, which brought us Screen Printing Magazine. Swormstedt joined ST Publishing in 1937 and was instrumental in founding two industry associations that still thrive today: The International Sign Association (founded in 1944 as the National Electric Sign Association) and the Specialty Graphics Imaging Association (founded in 1948 as the Screen Process Printing Association).

For Swormstedt’s dedication to screenprinting technologies, the SGIA created “The Dave Swormstedt, Sr. Memorial Award.” in 1978. The annual award recognizes authors for their outstanding writing ability and exceptional industry insight for works written on any aspect of screen printing or graphic imaging and published in the previous calendar year. Members Academy of Screen and Digital Print Technologies (ASDPT). individuals for the prestigious annual award and members of the Academy choose the winners.

Signs of the Times is the leading magazine and voice for the sign industry.

The Beginning

In 1906, W.H. Donaldson (1864–1925), the publisher of Billboard Magazine, started another magazine, Signs of the Times, for the manufacturers and buyers of signs, with educational information to a community of signmakers about the art and business of sign painting, electrical signage, billboards, and outdoor advertising. The following year, Donaldson hired Henry Carl (H.C.) Menefee (1882-1963), as an editor. In 1914, Menefee purchased the rights to Signs of the Times and hired sign painter Tom Kelley as editor in 1924. In 1926, Menefee’s daughter Helen Menefee married David Reed Swormstedt, Sr., and the torch was passed to the Swormstedt family. Swormstedt Sr. joined the company in 1937; and was responsible for creating Screen Printing Magazine in 1953.

With Swormstedt, Sr.’s passing in 1978, his sons, Dave Jr. and Jerry, steered the company. In addition, the sons of Dave Jr. Tod and Wade Swormstedt led the editorial effort for Signs of the Times magazine.

The 1990s also brought a new generation of Swormstedts to the management front. Dave Jr. and Jerry Swormstedt retired, passing their torches to their sons. Tod assumed the vice-president role. Wade became the editor and eventual publisher of Signs of the Times magazine. And Tedd (son of Jerry) learned the financial and advertising side of the business.

As new digital printing technology developed, The Big Picture magazine was created in 1996. To close the decade, Tedd Swormstedt was named company president by board members, and Tod founded the American Sign Museum in 1999, which ST Media Group sponsored with donations of more than $1.6 million.

The company expanded heavily into organizing and producing trade show events, including the International Retail Design Conference, BDNY, Hospitality Match, and BDwest. The company also expanded by acquiring publications such as Package Design, Industrial + Specialty Printing, and Boutique Design. When digital printing came about, the company jumped on the market to increase ad sales, which were the only income resource for the company’s magazines. Of course, digital printing did not overtake screenprinting, as many believed, and magazine readership decreased as screenprinting content was reduced. The once thick magazines began to dwindle in size and revenue and changed to 6 issues a year instead of 12.

When the Covid-19 Pandemic hit, the company was unprepared for the slowdown. Advertising dwindled even further, and the company was forced to sell off without the ability to hold the tradeshows.

The Sell-Off

In 2020, Matthijs Braakman, CEO of SmartWork Media of Montclair, NJ, announced the purchase of the assets of ST Media Group International. SmartWork Media (SWM) is a part of Synergia One Group of Companies, including business-to-business print publications in the jewelry, eye care, and pet businesses.

As a result, the company no longer publishes many past magazines, including; Boutique Design, Hospitality Style, Industrial + Specialty Printing, Package Design Magazine, Signs of the Times & Screenprinting in Spanish.

Dave Swormstedt, Sr. Memorial Award

The Dave Swormstedt, Sr. Memorial Award has been presented annually since 1978, during the SGIA Expo in October, to the author(s) of an article written on any aspect of screenprinting or graphic imaging and published in the fiscal year — August 1 through July 31 — immediately preceding the meeting.

Nominations are made by Academy of Screen and Digital Print Technologies (ASDPT) members for various categories, with a Best-of-Class winner in each. Then one of the winners is awarded the prestigious Swormstedt Award recognizing their outstanding writing ability and exceptional industry insight. Previous winners have been:

1978 Hans Gerd-Scheer
1979 Peter Herman
1980 Hans Gerd-Scheer,“The Influence of the Stencil Fabric on the Ink Deposit and Consumption of Screen Printing Ink”
1981 Michel Caza, “The Theory and Practice of UV Screen Printing”
1982 Ron Mason “Ultraviolet Printing: Backyard Molecules”
1983 Elmar Messerschmitt, “Ultimate Screen for Close Tolerance Screen Printing” & “Rheological Considerations for Screen Printing Inks”
1984 Sylve Ericsson “Development and Research of High Efficiency Jet Dryers and UV Curing Systems”
1985 Tamas Frecska, “Screen Fabrics: A Question of the Right Parameters”
1986 Joe Clarke, “Control Without Confusion”
1987 Hans Gerd-Scheer, “Screen Printing Criteria in Halftone Printing”
1988 Mike Young, “Proper Techniques & Process Control for Printing Overlay Front Panels”
1989 Joe Clarke, “Woven Nylon Imprinting”
1990 Tamas Frecska, “Taming Microregistration”
1991 Andre Peyskens, “Fine-Detail Printing”
1992 Mark Coudray, “Understanding Halftone Moire”
1993 Tamas Frecska, “Screen Printing in the Year 2000”
1994 Mark Coudray, “Stochastic Halftones”
1995 Tamas Frescka, “Becoming a Super Color Matcher”
1996 Tamas Frescka, “Floodbar Fundamentals”
1997: Colin Cheer
1998 Shannon Boothe and Doug Brendle, “The Truth About High Tension Screens”
1999 Hans Gerd-Scheer, “Quality Control for Halftone Screen Printing”
2000 Joe Clarke, “Lenticular Imaging”
2001 Todd Cleery and Deepthi Sid, “Producing the Best Backlit Signs” Steven Abbott, “It’s the PITS: Pile Height in Process-Color UV Printing”
2002 Joe Clarke, “Balancing Act”
2003 Dr. John Anderson, “Mesh Movement and Its Impact on Screen Tensions, Part 1 and 2.”
2004 Dr. John Anderson, “Putting Theory into Practice”
2005 : Not Awarded
2006 Rick Auterson, “Taking Control with Color Management”
2007 Mike Ruff, “Hybrid Curves”
2008 Mike Ruff, “Accumulative Density: A Powerful Color-Control Tool”
2009: Not Awarded
2010 Dean Buzby and Art Dobie, “Fine Line Screen Printing of Thick Film Pastes on Silicone Solar Cells”
2011 Bea Purcell and Laura Maybaum, “The Future for Curing”
2012 Joe Clarke, ” Squeegee Design Innovation (Part One, Two and Three)”
2013 Don Banfield, Ryan Banfield, and Miranda Lawrence, “Pushing the Limits of Functional Printed Inks”
2014: Guido Lengwiler, “A History of Screen Printing, How an Art Evolved Into An Industry”
2015: Joe Clarke, “High-Shear Conductive for Micro-Traces”
2016: Bill Hood, “The Golden Image Ratio of Image to Screen Size: A Mathematical Reference Offering a Visual Guide as to the Proper Image to Screen Size Ratio”
2017: Mark Coudray, “The Fourth Disruption: Why Venture Capitalists Are Eyeing Garment Decoration”
2018: Mark Coudray, “Optimizing Your Flash Curing”
2019: Art Dobie, “Flexible PET Substrate for High Definition Printing of Polymer Thick Film Conductive Pastes“