PrintED Launches Ninth Area of Accreditation
RESTON, VA—March 16, 2009—The Graphic Arts Education and Research Foundation (GAERF) has launched PrintED's newest area of accreditation: Advertising & Design. Because today's printing and publishing industry is symbiotically tied to graphic designers, and the design process is an essential element in the print workflow, accreditation in Advertising & Design is a natural addition to the PrintED core competencies. This action ensures that our industry is reaching out to—and properly training—all the talented young people who may be interested in graphic communications.
“Advertising and design has always been an integral part of graphic communications, but this fact has never been more evident than in the past several years, as the industry has shifted beyond ink on paper to becoming solutions providers,” explained GAERF President Ralph Nappi. “As the line between the advertising/design and technical sides of our industry increasingly blurs, it's essential for us as an industry to ensure that those graduating from advertising and design disciplines are knowledgeable about the production process.”
A task force comprised of industry and education members developed the advertising and design competencies. The other eight accreditation areas of PrintED include:
• Introduction to Graphic Communications
• Digital File Preparation
• Offset Press Operations
• Binding & Finishing
• Digital File Output
• Digital Production Printing
• Advanced Offset Press Operations
• Advanced Digital File Preparation
About PrintED®
PrintED, administered by the Graphic Arts Education and Research Foundation, is a national accreditation and certification program, based on industry standards, for graphic communications courses of study at the secondary and post-secondary levels. PrintED provides a career pathway for students to enter the workplace with verifiable credentials, or to pursue further education with college credit already in hand.
About GAERF®
The Graphic Arts Education and Research Foundation was created by the National Association for Printing Leadership, NPES The Association for Suppliers of Printing, Publishing, and Converting Technologies and the Printing Industries of America in 1983. These three national associations jointly own the Graphic Arts Show Company (GASC®). GAERF was created to channel a portion of the revenues earned by GASC-managed shows into projects supporting a strong future for the industry. For additional information about the Foundation and its programs, visit the GAERF web site at: www.gaerf.org or phone toll-free: 866/381-9839.
