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R&E Council of NAPL

Our History

In 1950, a group of printing industry researchers and technologists first met as the Research and Engineering Council of the Graphic Arts Industry. The purpose of those first and all subsequent meetings was to conduct an open, working forum in which to explore burgeoning technologies in the graphic arts industry.


According to Frank F. Pfeiffer, the Council's first president, "The Council is not just another association. it is an effective device for concentrating and focusing on the technical problems of the industry the best and most ingenious minds and the total resources of many organizations, large and small, in the vast field of the graphic arts."

From its beginning, the R&E Council has grappled with the definition of the graphic arts industry itself. When the founders met, the term was limited to the art and science of transferring an image to paper, packaging it through one of several binding methods, warehousing it, and distributing it. The industry has evolved considerably since then. From a decidedly craft oriented industry, graphic arts has become an industry of technology. Offset superseded letterpress; scanners replaced cameras; digital imaging enabled direct-to-plate; digital presses are a reality. Through all these transitions, the R&E Council has provided the forum for open, frank discussions among printers, publishers, manufacturers, dealers and others allied to the industry. As we move further into the new millennium, the R&E Council keeps pace with new technologies as they emerge, continually adjusting the focus of its meetings and conferences.

A prime example of the ability of the R&E Council to respond to new initiatives is its Digital Smart Factory Conference, which focuses on the latest developments in developing and implementing a fully integrated, digital workflow through all stages of the supply chain. Now in its eighth year, the DSF Forum seeks to define and synchronize the "smart factory" concept, helping companies achieve efficiencies and maximize customer service by integrating digital process and the flow of information from supplier to printer to customer.

In September 2002, the R&E Council proudly announced a merger with NAPL, the trade association for excellence in graphic communications management. NAPL's vast resources have enabled the R&E Council, now the R&E Council of NAPL, to enhance the value of its offerings to the graphic communications community.