SEWICKLEY, PA – May 2, 2006 – PIA/GATF's Digital Printing Council (DPC) today announces that since becoming a core service offering in January, its membership has tripled to over 1000, making PIA/GATF's DPC the world's largest digital printing association. Digital Printing Growth is Surpassing Conservative Estimates “Digital printing is surpassing the conservative estimates we all accepted over the last few years,” says Joanne Vinyard, director of the DPC. “The growth we're experiencing directly reflects what's happening in the industry.” “Printers know, and trust, PIA/GATF,” says Frank Romano, a DPC advisory board member and educator. “PIA/GATF has perfected a system for supporting members in their current operations while doing marvelous, precise, advance work that allows them to forecast and plan for potential industry scenarios of the future.” Romano says that benefits to members, as a result, are supreme. Affiliates are Instrumental to Bringing Activities & Resources to Members According to Vinyard, a key contributor to the successful growth in membership has been the execution of a multi-media, cross-organizational campaign supported by the entire association. In addition to utilizing direct mail and email, the GAIN website, Management Portfolio magazine, and press releases for communications; the DPC is working directly with local PIA/GATF affiliates to promote this extensive offering to all members. Affiliates are adding information in their magazines, email blasts, and even phoning members to summarize the DPC offering and answer questions. “The affiliates continue to impress all of us,” she says. “They are instrumental in bringing PIA/GATF activities and work to members in a meaningful, grassroots way that members can relate to.” Vinyard says that PIA/GATF and its affiliates are gratified to have successfully anticipated member needs. “At the DPC, we've stepped up our service offerings, adding significantly enhanced levels of information and products designed to help in every step of digital print adoption, from initial exploration through comprehensive implementation. Our mission is to keep pace with the growth of digital printing and continue to educate and support our members by providing them with resources they need to succeed.” DPC's Marketing 4 Digital Initiative is One of PIA/GATF's Most Successful At the same time that the DPC became a PIA/GATF core service offering, PIA/GATF announced the Year of Digital Print. Among the initiatives supporting the Year of Digital Print include DPC's groundbreaking Marketing 4 Digital (M4D) research and corresponding educational seminars. M4D has turned out to be one of the most popular offerings the association has made available to members over the years. The M4D program underway includes the availability of the first set of M4D research focusing on vertical market segments—Set 2 will be available in late May; Set 3 in late August. Supporting the M4D research is a series of cross-country seminars hosted by PIA/GATF affiliates. Over 300 attendees have participated since the series began this year.