RESTON, VA...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