printconnect – Rob Penhallow
Welcome to printconnect, the podcast where we discuss the latest innovations, insights, and big ideas shaping the world of specialist printing. In today’s episode, I’m joined by Josh Carruth, Senior Vice President of Association at Printing United Alliance. We’ll be exploring who the Alliance is, the resources and initiatives they provide, and how they’re helping to support and connect the industry, both in the US and beyond.

Rob Penhallow
Josh, really good to have you on the show. For our listeners who might not know, what exactly is Printing United?

Joshua Carruth
Yeah, Rob, happy to be here. The Alliance is really the result of market trends in the industry. I know that sounds a bit abstract, so let me break it down. Speaking from a US perspective—though I think this applies globally—we found ourselves in a situation where there were all these different trade associations and organisations supporting fragmented parts of the industry. That fragmentation really stifles innovation when you think about it.

The Alliance was formed out of that recognition. The driving organisation behind it was SGIA, the Specialty Graphics Imaging Association, which had over 75 years of history serving what was traditionally wide-format and screen printing—pretty much everything but offset printing at the time. Leadership saw the opportunity, based on convergence theory, that if you bring similar or adjacent technologies together, innovation accelerates.

So SGIA merged with Printing Industries of America, which represented traditional commercial offset. That gave us wider coverage across the industry. Then we merged with Idealliance, the organisation behind G7 and now G7 Plus—the calibration standard for greys and colour matching. That’s a whole topic in itself, but essentially it helps achieve better colour and saves money on ink.

On top of that, we merged with a media company, Napco Media, which publishes Printing Impressions, Wide-Format Impressions, Packaging Impressions, and In-plant Impressions. Bringing all of this together created an umbrella over the entire industry. The idea is that we can be more effective in government and regulatory discussions if we represent the industry as one united front.

At its core, the Alliance’s mission is to create and maintain a healthy, prosperous ecosystem for anyone involved in print.

Rob Penhallow
So you’re bringing together what was once a fragmented industry under one roof. Is there still some fragmentation left?

Joshua Carruth
Absolutely. Some of it will just have to work itself out over time. But the advantage of being a nonprofit is that we can act as “Switzerland.” We work with everyone we can, and we believe strongly in the “rising tide lifts all ships” philosophy.

In the US, printing was essentially declassified as an industry—our business codes don’t accurately reflect the true size and scope of print. That’s made it difficult legislatively, but we’re making progress one step at a time.

Rob Penhallow
Who makes up your community, and what are the main ways you’re supporting them?

Joshua Carruth
On the surface, it might seem like our community is just OEMs and printers. But it’s much broader. We have 11 membership types covering suppliers, distributors, consultants, media, and even students and educational institutions. We’ve got more than 1,500 students and 70 schools engaged through our curriculum work.

So really, it’s everyone who touches print. Most benefits lean towards print service providers, but there’s something for all members of the ecosystem.

Rob Penhallow
And what’s your guiding purpose as an association? What’s the mission that drives the Alliance?

Joshua Carruth
Our mission is to maintain that healthy ecosystem. Our vision is to achieve it through legislative and regulatory influence. Recently, for example, there were proposed bans on chlorinated inks and carbon black pigments—both of which would have been catastrophic for the industry. We worked with coalitions to slow those down, but they’ll likely come back, so it’s a constant effort.

We’re also focused on workforce development. The industry is ageing out, and print isn’t taught at the same scale it once was. So we’ve developed training and onboarding pathways to get new people into print, as well as continuing education for those already in the industry. We also support national skills competitions for students, helping to build the next generation.

Alongside that, we provide subject-matter expertise in areas like environmental health, safety, and compliance. Members can pick up the phone and get direct guidance when regulators come knocking.

Rob Penhallow
Let’s talk about some of those offerings. For example, the iLearning platform and G7 certification.

Joshua Carruth
The iLearning platform is our online hub for courses and certifications. That includes the G7 Plus journey, which involves testing, submissions, and external consultants to keep it rigorous.

We launched iLearning less than two years ago, and already have over 6,000 unique learners in 75 countries. Courses are being translated into seven languages, and many companies buy licences for their whole teams so new employees can take “Print 101” as soon as they start.

We also publish quarterly “State of the Industry” reports, wage and benefits studies, and provide access to industry data. Members get significant discounts—or free access—on those resources. Plus, our online directory helps members showcase their capabilities using a global print taxonomy we’ve developed.

And of course, there’s Printing United Expo. It’s one of the largest gatherings of print professionals in the world. Members get free access, dedicated check-in lines, lounge space, and all the paid educational sessions—over 75 a year—for free.

Rob Penhallow
Although the Alliance is US-focused, are there resources international organisations can benefit from?

Joshua Carruth
Yes. We already have international members, and they find value particularly in research, education, and iLearning. These tools are borderless. And if they attend Printing United Expo, the cost of membership more than pays for itself.

Rob Penhallow
What’s next for the Alliance?

Joshua Carruth
We’re focused on the upcoming Expo, where our booth will showcase all the pillars and benefits we’ve talked about today. Beyond that, we’re growing our membership, building awareness, and developing new tools based on member needs. The Alliance is still relatively new as a name, so part of our job is simply spreading awareness. But ultimately, it’s about listening to business owners and creating solutions that make their day-to-day operations easier.

Rob Penhallow
Josh, thank you so much for joining us on printconnect. It’s been a real pleasure having you on the show and hearing your insights into the work Printing United Alliance is doing. Before we wrap up, could you let listeners know where they can go to learn more?

Joshua Carruth
Absolutely. Please visit printing.org
. And if anyone has questions, I’m happy to chat—just reach me at jcaruth@printing.org
. Thanks for having me, Rob, and I look forward to seeing Specialist Printing Worldwide at Printing United in October.

Rob Penhallow
See you there. And don’t forget to subscribe to printconnect so you never miss an episode. We’ll be back soon with more conversations from across the world of specialist printing.