PRINTING United Alliance Celebrates a Year of Major Wins Through Advocacy and More

PRINTING United Alliance, the most comprehensive member-based printing and graphic arts association in North America, proudly announces a year of meaningful achievements fueled by its expanding membership community and the strength of its national advocacy program. Together, these milestones underscore the Alliance’s core mission: to create a stronger, more innovative, and more competitive printing industry. To learn more about the Alliance, visit www.printing.org.

Member participation in the inaugural 2025 Legislative Fly-In helped identify industry issues directly with lawmakers, demonstrating the power of a unified membership base. The continued growth of the Congressional Printing Caucus has elevated our voice on Capitol Hill, creating new opportunities to educate lawmakers, advance industry priorities, and showcase the essential role print plays in America’s economy. | Credit: PRINTING United Alliance

Advocacy Wins That Strengthen and Protect the Printing Industry

The Alliance has proudly championed and worked diligently to identify, provide insight and comments on, and help secure several major legislative victories throughout 2025. These wins directly advance the business environment for print service providers, suppliers, and the broader manufacturing ecosystem. None of this progress would be possible without the unwavering support of Alliance members, whose investment in membership makes this work possible.

Federal Advocacy Achievements

At the federal level, the Alliance supported and shared meaningful tax relief for Main Street businesses and print service providers through critical legislation. These benefits include:

• Maintaining low tax rates for small and mid-sized businesses
• Making permanent the 20% small business deduction, protecting pass-through entities
• Preserving full deductibility of advertising expenses, boosting demand for printed communications and easing tax burdens on printers

These provisions collectively delivered a significant boost to U.S. manufacturing, resulting in a 19% reduction in taxes—totaling $328 billion that can now be reinvested in equipment, workforce expansion, and increased wages.

The Alliance also championed and supported major labor and workforce improvements, including:

• Expansion of 529 education savings accounts under the Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act, allowing these funds to cover short-term training and certification programs—supporting pipelines into skilled print careers
• Federal tax changes exempting the first $12,500 of overtime pay, reducing labor costs for employers
• Removal of the FTC’s ban on noncompete agreements

Critical State Advocacy Achievements 

Across the country, the Alliance worked tirelessly to protect the vital interests of the printing industry in key state-level battles:

• New Jersey and New York: Successful removal of proposed carbon black bans safeguarding the inks essential to print production
• Ohio: Preservation of the longstanding sales and use tax exemption on printed materials preventing major cost increases for printers and publishers
• California (SCAQMD Rule 1171): Adoption of Alliance-recommended regulatory changes for cleaning solvents that balance environmental goals with practical, achievable compliance for print businesses

Collectively, these wins fuel growth, innovation, and opportunity for the entire print ecosystem. Members can access full details and take part in ongoing legislative efforts by visiting the Advocacy Center on printing.org and subscribing to real-time Action Alerts.

Thousands of printers, suppliers, and educators joined or renewed their Alliance membership, reinforcing the Alliance’s role as the industry’s unified voice. | Credit: PRINTING United Alliance

Membership Growth and Industry Impact: Strengthening the Alliance Community

PRINTING United Alliance membership continues to grow as companies across every segment of the printing industry turn to the Alliance for essential resources, technical expertise, workforce support, and powerful industry representation.

Just some of the key membership achievements in 2025 include:

• Record Membership: Thousands of printers, suppliers, and educators joined or renewed their Alliance membership, reinforcing the Alliance’s role as the industry’s unified voice.
• Expansion of iLEARNING+ and G7+: iLEARNING+ is now in use by more than 65 countries and 8,000 learners using the platform. Industry professionals gained access to an expanded portfolio of industry-leading training, including AI, color management, safety, screen printing, “essentials” courses, workflow optimization, and more. Students and educators continued to receive free access to iLEARNING+ year-round.
• Unmatched Technical and Compliance Support: Membership teams assisted with more than 1,600 calls from members on EHS, HR, OSHA, and Advocacy guidance. Members are supported through consultations, template policies, webinars, and compliance resources, including State of the Industry economics reporting, the essential Wage & Benefits Report, Key Financial Ratios program, and so much more.
• Industry-Defining Events & Community Programs: From PRINTING United Expo, Student Day, G7+ and the G7+ Expo Exchange program, to Women in Print Alliance initiatives, webinars, and the popular segment-targeted Summit events; Alliance members benefitted from unprecedented opportunities for networking, visibility, and business development. Alliance Community Forums and Directories were also set up as a way to stay connected.
• Growing Influence on Capitol Hill: Member participation in the inaugural 2025 Legislative Fly-In helped identify industry issues directly with lawmakers, demonstrating the power of a unified membership base. The continued growth of the Congressional Printing Caucus has elevated our voice on Capitol Hill, creating new opportunities to educate lawmakers, advance industry priorities, and showcase the essential role print plays in America’s economy.

These accomplishments reflect the Alliance’s ongoing commitment to delivering high-value services that strengthen the industry and empower every member—from small shops to global manufacturers—to thrive.

A Unified Industry Voice for 2026 and Beyond

“The achievements we are celebrating this year underscore the power of a united industry,” said Ford Bowers, CEO, PRINTING United Alliance. “Our advocacy wins, expanded member resources, and strengthened community programs all stem from the unwavering support and engagement of our members.

“Their investment allows us to protect this industry at every level - federally, locally, and operationally - while equipping print businesses with the tools, education, and guidance they need to thrive. Together, we are shaping a more resilient and innovative future for printing, and we could not be prouder of the progress that has been made.”

The Alliance will continue to expand its advocacy outreach, technical services, education, certification programs, and industry-defining events in 2026, always with the mission of serving its members and advancing the printing industry at large.

Join the Alliance and Be Part of the Most Impactful and United Industry Movement

PRINTING United Alliance is an association built by and for the printing industry. To learn more about becoming a member and accessing these benefits, visit: printing.org/membership. To stay informed on industry issues or engage in ongoing legislative efforts, visit: printing.org/advocacy.

About PRINTING United Alliance
PRINTING United Alliance is the most comprehensive member-based printing and graphic arts association in North America, comprised of the industry’s vast communities. The Alliance serves industry professionals across market segments with preeminent education and training via iLEARNING+, workshops, events, research, government and legislative representation, safety, and environmental sustainability guidance, as well as resources from our leading media brands – Printing Impressions, Packaging Impressions, Wide-format Impressions, In-plant Impressions, Apparelist, and Promo Impressions. A division of PRINTING United Alliance, Idealliance is a global leader in standards training and certification for printing and graphic arts operations across the entire industry supply chain.

PRINTING United Alliance also produces PRINTING United Expo, the most influential days in printing. The expansive display of technology and supplies, education, programming, and services are showcased to the industry at large, and represents all market segments in one easily accessed place.