The Graphic Arts Education and Research Foundation is an organization whose mission is to advance knowledge and education in the field of graphic communications by supporting programs that prepare the workforce of the future.

GAERF was founded in 1983 by the National Association for Printing Leadership (NAPL), NPES

NPES

NPES The Association for Suppliers of Printing, Publishing and Converting Technologies is a trade association based in the United States representing more than 400 companies that manufacture and distribute equipment, systems, software, and supplies used in printing, publishing and converting.-...

 The Association for Suppliers of Printing, Publishing and Converting Technologies and the Printing Industries of America

Printing Industries of America

Printing Industries of America is a nonprofit trade association which advocates for the United States printing industry.It is the world’s largest graphic arts trade association, representing more than 10,000 member companies and an industry with more than $174.4 billion in revenue and 1 million...

. These three national associations jointly own the Graphic Arts Show Company (GASC). GAERF was created to channel a portion of the revenues earned by GASC-managed shows, such as GRAPH EXPO and PRINT, into projects supporting a strong future for the industry.

GAERF has its offices at the NPES headquarters in Reston, Virginia

Reston, Virginia

Reston is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, within the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The population was 58,404, at the 2010 Census and 56,407 at the 2000 census...

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GAERF administers PrintED, a national accreditation and certification program, based on industry standards, for graphic communications courses of study at the secondary and post-secondary levels.