The American Printing History Association (APHA) is a membership organization that encourages the study of the history of printing and related arts and crafts, including calligraphy, typefounding, typography, papermaking, bookbinding, illustration, and publishing. The organization does this through a wide variety of programs and services: the annual three-day conference and Lieberman Lecture series; the oral history project; the fellowship program; the scholarly journal Printing History and other special publications; annual individual and institutional awards that honor distinguished achievement in the field of printing history. 

APHA is international, with members all over the world. The parent organization is supported by regional chapters that sponsor active programs of lectures, field trips, and other opportunities to meet fellow APHA members on an informal basis. APHA was founded in 1974; the founding board included J. Ben Lieberman, Cathy Brody, Joseph Dunlap, Stuart Dobson, Paul Noble, Robert Leslie, Herbert Johnson, Elizabeth Harris, Philip Grushkin, Martin Speckter, Terry Belanger, Jean Peters, Stephen O. Saxe, and Susan Thompson.

The aim of the Association of European Printing Museums (AEPM) is to bring together organisations and individuals interested in printing heritage in order to share knowledge, experience, approaches, and resources in all fields of the graphic arts as they have been practised from the time of Gutenberg until the present day.

Membership is open to print-related museums, heritage workshops and collectors actively involved in preserving the heritage of the printing industry.

All over Europe there are a large number of printing and paper museums, print workshops, private collections, and graphic arts sections within technical museums which conserve the machines, techniques and skills of the past: from typesetting, wood and copperplate engraving, photomechanical processes, through the various processes of putting ink onto paper, to finishing and bookbinding.

Similarly, the actors involved in preserving and transmitting the machines, techniques and skills of the past are equally varied: practising and former printers, collectors, museum professionals, archivists, historians, typographers and graphic designers, artists and printmakers… and the list is far from exhaustive.

Though museums, workshops and collectors each have their own approach to this effort, they all share a common goal: the preservation, transmission and interpretation of the many ways in which printing and the graphic arts have contributed to the dissemination of information and knowledge and the progress of society.

Origins of the AEPM

The Association of European Printing Museums (AEPM) was founded in Grevenmacher (Luxembourg) in February 2003 with the aim of encouraging co-operation among European printing museums and promoting printing heritage as an important part of European cultural heritage.

It was originally an informal group formed around a project entitled “Preservation of historical printing skills”, whose purpose was to bring together museum specialists with a view to preserving traditional printing skills and techniques. Although many European printing museums and workshops already had the necessary knowledge and skills to do this, it was felt that there was a clear demand for specially trained museum staff which would increase considerably in the future as what were once widespread industrial processes receded into the past.

It rapidly became apparent however that printing and related museums do not operate in a vacuum. They naturally cooperate, on an almost daily basis, with the many collectors and heritage workshops who play an essential rôle in preserving both the machines and the skills of printing as it has been practised over the centuries, whether in a craft, industrial, or post-industrial environment.

In September 2012, the AEPM decided to open its membership to workshops and collectors active in the field of printing heritage.

In February 2014, the AEPM was formally constituted as a not for profit association registered in Brussels under Belgian law.

Aims of the AEPM

As a broad network of museums, heritage workshops and collectors, the activities of the AEPM are focused on:

• the exchange of information, experience, and knowledge of the machines and skills which were once common in the printing trade but which have been superceded by modern industrial processes,
• the training of specialists in traditional printing methods with a view to actively preserving them and transmitting them to future generations,
• the development of new techniques of presentation and mediation of printing heritage with a view to creating a better understanding the links between communication technologies of the past and present.

The ATypI or Association Typographique Internationale (the International Typography Association) is an international non-profit organisation dedicated to typography and type design. A primary activity of the association is an annual conference, held in a different city each year. It is organised with the help of local members and institutions, often universities or colleges.

In addition, ATypI want to:

• promote contemporary digital fonts
• encourage outstanding typography and typographic design
• campaign for the protection of typeface designs
• influence legislators around the world

The Society was founded in 1944 by a Bristol printer, William R. Brace. He visualised an organisation which would enable printers to exchange views and experiences, pass on hints and tips, and generally promote a spirit of craftsmanship and friendliness. 

Membership of the British Printing Society is open to anyone interested in printing, whether on an amateur or professional basis. Members include those who print for pleasure or profit, typographers, teachers, club officials and private publishers. Their common interest has proved a basis for lasting friendship. Overseas members are welcome.

The Society publishes its own monthly magazine “Small Printer” which is distributed free to all members. Its contents include official and membership news, reviews, articles on the various aspects of printing, instructional features, correspondence, ideas and suggestions, details of suppliers and members' small advertisements.

The Society has a library of several hundred books. These include advanced and elementary works on printing and crafts related to it, business organisation and costing, private press books, and specimens of printing. These books are available only to members resident in the British Isles. The loan period is eight weeks and no charge is made but borrowers are required to pay return postage. 

Chulotype is a non-profit organisation dedicated to promote typography culture in Spain.

Based in Madrid, we fill the city’s agenda with typographic events and activities. From the annual Typomad Festival (our biggest event for 300 attendees and first level speakers) to our monthly events El Aperitipo and Typolocos (smaller talks and work spaces to build a strong and connected comunmity of typographic lovers).

We also organize visits to some special areas of the city (our Type Safaris) to discover and rediscover the typographic, printing and lettering heritage of Madrid. We are also building a strong presence in social media to spread the typographic culture and latest news. And we are currently working to launch our on-line publication for Spanish readers.

Our collective is formed by volunteers from different parts of Spain. Chulotype is totally independent of any institution or brand.

The International Institute for Information Design (IIID) is a global network of individuals and organisations who are interested in optimizing information and information systems for knowledge transfer in everyday life, business, education and science. Its aims are to stimulate internationally the development, recognition and good practice of information design in its broadest sense.

The International Society of Typographic Designers (ISTD) is a professional body run by and for typographers, graphic designers, and educators. The society has an international membership and its aims are to establish and maintain standards of typography and to provide a forum for debate.

The ISTD was originally formed in 1928 as the British Typographers' Guild (BTG). In 1953 the guild became the Society of Typographic Designers (STD), and in 1999, recognizing its influence in other countries, it became the International Society of Typographic Designers (ISTD).

The ISTD runs the International Typographic Awards which are held as an appraisal of current standards in typographic design and are judged by some of today's leading graphic, interactive and typographic design specialists.

Ladies of Letterpress is an international trade organization for letterpress printers and print enthusiasts.  Its mission is to promote the art and craft of letterpress printing and to encourage the voice and vision of women printers. The organization strive to maintain the cultural legacy of fine press printing while advancing it as a living, contemporary art form as well as a viable commercial printing method. Membership is open to both men and women. 

Objectives:

• to promote the art and craft of letterpress printing through public outreach, participation in trade fairs, conferences, exhibitions, print exchanges
• to support the members by offering an encouraging, non-competitive community
• to maintain the cultural legacy of fine press printing through exposure and education
• to advance letterpress printing as a viable commercial printing method by emphasizing best practices both in technique and business
• to help the members become self-sustaining through working together to achieve goals that they might not be able to achieve singly

The founders of LoLP are Jessica C. White and Kseniya Thomas. Jessica is the owner of Heroes & Criminals Press in Asheville, NC, where she also teaches printing and binding workshops and is adjunct professor of book arts at Warren Wilson College. Kseniya is the owner of Thomas-Printers, a commercial letterpress and design shop in Carlisle, PA.

Ladies of Letterpress was founded in late 2007 and the site was opened to the public in January of 2009.

The Society of Typographic Aficionados (SOTA) is an international not-for-profit organization dedicated to the promotion, study, and support of type, its history and development, its use in the world of print and digital imagery, its designers, and its admirers.

The Society of Typographic Aficionados exists for the affordable education of its members and participants; to further the development of type, typographical information and typography; and to appreciate on multiple levels the attributes of type, typography, design, the book arts, and calligraphy.

Furthermore, SOTA is committed to sponsoring relevant topics in pursuit of these goals through an annual conference (TypeCon), held in a different host city each year.

Members have the opportunity to help shape the direction of the organization. Volunteerism is essential to the continued growth and usefulness of organization. Members are encouraged to propose venues, programming, and support for future conferences and other events. We welcome ideas for public awareness campaigns, fundraising activities, and broadening cultural diversity. There is much work to be done, and we hope you will volunteer your time and talents.

The Typographic Circle was formed in 1976 to bring together anyone with an interest in type and typography.

It is a not-for-profit organisation run entirely by volunteers. It stages a variety of type and typography related events including a series of diverse monthly lectures by well-known industry speakers, and the annual New York Type Directors Club exhibition. Previous speakers have included Trevor Beattie, Stefan Sagmeister, Ken Garland, Jonathan Barnbrook, Fred Flade, MadeThought, NB Studio, Anthony Burrill, Rick Poyner, Sir John Hegarty... the list goes on.

Membership is open to anyone with an interest in type and typography, and there are no entry tests or examinations.

The Type Directors Club is a leading international organization whose purpose is to support excellence in typography, both in print and on screen.

Founded in 1946 by some of the industry’s leading practitioners, the TDC’s earliest membership included Aaron Burns, Will Burtin, Freeman Craw, Louis Dorfsman, Gene Federico, Edward M. Gottschall, Herb Lubalin, Edward Rondthaler, Bradbury Thompson, and Hermann Zapf. With this solid historical background, the TDC today represents and rewards the best of today’s type design and type use.

The TDC holds two yearly type competitions: one for the use of type and the letterform in design and the other, typeface design. The winners are reproduced in our Typography Annual, published by HarperCollins Publishers, as well as displayed in seven exhibits that travel worldwide. In addition to celebrating outstanding achievements, the typography competitions and resulting annuals serve as important historical records of typographic trends, and are an invaluable resource for both designers and scholars.

Education has always been an important part of the Type Directors Club’s mission. The TDC began offering lectures in 1947, the second year of the Club’s existence. Called Ten Talks on Type, the lectures were given by James Secrest, Arnold Bank, Gene Ettenberg, Charles Felton, Milton Zudeck, O. Alfred Dickman, Joseph Weiler, Frank Powers, and Hal Zamboni. The series’ success led to it becoming an annual event. In 1958, the Club extended its reach to an international day-long seminar at the Silvermine Artists Guild in New Canaan, Connecticut, which drew 500 attendees.

In 1959, the TDC ran Typography USA at the Biltmore Hotel in Manhattan. Speakers included Saul Bass, Herbert Bayer, Lester Beall, Will Burtin, Lou Dorfsman, Alvin Eisenmann, Gene Federico, William Golden, Allen Hurlburt, Leo Lionni, Herb Lubalin, Paul Rand, Ladislav Sutnar, and Bradbury Thompson.

Among the many speakers and teachers in the intervening years have been Aaron Burns, Klaus Schmidt, Ed Gottschall, Tom Carnase, Bruno Brugnatelli, Milton Glaser, Hermann Zapf, Eileen Hedy Schultz, Ed Benguiat, Olaf Leu, Martin Solomon, Günter Gerhard Lange, and Freeman Craw.

The current lecture and class schedule offered by the TDC continues apace. The Education Committee has been developing course offerings at all levels of proficiency that reflect today’s needs and interests, and the Event Committee continues scheduling monthly Type Salons in our Manhattan space.

The TDC is the home for typography—a physical meeting place and a strong professional affiliation. We welcome all in advertising, communications, education, marketing, and publishing who have a keen interest in type and the written word: graphic designers, art directors, editors, multimedia professionals, students, and entrepreneurs.

The Virtual Museum of Printing is an online heritage collective that aims to bring together the printing-historical resources of the British Isles in one site. 

The Virtual Museum of Printing will enable print historians, practitioners, museum curators, and other heritage professionals to contribute data, images, video, and narrative from their collections. This will foster connections and networking, facilitate knowledge exchange, and create training opportunities. Most importantly, museum visitors will be able to engage with many collections related to printing, including some which are wholly or partly inaccessible physically.