Recently, ten students from the RIT chapter of the Technical Association of the Graphic Arts (TAGA) represented and competed at the 60th annual TAGA Conference. The event was held in San Francisco, California from March 16th-19th, 2008.

The conference gives RIT chapter members a great opportunity to network with industry professionals and a chance to view the projects that students from other schools have been working on. They also attended keynote speeches and tutorials about new technology in the graphic arts industry.

Each year, the RIT chapter competes against other student TAGA chapters by publishing their own journal. The journal is comprised of technical research papers written by students that are about issues relevant to the graphics industry. This year’s publication received the excellence in publication design award, the attendee’s choice award, and the Dusty Rhodes Graduate Paper award.

This weekend, students from our chapter of the Technical Association of the Graphic Arts (TAGA) are heading out to represent RIT at the 60th Annual TAGA national conference. While hanging out at the convention center on San Francisco’s famed Fisherman’s Wharf, they’ll attend technical panels, network with industry professionals, and, most importantly, participate in the annual Student Journal Competition.

Every year, each student TAGA chapter creates a book of research papers written by undergraduate and graduate students concerning technical aspects of the graphic arts industry. The books are judged for the quality of their content and the creativity of their design. While the final version of RIT’s book is still “under wraps,” here’s an SPMETC exclusive sneak peek of this year’s journal:

Good luck, guys!

Taga has just redesigned their website. Feel free to visit and have a sneak peak of our design for the new journal.

• RIT Taga’s new website.

The majority of the SPM et cetera staff is proud to be reporting, while attending the 58th Annual Technical Association of the Graphic Arts, or TAGA conference. This issue of SPM et cetera was assembled while attending the conference in Vancouver, B.C.

With over 160 registered members, including five student chapters comprising one-third of the total number of registrants. The turnout for the 2006 is greater than previous years. This year, TAGA members from around the world gather together to focus on the “future of printing.” Various speakers and industry experts address new issues and emerging technologies. Topics range from virtual proofing, the future of the newspaper industry, and cost-saving workflows, to color gamut optimization in gravure printing presented by School of Print Media professor Bob Chung.

Here a few thoughts by different TAGA student chapter presidents on the 2006 TAGA Conference:

“This year’s annual TAGA conference was, again, a BLAST! The work and dedication of all the students showed greatly in the quality and uniqueness of each journal. I look forward to what will be presented at next year’s conference.”
Tera Enterline, Clemson University

“First, we wish to congratulate all the chapter members and we hope that this conference was enriching for everyone. We hope that the presence of the French student chapter, after a year of absence, was appreciated.”
Élise Poupinet and Alain Andro, EFPG Grenoble, France.