The Technical Association of the Graphic Arts was originally conceived in a lounge at the Parker House Hotel in Boston in October 1947 when Dr. Frederick Frost, research director of S.D. Warren Paper Company met with Michael Bruno, research director of the Lithographic Technical Foundation (LTF, predecessor to Graphic Arts Technical Foundation, now Printing Industries of America) to discuss the concept for a technical association for the printing industry.
As a result of that meeting the concept for a new organization was discussed and approved at the next meeting of the LTF Research Committee. Michael Bruno was elected the first president and he and Dr. Marvin Rogers, research director of R.R. Donnelley & Sons, wrote the constitution and by-laws. The first conference was held in Chicago in April of 1949, drawing 124 attendees, including 92 of the original 149 charter members.