PRINTING United Alliance 2026 Honorees Named for Industry Service
24 Augsut 2026: PRINTING United Alliance has named its 2026 honorees, led by five Ben Franklin Honor Society inductees and three new Academy members. The group will recognise them on September 23 at PRINTING United Expo in Las Vegas. The awards honour industry service, technical work, practical innovation and the open exchange of printing knowledge.
Who are the PRINTING United Alliance 2026 honorees ?
The Ben Franklin Honor Society recognises people whose work has made a lasting contribution to printing and graphic communications. Its 2026 class brings together business leaders, educators and print specialists:
- Lane Hickey-Wiggins, Douglass Screen Printers, Inc., doing business as DPRINT
- Michael Magerl, Trabon
- Matthew Rhome, Sticker Mule
- John Seymour, Clemson University
- Chris Ulmer, Crystal Coast Graphics
The induction is scheduled for 1 p.m. on September 23 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The society traces its present form to the 2005 consolidation of the Ash Khan Society of Printing Industries of America and the Society of Fellows of the Graphic Arts Technical Foundation.
Who entered the Academy in 2026?
Three specialists will join the Academy of Screen & Digital Print Technologies:
- John MaGee, Avient Specialty Inks
- Kevin Kauth, SAATI Americas Corporation
- Michelle Moxley, The Ink Kitchen
Established in 1973, the Academy recognises long-term contributions to screen printing, digital printing and related imaging methods. Its membership includes printers, suppliers, manufacturers, educators and technical specialists. Members also teach, review technical material, speak at industry events and support print-quality assessment.
Why will Riley Hopkins receive the Joe Clarke Innovator Award?
Riley Hopkins will receive the 2026 Joe Clarke Innovator Award during the Academy luncheon at noon on September 23. The award recognises practical advances in products, processes or printing methods, coupled with a willingness to explain the work so others can use it.
The award commemorates Joe Clarke, who spent decades researching and documenting screen and digital printing methods. Its emphasis on shared technical knowledge makes it different from an award based solely on a commercial product or patent.
Which articles won the 2026 Swormstedt awards?
The Academy also selected four pieces of technical and educational writing for Swormstedt Best-in-Class honours:
- Graphic and flat-stock screen printing: Control the Thickness of Ink Deposit, by Michel Caza
- Apparel textile screen printing: AI Generative Art in 2025, by Michelle Moxley
- Functional and industrial screen and digital printing: Overcoming the Particle Barriers to Functional Printing, by Ray Greenwood
- Business, technology and history: Fahrenheit AI, by Michelle Moxley
Academy members chose Moxley’s AI Generative Art in 2025 as the overall 2026 Swormstedt Award winner. Caza, a screen-printing teacher and technical author who died before the ceremony, will receive his honour posthumously. Andy MacDougall is expected to accept it on his behalf.
When will the 2026 honourees be recognised?
The ceremonies will take place during PRINTING United Expo at the Las Vegas Convention Center on September 23, 2026. The programme places volunteer service beside technical invention and published education, reflecting the role that documented, teachable knowledge plays across the printing industry.
Further information about the awards, membership groups and industry programmes is available from PRINTING United Alliance.
