The Scottish Alliance of Masters in the Printing and Kindred Trades, now known as Print Scotland, was formed at a meeting in the North British Hotel (now the Balmoral) in Edinburgh on 8 November 1910, to represent the interests of printing employers throughout Scotland. It has gone through several name changes:
- 1911: the constitution & rules of the Scottish Alliance of Masters in the Printing & Kindred Trades was adopted by the Executive Council on 20 September
- 1952: name changed to the Scottish Alliance of Master Printers
- 1960: name changed to the Society of Master Printers of Scotland
- 1990: name changed to Scottish Print Employers Federation
- 2009: name changed to Graphic Enterprise Scotland
- 2014: name changed to Print Scotland
There is a list of past presidents with a photo gallery, and the centenary history Mechanical to digital printing in Scotland by Professor John Gennard is available through our online shop. The archives of the organisation are now held in the National Library of Scotland.
There was also an active Young Master Printers Group, which held its first conference in St Andrews in 1928. A short history was written to mark the 50th anniversary of its foundation.
Click on the links below to see lists of office bearers and member companies (grouped by local association) over the period 1923-1983.
Society of Master Printers of Scotland 1964
Society of Master Printers of Scotland 1973
Society of Master Printers of Scotland 1983
Local associations were the mainstay of the employers’ organisation: these were:
- Aberdeen Printing and Kindred Trades Employers’ Association. First met in November 1912: branch formed March 1918
- Ayrshire Printing and Kindred Trades Employers’ Association. First met in 1914: branch formed November 1918
- Central Counties Printing and Kindred Trades Employers’ Association. Branch formed May 1919
- Dumfries and Galloway Master Printers Association
- Dundee Printing and Kindred Trades Employers’ Association. First met in October 1910: branch formed February 1917
- Edinburgh Printing and Kindred Trades Employers’ Association. First met prior to 1792: branch formed April, 1917: a list of EMPS presidents 1917-1991 has been compiled
- Fifeshire Printing and Kindred Trades Employers’ Association. Branch formed 1920
- Forfarshire Printing and Kindred Trades Employers’ Association. Branch formed May 1919
- Glasgow District Printing and Kindred Trades Employers’ Association. First met in December 1876: branch formed April 1917
- Greenock Master Printers’ AssociationLanarkshire District Printing and Kindred Trades Employers’ Association. Branch formed March 1926
- Northern Counties Printing and Kindred Trades Employers’ Association. Branch formed December 1920
- Perth Printing and Kindred Trades Employers’ Association. First met in early 1918. Branch formed June 1918
- Scottish Border District Printing and Kindred Trade Employers’ Association. Branch formed July 1919
