1952

Foundation of Ugra on December 18th by the three associations of support:

• Swiss Association of Master Printer (SBV)
• Swiss Association of Lithography Owners (VSLB)
• Swiss Association of the Paper Manufacturers and Paper Pulp (VSPPF)

At the time of its foundation, Ugra gathers eight associations and four individual members. The Ugra office is settled with the central seat of the SBV. The statutes specify that EMPA in St. Gallen is assigned to process the projects of Ugra.

1953

First operational business year: To carry out tests of printing, EMPA St. Gallen acquires a typographical printing machine (Heidelberg OHZ) and a printing mashine with typographical test (Vandercook). Later, the machine park grows rich by a color offset printing machine (Color Metal Perle) and by printing machine with offset tests EMPA employees moreover a typographer and an offset printer to carry out the projects of Ugra.

1955

Ugra publishes its project results in the Ugra bulletin, which is published once a year. After 11 editions, the Ugra bulletin is no longer continued, due to the comparatively high costs. The project results are then published in a separate project report.

1957

Ugra takes part at the international specialized exhibition "Print 57" in Lausanne with its own exhibition booth.

1962

Ugra releases the first version of the Ugra Plate Control Wedge on the market. This product was developed in the lap of the technical commission Offset under the leadership of Max Sigg. The price at that time was CHF 30.–.

1963

First publication of the Ugra reports, which were published three times annually until 1974 then four times annually. Altogether 116 booklets were published to the end of 2001. The appearance was three times adapted.

1965

Ugra becomes initial member of the international collaboration of the graphic research institutes (iarigai).

1967

Introduction of the Ugra instruction cards: It concerns around two- to four-sided recommendations or procedural instructions for practice as well as summaries in line with standard usage of Ugra projects. The instruction cards are not any more published since 1990. Altogether, sheets to 25 topics (which partial were updated several times) were published.

1968

In the context of a new co-operation contract with EMPA, the Ugra office is located at EMPA in St. Gallen.

1972

Foundation of the higher technical institute for graphic industry (esig+) in Lausanne: With it a co-operation of many years begins with Ugra and EMPA St. Gallen. The co-operation of the EMPA is the center of attention on the area of instruction. Questions, which refer to current Ugra projects, are worked on during diploma and semester work.

1975

Ugra is hostess of the 13th conference of research of iarigai, which takes place in Wildhaus SG. On behalf of the organization of EMPA, representatives of 25 institutes from 15 countries meet to a one-week conference.

1977

Ugra accomplishes the first common project with Fogra in Munich. It concerns an evaluation of incident lights and back lighting densitometers, 17 each.

1978

In order to be able to develop an authority in the rapidly growing photo-compostion area, a photo-composition system with rotary writing disk (model Bobst Eurocat 152) is installed at EMPA in St. Gallen. A first project was concerned with control and controlling of the quality of characters in the photo-composition. 1986 the first laser typesetter (Linotronic 300) was installed, which was meanwhile replaced by two follow-up devices.

1985

As a representative of Ugra Professor Dr. K. Schlaepfer is selected to the chairman of the international association of the graphic research institutes (iarigai). He holds this position until 1991.

1986

Ugra starts with the sales of the Ugra Plate Control Wedges to Japan. On the basis of different co-operation contracts with the company Kohan in Tokyo, Japan develops to the fourth-most important customer for control devices for Ugra (beside Switzerland, Germany and the USA).

1987

First contribution to the Ugra about "digital photography" in the Ugra reports. In the consequence an extensive authority in this area was developed at EMPA. By this time control devices for the digital photography are developed as well.

1988

Beginning of the Macintosh age at EMPA: With the installation of two Mac II, one s/w and a color scanner as well as a PostScript laser printer the conditions are created, so that practice-oriented Ugra projects for Desktop Publishing can be accomplished. The DTP system is interlaced additionally with an already existing digital film typesetter and the house computer of EMPA. The Mac network of the media technology department of EMPA grows later up to 50 Mac devices.

1989

 

First Ugra report, which answers economical questions as well: It concerns a market review of 112 offset machines with data for the cost of floor space calculation.

 

1990

 

Ugra patent application: "Procedures for quality control in the digital image replication".

 

1991

Ugra accomplishes the first trade conference under the title "Environmental Management in the Graphic Arts Industry". The conference was eleven times accomplished to 2001 and is at a firm date in March in the meeting agenda.

1992

Ugra signs a co-operation contract with Fogra in Munich in the field of digital control devices. In the consequence the control devices of both institutes are marketed under the trade name Ugra/Fogra.

1995

Developments in the area of the new media, in particular Internet and Multimedia, are treated in the lap of a new created Ugra functional commission. In the subsequent year the first trade conference Internet and Multimedia with 157 participants is accomplished.

1996

 

EMPA and thus the Ugra office move into a new building in the west of the city St. Gallen.

 

1998

An intensification of the course offer leads to the provisional maximum number of 13 different course topics in the same year with 19 accomplished course days.

1999

With the Ugra/Fogra MiniTarget Ugra starts a new generation of control devices, which are characterized by small space requirement and a simple evaluation: On a measuring surface, which is only little larger than an earlier full clay/tone field, eight quality parameters can be read off with only one reading per basic color, about which for the first time also the register accuracy.

2000

Ugra is represented together with Fogra with a booth at Drupa 2000 in Duesseldorf. 

The fifth international Ugra trade conference Internet and Multimedia registers a record with 233 participants, and this briefly before the New Media Hype.

2001

After five years the Ugra homepage is revised. Ugra developed an own homepage. The extent amounts to 76 sides. It is found under www.ugra.ch.

2005

On January 1st Ugra begins to work detached by EMPA St. Gallen independently. It remains however in the EMPA building in St. Gallen and can refer to the different disciplines of EMPA for the services and research projects. In addition, the homepage www.ugra.ch is launched with a new design and for the business activity of Ugra a new name and a new logo are used.

2006

After a good annual statement in 2005, the second year of independency is initiated. The staff is extended from 4 employees to 7. The year was crowned by the Ugra printing conference on December 7th with more than 100 participants and 15 exhibitors.