The Department of the Graphic Arts and Printing Technology of the Technological University of the Philippines was established in 1954. The Printing Department occupies the ground floor of the university's Radio Building, which is located at the southeast corner of the three hectare main campus along San Marcelino street across Adamson University. All support, tools, and furniture for offset and letterpress units and bindery were donated by US Government through USAID through defunct Bureau of Vocational Education.
The initial course offered was letterpress printing since the staff was familiar only with this printing process. The first department head was Prof. German Manaois, a drafting