A conciliation board was established in 1908, in conjunction with the Federation of Master Printers and Allied Trades,[4] and the aim of avoiding industrial action, but as its use was voluntary, it did little.

[1] In 1919, the federation supported the establishment of the Joint Industrial Council for the Printing and Allied Trades, and organised an industry-wide agreement on holidays and working hours.

The federation continued to negotiate agreements on sick pay, redundancy and pensions, although it never involved itself in the setting of wages themselves.

[2] Two of the three unions with the largest number of print workers, the National Society of Operative Printers and Assistants (NATSOPA) and SOGAT, voted to disband the federation in 1972.

The organisation decided that there was no point in continuing without the two largest unions in the sector and voted to dissolve in December 1973.