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Draft:Grafix

Grafix
Company typePrivate
IndustrySpecialty plastic films, art supplies
Founded1963
FounderJack Berwit
HeadquartersCleveland, Ohio, United States
Key people
Larry Katz (previous owner), Jordan Katz (President, Industrial Division, Current Owner), Hayley Prendergast (President, Consumer Division, Current Owner)
DivisionsGrafix Arts, Grafix Plastics

Grafix is an American manufacturer and distributor of specialty plastic films, sheets, and related materials, headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. Founded in 1963, the company operates two divisions: Grafix Arts, which supplies products for art, craft, and education markets, and Grafix Plastics, which provides industrial and technical plastic films for applications in aerospace, automotive, manufacturing, printing, packaging, electronics, medical, and optical applications.

History

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Grafix was founded in 1963 as Ohio Graphic Art Systems by Jack Berwit in Cleveland, Ohio.[1] The business initially focused on supplying materials for the graphic arts and creative markets.

In 1985, Larry Katz purchased the company and renamed it Grafix.[2] In 2002, Crain’s Cleveland Business profiled Katz in its View from the Top series, highlighting his leadership of the company.[3] Grafix is a Better Business Bureau (BBB) accredited business, holding accreditation since 2014 through the BBB of Cleveland, Ohio.[4]

Grafix Arts (Consumer / Creative Products Division)

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Grafix Arts provides creative-use films, sheets, and surfaces for artists, crafters, educators, and hobbyists. Key product lines include acetate sheets, polyester film (under the Dura-Lar brand), shrink film, frisket film, and various specialty surfaces for drawing, painting, stamping, and mixed media.

Independent coverage has highlighted Grafix Arts products:[5][6][7][8]

Leadership of the division has been recognized by industry associations. Hayley Prendergast, current president of Grafix Arts, served as president of the International Art Materials Association (NAMTA) from 2013 to 2014[9] and was inducted into the NAMTA Hall of Fame in 2019.[10]

Grafix Plastics (Industrial Products Division)

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Over the last three decades, Grafix expanded into industrial and technical applications through its Grafix Plastics division. The unit provides polyester, cellulose acetate, polypropylene, vinyl (PVC), polystyrene, and specialty coated films in roll and sheet formats.[11] Grafix Plastics serves diverse industries, with applications including printing, packaging, electronics, architecture, and scientific research.[12]

Grafix Plastics has been cited by media outlets for its role in specialty plastics. The Wall Street Journal quoted company president Jordan Katz in 2022 regarding how rising energy costs affected plastics pricing.[13] Crain’s Cleveland Business reported on Grafix’s eclipse-viewing application in 2024.[14] Plastic Distributor & Fabricator reported on Grafix Plastics’ redesigned website in 2017.[15]

Grafix Products in Scientific and Academic Research

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Grafix plastic films and sheet products have been referenced in peer-reviewed publications across disciplines, including entomology, neuroscience, materials science, and vision research.[16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25]

References

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  1. ^ Katz, Jordan (2017-07-01). "Company History". Grafix Plastics. Retrieved 2025-09-21.
  2. ^ Stephen Talbott (1985-10-08). "Working for self satisfies owner". The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio: Advance Publications.
  3. ^ "The View from the Top: Larry Katz". Crain’s Cleveland Business. Crain Communications. 2002-04-29.
  4. ^ "Grafix Profile". Better Business Bureau. BBB. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
  5. ^ "Artist Review of Grafix Dura-Lar Gummed Pads". Jackson’s Art Blog. 2024-07-30. Retrieved 2025-09-21.
  6. ^ Kullberg, Ann (2021-03-19). "The Pencil Box – Featured Artists – May 2021". COLOR Magazine Blog. Ann Kullberg Publications. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
  7. ^ "Caught on Film". Craft Focus. No. 73. 2019-07-01. p. 58. Archived from the original on 30 July 2024. Retrieved 2025-10-25.
  8. ^ Reyes, Julio (2025-10-10). "Leave No Media Behind: An Exploration of Mixed Drawing Media". Artists Network Publications. Retrieved 2025-10-10.
  9. ^ "NAMTA Past Presidents". NAMTA. Retrieved 2025-09-21.
  10. ^ "NAMTA Hall of Fame — 2019 Inductees". NAMTA. 2019. Retrieved 2025-09-21.
  11. ^ Katz, Jordan (2017-07-01). "Grafix Plastics Profile". Thomas For Industry. ThomasNet. Retrieved 2025-09-21.
  12. ^ Katz, Jordan (2025-07-01). "Plastic film and sheet solutions for many markets". Grafix Plastics. Retrieved 2025-10-10.
  13. ^ Smith, Rebecca (2022-03-23). "Oil Price Rise 'Trickles Down to Everything,' Even Your Potato Salad To Go". The Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones & Company.
  14. ^ "Device allows smartphones to photograph eclipse without damage". Crain’s Cleveland Business. Crain Communications. 2024-03-12. Retrieved 2025-09-21.
  15. ^ "Redesigned Website". Plastic Distributor & Fabricator. 2017-09-01. p. 8.
  16. ^ Hottel, B.A.; Wang, G.; Singh, N. (2019). "Sticky Trap Design Considerations for Entrapping Bed Bugs". Insects. 10 (6): 177. doi:10.3390/insects10060177. PMC 6628081. PMID 31248145.
  17. ^ She, Z.; Pang, N. (2020). "Effects of Low-Intensity Ambient Lighting on Refractive Development in Juvenile Tree Shrews". Vision Research. 176: 107–116. doi:10.1016/j.visres.2020.07.004. PMC 7487012. PMID 32777589.
  18. ^ Sciortino, V.M. (2021). "Longitudinal Cortex-Wide Monitoring of Cerebral Hemodynamics in Freely Behaving Mice". Journal of Neural Engineering. 41 (12): 3187–3199. doi:10.1177/0271678X211034096. PMC 8669277. PMID 34304622.
  19. ^ Bu, Y. (2022). "A Flexible Adhesive Surface Electrode Array Capable of Cervical Electroneurography in Humans". Scientific Reports. 12 (1) 14612. doi:10.1038/s41598-022-21817-w. PMC 9663551. PMID 36376365.
  20. ^ Lal, B. (2024). "Inner Retinal Microvasculature With Refraction in Juvenile Tree Shrews". Translational Vision Science & Technology. 13 (8): 42. doi:10.1167/tvst.13.8.42. PMC 11361384. PMID 39186302.
  21. ^ Puljić, D. (2024). "Influence of Implant Number on Peri-Implant and Posterior Edentulous Area Microstrains". Applied Sciences. 14 (5) 2150. doi:10.3390/app14052150.
  22. ^ Shahriari, S. (2024). "A Fully Integrated Microfluidic Device with Immobilized Aptamer-Functionalized Hydrogel Beads". Gels. 10 (3) 186. doi:10.3390/gels10030186. PMC 10970499. PMID 38534604.
  23. ^ Rath, R. (2021). "Peels as an Alternative to Ground Sections". Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology. 25 (2): 261–266. doi:10.4103/jomfp.JOMFP_99_20. PMC 8272485. PMID 34349408.
  24. ^ Cordray, M.S.; Richards-Kortum, R. (2015). "A Paper and Plastic Device for the Combined Isothermal Amplification and Detection of Plasmodium DNA". Malaria Journal. 14: 96. doi:10.1186/s12936-015-0995-6. PMC 4661981. PMID 26611141.
  25. ^ Hudson, M.J. (2010). How to Produce Quality Salmon Scale Impressions (PDF) (Report). Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
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Category:Plastics companies of the United States Category:Manufacturing companies based in Ohio Category:Art materials brands Category:Companies established in 1963 Category:1963 establishments in Ohio

 

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