Here are 100 of the most popular books on graphic design. Some are old and some are really old. The great thing about the fundamentals of graphic design is that they never change. How many of these books are in your personal libray? Enjoy!
100 of the most popular books on graphic design
- Thinking with Type: A Critical Guide for Designers, Writers, Editors, & Students (Design Briefs)
- The Non-Designer’s Design Book: Design and Typographic Principles for the Visual Novice
- Meggs’ History of Graphic Design
- Graphic Design Solutions, Third Edition
- Graphic Design: The New Basics
- The Elements of Color: A Treatise on the Color System of Johannes Itten Based on His Book the Art of Color (A Basic color library)
- Envisioning Information
- Universal Principles of Design
- Graphic Artists Guild Handbook: Pricing & Ethical Guidelines (Graphic Artists Guild Handbook: Pricing & Ethical Guidelines)
- Designing with Type: A Basic Course in Typography
- Design Elements: A Graphic Style Manual
- Making and Breaking the Grid: A Graphic Design Layout Workshop
- An Illustrated Life: Drawing Inspiration from the Private Sketchbooks of Artists, Illustrators and Designers
- Typography Workbook: A Real-World Guide to Using Type in Graphic Design
- Designing Brand Identity: An Essential Guide for the Whole Branding Team
- Layout Workbook: A Real-World Guide to Building Pages in Graphic Design
- Designing Brand Identity: A Complete Guide to Creating, Building, and Maintaining Strong Brands
- Graphic Design: A New History
- Interaction of Color
- Grid Systems: Principles of Organizing Type (Design Briefs)
- Geometry of Design: Studies in Proportion and Composition
- Picture This: How Pictures Work
- Stop Stealing Sheep & Find Out How Type Works (2nd Edition)
- The Elements of Graphic Design: Space, Unity, Page Architecture, and Type
- Design Basics Index (Index Series)
- How To Be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul
- The Laws of Simplicity (Simplicity: Design, Technology, Business, Life)
- Forms, Folds and Sizes, Second Edition: All the Details Graphic Designers Need to Know but Can Never Find
- Designer’s Color Manual: The Complete Guide to Color Theory and Application
- Graphic Design History: A Critical Guide
- Fingerprint: The Art of Using Hand-Made Elements in Graphic Design
- Pantone Guide to Communicating with Color
- Logo Design Workbook: A Hands-On Guide to Creating Logos
- Design Language
- Graphic Design Basics
- Getting It Printed: How to Work With Printers and Graphic Imaging Services to Assure Quality, Stay on Schedule and Control Costs
- Understanding Color: An Introduction for Designers (Design & Graphic Design)
- Exploring the Elements of Design (Design Exploration Series)
- Elements of Design: Rowena Reed Kostellow and the Structure of Visual Relationships
- Exploring Typography (Design Exploration Series)
- Caffeine for the Creative Mind: 250 Exercises to Wake Up Your Brain
- Graphic Design School, Third Edition
- Graphic Communications Today, 4E
- Basics of Design
- Building Design Portfolios: Innovative Concepts for Presenting Your Work (Design Field Guide)
- The Designer’s Guide To Marketing And Pricing: How To Win Clients And What To Charge Them
- Color Index: Over 1100 Color Combinations, CMYK and RGB Formulas, for Print and Web Media
- Type: A Visual History of Typefaces and Graphic Styles, Vol. 1
- Becoming a Graphic Designer: A Guide to Careers in Design
- Introduction to Design (2nd Edition)
- Publication Design Workbook
- 1,000 Type Treatments: From Script to Serif, Letterforms Used to Perfection
- Data Flow: Visualising Information in Graphic Design
- A Guide to Graphic Print Production
- Layout Essentials: 100 Design Principles for Using Grids
- Layout Index: Brochure, Web Design, Poster, Flyer, Advertising, Page Layout, Newsletter, Stationery Index
- Picturing Texts
- Marks of Excellence
- Principles of Form and Design
- The Information Design Handbook
- Business and Legal Forms for Graphic Designers (3rd Edition)
- What is Graphic Design? (Essential Design Handbooks)
- The Designers Complete Index (Boxed Set)
- D.I.Y.: Design It Yourself (Design Handbooks)
- A Designer’s Research Manual: Succeed in Design by Knowing Your Clients and What They Really Need (Design Field Guide)
- Logo, Font & Lettering Bible
- Typographic Systems of Design
- The Wayfinding Handbook: Information Design for Public Places
- Visual Literacy: A Conceptual Approach to Graphic Problem Solving
- The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Graphic Design
- The Business Side of Creativity: The Complete Guide to Running a Small Graphics Design or Communications Business (Third UpdatedEdition)
- How to Think Like a Great Graphic Designer
- The Designer’s Desktop Manual
- Graphic Design: A Concise History, Second Edition (World of Art)
- Package Design Workbook: The Art and Science of Successful Packaging
- Starting Your Career as a Freelance Illustrator or Graphic Designer
- Letterhead and Logo Design 9 (Letterhead & LOGO Design (Quality)) (v. 9)
- Type Idea Index: The Designer’s Ultimate Tool for Choosing and Using Fonts Creatively
- The Design of Dissent: Socially and Politically Driven Graphics
- 1,000 Graphic Elements: Details for Distinctive Designs
- Decoding Design: Understanding and Using Symbols in Visual Communication
- Looking Good in Print
- The Graphic Designer’s Guide to Portfolio Design
- Idea Index: Graphic Effects and Typographic Treatments
- Creativity for Graphic Designers
- Designing Type
- Type Rules!
- The Creative Business Guide to Running a Graphic Design Business (Revised)
- Make It Bigger
- Design Matters: Logos 01: An Essential Primer for Today’s Competitive Market (v. 1)
- New Vintage Type: Classic Fonts for the Digital Age
- Design for Communication: Conceptual Graphic Design Basics
- Green Graphic Design
- Creative Sparks: An Index of 150+ Concepts, Images and Exercises to Ignite Your Design Ingenuity
- Process Color Manual: 24,000 CMYK combinations for design, prepress, and printing
- The Designer’s Guide to Color Combinations
- AIGA Professional Practices in Graphic Design, Second Edition
- Designing Brand Experience: Creating Powerful Integrated Brand Solutions
- Information Design Workbook: Graphic approaches, solutions, and inspiration plus 30 case studies
- Vector Graphics and Illustration: A Master Class in Digital Image-making
Further reading:
- What’s your favourite graphic design book? – David Airey
Wow, it’s overwhelming. Can you give me one or two books for beginning business people that will help me understand your business better? Needs to cover web, print, etc. so I can talk with my graphic artists at least somewhat intelligently. Thanks
Hi Kevin: The best book on this list for beginning business people looking to work with graphic designers is likely:
The Non-Designer’s Design Book: Design and Typographic Principles for the Visual Novice
It’s #2 up there.
A better one by the same author, which is the first in the series, is:
Non-Designer’s Design Book
http://www.amazon.com/Non-Designers-Design-Book-Robin-Williams/dp/0321534042/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1268113313&sr=8-1
This book is a perennial classic with information so fundamental it doesn’t really get old. They are on the third edition (I have the first) which probably includes a bit more info about the web. But, all the basic terms and principles are covered in this GREAT book…
It’s also a very friendly, user-oriented book. You are in good hands if you get it :).
Just got my ordered copy today!! Love the endorsement of it. Next book to get after this one? I’m not looking for a full library to get, but just a couple more that will add to my knowledge base. Thanks for all you’re doing, it’s been VERY helpful for me.
Just as a note, I’m not trying to do the job of a graphic artist, just getting a little bit educated about the process.
KC
P.S. I had an email conversation with Robin about an incident with her book and that incident is in my upcoming book. 🙂
@ Kevin: What a great coincidence. And you have corresponded with her! Small world, I must say.
I say if you digest Robin’s book, you are ready for some heavier material. I really like this book a lot, #8 on the list:
Universal Principles of Design
http://www.amazon.com/Universal-Principles-Design-William-Lidwell/dp/1592530079/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1252681833&sr=1-9#reader_1592530079
Each page of this book is almost a launch pad into another topic you could spend hours on. It takes all the fundamentals of Robin’s book and gets a bit more technical, has a bit more lingo, and gives you some meaty visuals you’ll have to give more than a casual glance. Highly recommended…
Happy reading!
Doug, not done with Robin’s book just did a quick read today, but will digest it more fully over the next few weeks. The only weakness is that she does not cover book design other than a quick discussion about table of contents. While I know that I can use the rest of the info, there should be something in there about book design, but I understand her shortness of this subject.
KC
Kevin: Ah, yes, book design is an art form all by itself. Should couldn’t possibly touch on it in such a small, niche tome. However, the Universal Principles of Design touch on many aspects of book design. The book itself is a case study – incredibly well done. One of my favorite books on the shelf!
P.S. There is a newer version of Robins book out, here’s the link:
http://www.amazon.com/Non-Designers-Design-Book-Robin-Williams/dp/0321534042/ref=dp_ob_title_bk
Thanks Doug. Will add it to my Amazon wish list!! 🙂
KC