16 Best Books for Learning Graphics Designing

16 Best Books for Learning Graphics Designing

This post highlights some of the best books around that you can use in learning graphic designing.

You will find it helpful if you are interested in the graphic designing career and looking for materials that can help you start and master the field.

Please, continue reading:

In learning graphic designing, there is every tendency to be more inclined to online tutorials as they are more practical and fun.

The online tutorials allow you to see things in practical terms and even afford you the platform to ask questions.

Another potent way of learning graphic design is through books written by veterans in the industry.

Some could be alive while many could be dead but their books remain a good way of accessing their works and experiences.

So, now we will be looking at some wonderful books you can consider having in your bookshelf for archive purposes or for active purposes.

Here are some of the best books for learning graphics designing:

1. Super Graphic by Tim Leong
2. Illustration Play by Gingko
3. The Graphic Design Idea Book by Steven Heller and Gail Anderson
4. Keep Going by Austin Kleon
5. Book of Ideas Volume 2 by Radim Malinic
6. Two-Dimensional Man by Paul Sahre
7. Left to Right: The Cultural Shift from Words to Pictures by David Crowe
8. The Graphic Language of Neville Brody by Jon Wozencroft
9. Interaction of color by Josef Albers
10. Grid Systems in Graphic Design by Josef Muller Brockmann
11. Graphic Design: A New History (third edition) by Stephen J. Eskilson
12. Graphic Design: A User’s Manual by Adrian Shaughnessy
13. A Designer’s Art by Paul Rand
14. Work for Money, Design for Love by David Airey
15. 50 Best Logos Ever by various contributors
16. How to be a Graphic Designer without Losing Your Soul by Adrian Shaughnessy

16 Best Books for Learning Graphics Designing

1. Super Graphic by Tim Leong

This book offers a lot of insight into an array of infographics.

The book defines and explains a lot of tricks into understanding of comics.

This is for designers that love comics.

With this book, you will understand the designs applicable in many movies you watch out there.

Every page of this book is sure to motivate you into learning about comics.

2. Illustration Play by Gingko

This is a good book you can read to understand illustrations used in covers.

The ideas in this book are real and are very practical for the reader to read and understand.

It is all about illustrations and how and where they are application in graphics design.

3. The Graphic Design Idea Book by Steven Heller and Gail Anderson

This book is a collection of experience and expertise of well-known designers in our contemporary time.

Their ideas have been packed into this book to give the reader the privilege of tapping into the well of graphic design ideas from people that have attained the pinnacle of graphic design.

You wouldn’t ditch this book for anything.

It has a lot to say on color, narrative, illusion, humor, simplicity, ornaments and more.

4. Keep Going by Austin Kleon

This book is specially written for designers who have found themselves in a creative rut.

The book offers 10 ways to stay creative in whichever situation you find yourself as a designer.

The book is short but highly inspirational and can guide you through the thick and thin of your graphics design career.

You can pick it up and help yourself regain your creativity in no time.

5. Book of Ideas Volume 2 by Radim Malinic

This is a continuation of Book of Ideas volume 1. This book will give your ideas on how to fit in and survive in this fast paced field of graphic design.

Every page and chapter of this book will leave you a better designer than you were.

In this book, you will see practical ways from the experience of the author on how you can create a world of your own in graphics design. It is worth reading.

6. Two-Dimensional Man by Paul Sahre

This is a book borne out of the experience of the author Paul Sahre.

It is centered on his experiences as a graphic designer who worked with many clients for graphics jobs as a consultant.

This book is divided into two sections: the monograph and autobiography.

In this book, the author did not just give insight into his career as a successful designer but also gave valuable advice on many other things necessary for you to succeed as a graphic designer.

7. Left to Right: The Cultural Shift from Words to Pictures by David Crowe

In this book, David Crowe examines in details the principles of written communication and its relationship with imagery, and concluded it with audience understanding.

This book is basically theoretical which can serve as a guide into the practical aspect of graphic design.

You need it at all cost. There are a lot of graphic design theoretical framework you will need to digest from this book.

8. The Graphic Language of Neville Brody by Jon Wozencroft

This work is like a tribute to the creative ingenuity of Brody’s designs.

Brody is a great designer who made his mark in the graphic design with scintillating designs.

This course offers a wide range of courses you can consider as a graphic designer that suit your skills and future graphic dreams.

You will need this book if you are interested in expanding your graphic design skills and career.

9. Interaction of color by Josef Albers

This is a book that can help students, teachers, and artists into gaining a greater understanding into complex color theory principles.

Though it has been around for over 50 years, yet it is a great resource book to turn to whenever you have desire to learn about colors.

The color theory principles discussed in this book include demonstrating principles such as color relativity, vibrating, and varnishing boundaries; intensity and temperature.

If you want to learn about colors, then this book is for you.

10. Grid Systems in Graphic Design by Josef Muller Brockmann

This is for anyone interested in learning about grid systems in graphic design.

This book serves a manual into understanding visual communication for graphic designers, typographers, and 3D designers.

It is packed with examples on how to work correctly at a relative conceptual level.

It is a book you will need at every stage of your graphic design career, now and tomorrow.

11. Graphic Design: A New History (third edition) by Stephen J. Eskilson

This book discusses in detail the history of graphic design – the logic behind every graphic design and what graphic represents in today’s world.

This book offers you that insight.

It also offers good insight into 500 new images and current trends in digital design.

This book is something you should get acquainted with at all points in your graphic design career.

12. Graphic Design: A User’s Manual by Adrian Shaughnessy

This is a book you will need if you want to have a complete career as a graphic designer.

In your career as a graphic designer, it is important to know that your design skill is not all you need to have to succeed in your career.

This book offers some good advice on contemporary issues like budgeting, kerning, presenting, dealing with rejection, and more.

This is the real book you need in this complex, ever-changing world of graphic designing.

13. A Designer’s Art by Paul Rand

Paul Rand is well-known by many as the father of modern day rebranding with several creative works attributed to his name.

This book “A Designer’s Art” is one of the many books he has written to help designers find their feet in this field.

This work probes into the world of graphic design in general and presents you with the importance and impact it can have on the society, what works and what doesn’t work in this field and why.

14. Work for Money, Design for Love by David Airey

This book represents the effort of someone who is well experienced in not just creating scintillating designs but also in making some fortunes from doing so. This is what this book is all about.

It will open your eyes to how you can make some cool cash or turn your graphic skills into a full blown business and make some legit money with it.

It teaches you the very things you need to know about turning your graphic designing skills into a business.

Things like your mindset, the very first step you take, and lots more.

15. 50 Best Logos Ever by various contributors

This book was written with the intention of giving you an exclusive list of the best 50 Logos ever made and the very processes involved in making them.

Believe me you have tons of things to learn from this book.

These Logos will challenge you into nursing the desire to be a top draw designer because those designs will really sweep you off your feet when you are done studying them.

16. How to be a Graphic Designer without Losing Your Soul by Adrian Shaughnessy

This book is all about what you need to do to be a successful designer without having to lose anything in the process.

This book gives insight into how you can gain employment, set up a freelancing career, dealing with clients, etc.

It provides you with the ideas and experiences of seasoned designers such as Neville Brody, Natalie Hunter, John Warwicker and Andy Cruz.

Conclusion

Online tutorials may not offer you the full knowledge about graphic design as tutors are bound by time and as such can rush the topic.

Reading and learning through books does not just present you with valuable knowledge, but also knowledge you can consult anytime you need it.

This article has been able to present you with the best books you can consider acquiring either as a beginner in graphic design or as an expert in the field.

Either way, these books should be right there in your shelf for reference or active purposes.