I’m a huge fan of libraries, and I can’t stress enough how much of a resource they can be. That said, not everyone has the same type of library access, which often means students and designers have to pony up for monographs and magazines on top of Adobe’s already hefty software fees. All of that gets pricey fast, so below are links to free digital archives that not only offer access to inspiring work, but books and periodicals that are filled with stuff you don’t always find in a classroom. I’ll try to update this regularly, since getting caught up in a book or falling down a design archive rabbit hole beats the hell out of reading Twitter.
Updated: 01/24/23
Design Archives
- The People’s Graphic Design Archive
- Letterform Archive
- Chicago Women’s Graphics Collective Archive
- AIGA Design Archives
- The Herb Lubalin Study Center
- Milton Glaser Design Study Center and Archives
- RIT Graphic Design Archive
- See Red Women’s Workshop
- Museum of Design Zurich Archive
- Re:collection – Australian Graphic Design 1960-1990
- Logobook
- AGI Archives
Design Magazine Archives
- The International Advertising & Design Database | Undergoing Maintenance
* Favorites: Affiche, Biennale Plakatu Warszawa, Gebrauchsgraphik, Graphis, International Poster Annual, Modern Publicity - U&lc Magazine Archive / (alternate link)
- Communication Arts (it’s $30/year to access their archive, but worth it)
- Emigre Magazine Archive
- Print 1940-2005 (currently up to 1960)
- HOW 1991-1997
- Art Direction 1953-1975
Design Books (Out of Print)
- A Smile In the Mind by Beryl McAlhone & David Stuart
- A Type Primer by John Kane
- American Modernism by R. Roger Remington
- American Posters of Protest 1966-70 by David Kunzle
- American Trademark Designs by Barbara Baer
- April Greiman: Floating Ideas into Time and Space by Liza Farrelly
- Art is Work by Milton Glaser
- The Art of Looking Sideways by Alan Fletcher
- Beware Wet Paint by Alan Fletcher
- Black Panther: The Revolutionary Art of Emory Douglas
- The Book of Gossage by Howard Luck Gossage
- The Book of Graphic Problem Solving by John Newcomb
- Chip Kidd by Véronique Vienne
- Cipe Pineles: A Life of Design by Martha Scotford
- Close Up in Black by AMPAS
- Contemporary Polish Posters in Full Color by Joseph S. Czestochowski
- Creative Ad Design & Illustration by Dick Ward
- Dance Posters by Elenor Rachel Luger
- Designed by Peter Saville by Peter Saville
- The Design Concept by Allen Hurlburt
- DVD-art: Innovation in DVD Packaging Design by Charlotte Rivers
- ECM Sleeves of Desire
- The End of Print: The Grafik Design of David Carson by Lewis Blackwell
- Fresh Ideas for Designing with Black, White, and Gray by Gail Deibler Finke
- Forget All the Rules by Bob Gill
- Graphic Communications for the Performing Arts
- Graphic Design as a Second Language by Bob Gill
- Graphic Design History by Georgette Ballance & Steven Heller
- Graphic Design History: A Critical Guide by Johanna Drucker & Emily McVarish
- Graphic Design: A Concise History by Richard Hollis
- Graphic Design: Visual Comparisons by Fletcher/Forbes/Gill
- Graphic Designers in Europe (Vol. 1)
- Graphic Idea Notebook by Jan V. White
- Graphics in Motion by John Halas
- Great Movie Graphics by Marc English
- Images of an Era: The American Poster, 1945-75
- International Women in Design by Supon Design Group
- István Orosz: Vision of design by István Orosz
- It Is Beautiful Then Gone by Martin Venezky
- Lech Majewski : Poland by Lech Majewski
- LogoMania by Bob Gill
- Merz to Emigre and Beyond by Steven Heller
- The Modern American Poster by MoMA
- The New Typography by Jan Tschichold
- Next: The New Generation in Graphic Design by Jesse M. Reyes
- Nine Pioneers in American Graphic Design by R. Roger Remington
- Paul Rand: A Designer’s Art by Paul Rand
- Paul Renner: The Art of Typography by Christopher Burke
- The Poster Art of Tomi Ungerer by Tomi Ungerer
- The Poster: A Worldwide Survey and History by Alain Weill
- Practical Graphic Design Techniques by Lydia Darbyshire
- Projekt: The Polish Journal of Visual Art & Design
- The Queer Movie Poster Book by Jenni Olson
- Reasons to be Cheerful: The Life and Work of Barney Bubbles by Paul Gorman
- Rewind: Forty Years of Design & Advertising by Jeremy Myerson
- Reza Abedini: Vision of design by Reza Abedini
- Robert Brownjohn: Sex and Typography by Emily King
- Sagmeister: Made You Look by Stefan Sagmeister
- Science Fiction Poster Art by Tony Nourmand and Graham Marsh
- A Separate Cinema by John Kisch and Edward Mapp
- Sketchbook: Conceptual Drawings From Designers by Timothy O’Donnell
- Swiss Graphic Design by Richard Hollis
- Television Graphics: From Pencil to Pixel by Douglas Meritt
- tellmewhy by Karlssonwilker Inc
- That’s Entertainment: Graphics of Show Business by Steven Heller & Anne Fink
- Thinking of You by Barbara Kruger
- Trademarks & Symbols Vol. 1 by Yasaburō Kuwayama
- Trademarks & Symbols Vol. 2 by Yasaburō Kuwayama
- Typography by Wolfgang Weingart
- Typography: Macro + Micro Aesthetics by Willi Kunz
- The Vignelli Canon by Massimo Vignelli
- The Visual Craft of William Golden by Cipe Pineles
- This Ain’t No Disco: New Wave Album Covers by Jennifer McKnight-Trontz
- TV Graphics by Roy Laughton
- Type & Image: The Language of Graphic Design by Philip B. Meggs
- Unspecial Effects for Graphic Designers by Bob Gill
- What’s the Big Idea? by George Lois
Non-Design Books (Out of Print)
- 75 Years of DC Comics by Paul Levitz
- 1000 Record Covers by Michael Ochs
- Agatha Christie: The Paintings of Tom Adams by Tom Adams
- Art without Boundaries: 1950-70 by John Williams
- The Art of Tron by Michael Bonifer
- Batman Animated by Paul Dini & Chip Kidd
- Cartoon Modern by Amid Amidi
- Chronique du cinéma (French)
- Drawing is Thinking by Milton Glaser
- The Golden Age of Advertising – the 70s
- Illustration by Bob Gill
- Illustration: Aspects and Directions by Bob Gill & John Lewis
- The Illustrator in America, 1860-2000 by Walt Reed
- Innovators of American Illustration by Steven Heller
- James Bond Movie Posters by Tony Nourmand
- Learning by Heart by Jan Steward & Corita Kent
- Masters of Spanish Comic Book Art by David Roach
- Media Scene: The Latest Commercial Illustrations from Japan
- Paintbox No. 1 by Albert Winkler
- A Smithsonian Book of Comic-Book Comics
- A Smithsonian Collection of Newspaper Comics
- Sci-Fi Art: A Graphic History by Stephen Holland
- Simenon cinéma by Serge Toubiana (French)
- Strange Sisters : The Art of Lesbian Pulp Fiction by Jaye Zimet
- Testament: The Life and Art of Frank Frazetta by Arnie & Cathy Fenner
- Tomi Ungerer: Cartoons by Tomi Ungerer (German)
- Under Cover: An Illustrated History of Paperbacks by Thomas L. Bonn
Design/Illustration Annuals
- ADC 63
- ADC 64
- ADC 66
- ADC 68
- ADLA Five
- ADLA Six
- American Illustration 3
- American Illustration 6
- American Illustration 7
- American Illustration Showcase 10
- American Illustration Showcase 14
- American Showcase Illustration Vol. 13
- Creation / 18
- Graphis Design 78/79
- Graphis Design 80/81
- Graphis Design 82/83
- Graphis Design 85/86
- Graphis Design 87/88
- Graphis Posters 80
- Graphis Posters 86
- Graphis Posters 87
- Modern Publicity 69/70
- Modern Publicity 70/71
- Modern Publicity 72/73
- Modern Publicity 75/76
- TDC 2
- TDC 4
- TDC 5
- TDC 6
- TDC 8
- TDC 9
- TDC 10
- TDC 11
- TDC 15
- TDC 19
Poster Galleries, etc.
- Art of the Title
- Budapest Poster Gallery
- Bulgarian Film Posters
- Czech Poster Gallery
- JozefSquare
- Movie Poster of the Week
- Posteritati
- Poster House
- Polish Poster Gallery
- Post-Soc
- Projekt 26
Artist Specific Archives
- Hans Hillmann Archive
- Daniel Gil Book Cover Archive
- Robert Brownjohn Archive
- Corita Kent Art Center
- Romek Marber Archive
- Renato Casaro – Opere
- The Fred/Alan Archive (1983-1992)
Miscellaneous Collections
- The Black Panther Collection
- Interview 1975-2010
- The Peculiar Manicule
- LP Album Art Covers
- Stuff 1979-1985 Archive
- Fonts In Use
- Lawrence, Kansas Zine Library
- Atlas Film Programme Covers
- Entertainment Trade Ads
- NES Packaging
- VHS Distributor Logos
Royalty Free Images for Projects