Top titles for every designer's bookshelf.
The best graphic design books can be a delight to look at, but they're practical too, offering insights and inspiration for both budding graphic designers and seasoned pros. Graphic design books often reveal insider knowledge, anecdotes, ideas and even provide valuable career advice.
A lot of the best graphic design books are essential reading for students and anyone getting started in the industry, but there are many titles that offer valuable inspiration even for experienced designers, provoking thoughts and ideas that can promote new creative thinking in branding and design. So wherever you're starting out or looking for a fresh take on things, you should find something for you in our list below. Our writers and industry contacts have put their heads together to come up with a comprehensive list of the best graphic design books that they have enjoyed, from books on theory and history to monographs, collections of thoughts and ideas, and even tributes to individual typefaces.
The list below includes both time-honoured classics recommended for every designer and newer titles. We've generally gone for books that are informative and insightful but a pleasure to read too. Many are great pieces of design in themselves and, indeed, many of them were written by graphic designers.
We've divided the list into sections to make it easier to navigate. Click on the links above to jump to the best logo design books, best typography books, books on becoming a designer or titles offering ideas and inspiration, or scroll down to browse them all. In each case, you'll find direct links to the retailers with the best price in your location.