(*Click away! These are NOT affiliate links. The gifts on our list are shared as recommendations from our creative community.)

Craig Byers

“Bans Off Our Books mug.

Knowledge is Power. Reading is fundamental to being an informed citizen.”

Check it out here.

Craig Byers is an award-winning designer and founder of Craig Byers Studio. Learn more on the studio website and on Instagram.

Many of this year’s participants are past New Visual Artists, PRINT Awards winners, and 2025 jurors. Learn more about the PRINT Awards, now open for early bird entries.

The post Craig Byers is Excited to Give (or Get!) … appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

(*Click away! These are NOT affiliate links. The gifts on our list are shared as recommendations from our creative community.)

Shiqing Chen

“This crane copper grater from Cibone Brooklyn is so pretty.

If the crane one is sold out, they also have turtle and fish versions.”

Shiqing Chen is a Shanghai-born designer and new media artist based in Brooklyn. She was recognized as a PRINT New Visual Artist in 2024. Learn more on her website and Instagram.

Many of this year’s participants are past New Visual Artists, PRINT Awards winners, and 2025 jurors. Learn more about the PRINT Awards, now open for early bird entries.

The post Shiqing Chen is Excited to Give (or Get!) … appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

(*Click away! These are not affiliate links. The gifts on our list are shared as recommendations from our creative community.)

Alexander Isley

“The Architect and Designer Birthday Book by James Biber, and not just because I’m November 16th!

It’s inspiring.”

Check out the book.

Alexander Isley is and AIGA medal recipient and principal at Alexander Isley, Inc., a design consultancy that collaborates with educational, cultural, and cause-related organizations. Learn more here and on Instagram.

P.S. At our August 2024 PRINT Book Club, we welcomed James Biber and Michael Beirut to talk about their collaboration on this book. Register to watch the recording here.

Many of this year’s participants are past New Visual Artists, PRINT Awards winners, and 2025 jurors. Learn more about the PRINT Awards, now open for early bird entries.

The post Alexander Isley is Excited to Give (or Get!) … appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

(*Click away! These are NOT affiliate links. The gifts on our list are shared as recommendations from our creative community.)

Alisa Wolfson

“Premium or interesting salt is a great gift to give and receive.

My family and I always exchange interesting pantry staples. This year, I’ll be ordering Frost Salt (look it up!) from Yun Hai shop. Their chili crisp is already a house favorite.”

Alisa Wolfson is the EVP head of design at Leo Burnett. Learn more on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Many of this year’s participants are past New Visual Artists, PRINT Awards winners, and 2025 jurors. Learn more about the PRINT Awards, now open for early bird entries.

The post Alisa Wolfson is Excited to Give (or Get!) … appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

(*These are not affiliate links. The gifts on our list are shared as recommendations from our creative community.)

Yutong Hu

“I want a calendar for 2025 or a schedule plan notebook to help me organize my workload.”

Like this one designed by Marjolein Delhaas.

Yutong Hu is a freelance graphic designer at &Walsh. Learn more on her website and Instagram.

Many of this year’s participants are past New Visual Artists, PRINT Awards winners, and 2025 jurors. Learn more about the PRINT Awards, now open for early bird entries.

The post Yutong Hu is Excited to Give (or Get!) … appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

(*These are NOT affiliate links. The gifts on our list are shared as recommendations from our creative community.)

Jennifer Kinon

“Michelin-starred chefs, artists, galleries, and Grandmas contributed recipes to a community-style cookbook that will benefit Trinity Lower East Side’s Services and Food for the Homeless. Trinity welcomes all and serves over 200,000 meals each year, no questions asked.”

The East Village Cookbook

Jennifer Kinon is the co-founder of Champions Design. Learn more about the firm on Champions’ website and Instagram.

Many of this year’s participants are past New Visual Artists, PRINT Awards winners, and 2025 jurors. Learn more about the PRINT Awards, now open for early bird entries.

The post Jennifer Kinon is Excited to Give (or Get!) … appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

(*These are not affiliate links. The gifts on our list are shared as recommendations from our creative community.)

Max Hauler

“I know it’s lame to plug stuff you made, but I really am excited to give this to my design friends this holiday season.”

Design is My Passion hat on hat.

Max Hauler is a designer at Stout Collective. Find out more on their website and Instagram.

Many of this year’s participants are past New Visual Artists, PRINT Awards winners, and 2025 jurors. Learn more about the PRINT Awards, now open for early bird entries.

The post Max Hauler is Excited to Give (or Get!) … appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

(*These are not affiliate links. The gifts on our list are shared as recommendations from our creative community.)

Ghazal Foroutan

“I’m thrilled to add Anna Dawson’s wall catchall to my office! Its perfect shade of red will bring a smile to my face every time I see it, and it’s ideal for keeping my essentials organized as soon as I arrive.

I’m passionate about all things design, finding creativity in the objects around me. By investing in myself and my happiness, I’m nurturing my creative spirit every day.”

Ghazal Foroutan is a graphic designer and educator based in Southern California. Learn more on her website and Instagram.

Many of this year’s participants are past New Visual Artists, PRINT Awards winners, and 2025 jurors. Learn more about the PRINT Awards, now open for early bird entries.

The post Ghazal Foroutan is Excited to Give (or Get!) … appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

(*These are not affiliate links. The gifts on our list are shared as recommendations from our creative community.)

Eager Zhang

“I want to recommend MiLLiSECOND, a keychain-sized metal tape measure designed by a Japanese manufacturer Takeda.

It’s so tiny to carry, so beautifully designed, and so useful for printmakers (Note: it is in centimeters).”

Where to buy.

Eager Zhang is a graphic designer for OmensOmens Lab and a design professor at Otis College of Art and Design. Learn more about Eager on their website and Instagram.

Many of this year’s participants are past New Visual Artists, PRINT Awards winners, and 2025 jurors. Learn more about the PRINT Awards, now open for early bird entries.

The post Eager Zhang is Excited to Give (or Get!) … appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

(*These are not affiliate links. The gifts on our list are shared as recommendations from our creative community.)

Shaoyang Chen

“I am excited to give or get a crystal singing bowl this year.

It’s been a hard year for creatives to thrive and hold on to their belief. A singing bowl for a sound bath meditation would be a great idea for creatives.”

Like this one.

Shaoyang Chen is an art director at Weiden + Kennedy. Learn more about Shaoyang on her website and Instagram.

Many of this year’s participants are past New Visual Artists, PRINT Awards winners, and 2025 jurors. Learn more about the PRINT Awards, now open for early bird entries.

The post Shaoyang Chen is Excited to Give (or Get!) … appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

“Letters are magic” is the watchword of Jessica Hische, one of the world’s leading lettering artists. “Letters are an amazing playground,” she says, “a playground for art and creativity. They’re an art form that gets kids — and everyone — believing they’re artists.” But it’s inaccurate to call Hische “just” a lettering artist. She’s a bestselling author, a graphic designer with an enviable client list, and an illustrator with a delightfully sophisticated style.

She’s also the mother of three school-age children, which gives her an insider advantage when it comes to creating books that kids will love and parents will want to buy (and read aloud and collect and display). It’s no accident that her books‚ which are one hundred percent Hische productions from the cover and spine to the acknowledgments page — have sold up to 200,000 copies each.

On October 22 — that’s next Tuesday — her fifth picture book, My First Book of Fancy Letters, will be released by Penguin Random House, and Hische is currently on tour.

What places does she most enjoy visiting? Elementary schools, of course, like the two pictured above, where she’s introducing her 2021 New York Times bestseller Tomorrow I’ll Be Brave. “Kids at first don’t know what a lettering artist is,” she explains. (For a detailed explanation yourself, please see her 2015 book In Progress: Inside a Lettering Artist’s Process from Pencil to Vector.)

To break the ice at a school visit, Hische might ask, “Who has letters on their shirt?” Many kids always raise their hands, so she explains, “An artist drew those letters and made them into what they wanted to express.”

She then demonstrates that letters can have all kinds of forms and meanings. As long as the basic shape of the alphabet letter is clear, it can be Athletic, Bubbly, Creepy … or whatever you, the artist, want it to be. I personally appreciate that each letter is shown as a grown-up capital and a baby lowercase because 95 percent of the letters we read in text are lowercase. Kids who start first grade only knowing the uppercase letters are at a big disadvantage.

Spreads ABC and DEF from My First Book of Fancy Letters, © Jessica Hische, 2024

Hische might then ask, “What’s your favorite thing?” If a student says, “a rainbow,” she might encourage them to draw an ‘R’ made from a rainbow, like the one in the spread below. If another student answers, “A rocket ship,” you can already visualize the kind of ‘R’ the child will draw. This game has only one rule: you must draw the alphabet letter that matches the concept or word. So, if the word is “Prickly,” like in My First Book of Fancy Letters, in which each letter illustrates an adjective, the ‘P’ is a prickly green cactus.” The ‘F’ is definitely Flowery. And the ‘Y’ is as Yummy as a cookie with pink icing and sprinkles.

Spreads PQR and XYZ from My First Book of Fancy Letters, © Jessica Hische, 2024

“I’m not there to sell books,” Hische says of her school visits. “I’m there to inspire the kids, especially when they’re still at the age when their brains are mushy sponges. Even if the book is not specifically about letters, they’ll walk away inspired to draw letters.” Her way of organizing a talk or pitch — totally involving the audience in a creative process — could be a model for all of us.

A quick stroll through Hische’s website tells you that “lettering artist-author-designer-illustrator-mom” is still an incomplete bio. Hische is a true entrepreneur. In addition to 20 years — and counting — as a design firm principal, creating logos, posters, book jackets, packaging, and all kinds of cool stuff like holiday cookie jars for A-list clients, she owns two retail stores in her adopted hometown of Oakland, California. She describes Drawling as a kids’ art supply store and Jessica Hische &Friends as a showcase for her books and lots of flourish-y things she’s designed: limited-edition prints, posters, apparel, jewelry, and note cards. Many of the products are on the ‘shop’ section of her website, where font packages of her six original typefaces are available for sale and download — so that you, too, can design with very fancy letters.

A few examples from the extensive Jessica Hische portfolio. (l-r) Top row: Spread from the book Tomorrow You’ll Be Brave; Popcorn can from the Neiman Marcus 2022 holiday packaging suite; Poster for all-star Scott Rudin film. Center: Neiman Marcus Christmas cookie jar, based on a ceramic tree that Hische’s grandmother put out every holiday season; Promotion for a master class she teaches for Skillshare featuring her hands refining the Mailchimp logo. Bottom: Poster for the American Red Cross encouraging vaccination; Main title design and poster for Lionsgate film; Poster for Comcast used as set decoration in a film in which E.T. reunites with Elliott’s earth family; Limited-edition print.

Hische is the first to admit that from kindergarten on, she was the one whose art was most often displayed on school bulletin boards. After attending public schools in the small town in Pennsylvania where she grew up, she became “a design major who did illustration on the side” at Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia, graduating in 2006 with a BFA. In 2007 she came to New York to be a junior designer at Louise Fili LTD, bringing her own historically-based swashes and ligatures to the firm’s work in logo, book, and postage stamp design. Not surprisingly, the job soon became a full-time senior designer position.

“When I’m looking to hire a designer,” Fili says, “I want to see at least one portfolio piece that I wish I’d done. Jessica’s was a set of postcards for the Twelve Days of Christmas, a showcase of her skills. From day one here, she was fearless. To anything I asked of her — Can you make this type look like spaghetti? Like embroidery? Oatmeal? Ribbons? — I received an affirmative response. And the lettering was always, of course, perfect.” 

In 2009, Hische began freelancing in New York, making a name for herself and winning just about every award and accolade in the business. In 2011, her husband, the musician and web designer, now Meta design director Russ Maschmeyer, was hired by Facebook, and they moved to the Bay Area.

Hische and Maschmeyer began growing their family in 2015, now with kids aged nine, seven, and five. “I have a complicated life,” she admits, “but I could never miss one of my kids’ first steps or birthday parties. We’ll even make the cake together. Part of the reason I’ve kept my businesses small — mostly just me — is to have a ton of flexibility around family stuff. I love going to their school plays, volunteering at the school, and bringing them to sports. I’m even taking karate with my middle son!”

Letters are an amazing playground.

Jessica Hische

Portrait of the family, © Rasmus Andersson

What are the most important things Jessica Hische wants everyone to know? One: that every letter in her books is hand-drawn, first in pencil, then in Illustrator or Procreate. Other than the glyphs in the font packages, each letter is a unique work of art. Two: that she hopes that the kids (and grown-ups) on your gift list will make their own fancy letters. And have lots of fun doing it.

With Hische, even an interview can be lots of fun.

Images courtesy of Jessica Hische, except where noted.

The post Letters are Magic in Jessica Hische’s New Children’s Book appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

Cake Sketchbooks from Ernie Studio

We all have a zillion empty notebooks kicking around already, but everyone needs a hand-made notebook that looks like a slice of cake to add to the mix! The Ernie Studio lovingly crafts these whimsical and celebratory sketchbooks from a cotton fabric cover decorated with modeling paste and polymer clay sprinkles on high-quality bookboard.

Klizia 97 Stapler

No desk is complete without a handy dandy stapler on hand, and these classic whale-like staplers from Klizia have a satisfying retro flair we love in our old-school office supplies. Plus they come in an assortment of fun colors!

Euroway Ring-A-Date Perpetual Wall Calendar

Your office is begging for a wall calendar, and it doesn’t get much better than the ring-a-date calendar design. Originally designed by Giorgio Della Beffa in 1970, the ring-a-date calendar was an instant hit back in the day, and remains a top-tier office must that can be used year after year.

Toyo Steel Boxes

If you’re a designer or artist, it’s imperative that you surround yourself with little boxes for all of your supplies. TOYO makes a line of colorful steel boxes in a variety of sizes to suit all of your needs.

Kaweco Sport Series Pens

Kaweco is a heralded German pen brand whose Sport Series line of pens is second to none. The range contains fountain pens, rollerballs, ballpoint pens, and more, each in the same funky barrel shape available in a spectrum of materials.

Emilio Braga Notebooks

Emilio Braga Stationery is a fifth-generation stationery shop in Lisbon, Portugal, known for its funky interpretations of classic composition notebooks. With different colors and designs released periodically, these notebooks will surely help inspire you to do your best work.

OHTO Liberty Ceramic Rollerball Pen

We love the smooth and silky ink line of a rollerball pen, and the ceramic barrel of the OHTO Liberty is the perfect weight that means business without giving you a hand cramp. The cartridge is replaceable as well, and available in a variety of colors.

Koh-I-Noor Pencil Lengthener

Extend the life of your pencils with this pencil lengthener from Koh-I-Noor! Suffering through pencil stubs is a thing of the past.

Hand Painted Notebooks from Dana Herbert

For those who prefer spiral-bound notebooks, these beauties from Dana Herbert feature eye-catching covers that are painted by hand and foil stamped on antique foil presses, making each notebook completely one-of-a-kind.

Cloudnola Flipping Out Text Clock

For all of you analog clock loyalists, it doesn’t get much more analog than this text clock designed to evoke the nostalgia of airport and train station schedule flipboards.

Vintage Panasonic Electric Pencil Sharpener

Get transported back to elementary school classrooms with a vintage electric pencil sharpener. This Panasonic design even lights up once your pencil is fully sharpened!

Blackwing Pencils

Once you go Blackwing, you never go back (take it from me). Considered the Cadillac of pencils, Blackwing offers their pencils in a range of lead grades (hardness), and periodically releases new designs you’ll want to keep adding to your collection.

The Task Pad from Shorthand

Shorthand is a stationery store and letterpress print shop in Los Angeles that makes their own line of products. One of their most beloved signature goods is their Task Pad, whose pages feature boxes to check off your to-do list as you go. Plus they’re available in a handful of colors and made with love by human hands!

The post The Ultimate Design Lovers Guide to Back to School Shopping appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

House Industries, founded by Andy Cruz, has a rich 30-year hand lettering practice that has visualized legendary brands like Hermès, Porsche, Lego, The Eames Office, Heath Ceramics, The New Yorker, and Jimmy Kimmel. Derek Galkin founded Autotype to celebrate designers and give them the freedom to operate outside of their daily craft; past collaborations include designers Pam Shamshiri and Jonathan Ward of Icon. Galkin notes, “It’s our way to express our love of design. Often, creatives get stuck in their means of what their expertise is.”

Andy and I grew up in the world of skateboarding. Our identity as youths in youth culture was defined by what posters we hung on the wall or the t-shirt we wore. Now that we are grown up and immersed in the world of graphic design, how does that evolve and how do we celebrate that today?

Derek Galkin, founder of Autotype

Working as friends for over 20 years, Galkin calls their partnership an “inspiration injection.” The two met pre-social media in the early 2000s, during the House 33 project in London. “Andy and I grew up in the world of skateboarding,” says Galkin, continuing, “Our identity as youths in youth culture was defined by what posters we hung on the wall or the t-shirt we wore. Now that we are grown up and immersed in the world of graphic design, how does that evolve and how do we celebrate that today?”

With a shared love for Los Angeles architecture, Neutra type, and the expansive Photo-Lettering, Inc. archive purchased by House Industries in 2003, the collection features a selection of House’s favorite typographic specimens and graphic inspirations translated into everyday objects, remixing inspiration into new hits.

“We’re fans first,” says Cruz, adding, “If you’re a fan, you don’t want to bum anyone out.”

More than a cool project inspired by cool letterforms, the collaboration comes from the heart and honors a typography archive that is often overlooked in the syllabus of design history. Founded in 1936 by Edward Ronthaler and Harold Horman, Photo-Lettering, Inc. (known as PLINC) was a prolific type foundry once housed at 216 East 45th Street, within what was then New York City’s typesetting district. Today, all 1,500 cubic feet of graphic film reside at House Industries’ Baltimore studio. As Cruz put it, the library charts “The golden era of type as it moved from metal to the film reproduction process.”

Left: Rondthaler, Edward, Life With Letters…as they turned photogenic, Hastings House, 1981. | Right: One Line Manual of Styles visual index, Photo-Lettering, Inc, 1971.

As a major collection of mid-twentieth-century type design, the archive contains film negatives and positives of most of the 10,000 alphabets, decorative motifs, and logos produced in the company’s 55 years by the foremost gifted type designers and lettering artists of the time, including Peter Max, Bob Alonso, Vincent Pacella, Vic Carus and ringleader Ed Benguiat.

Cruz explains, “From WWII up until the Mac, they were the spot to get type from. Once you had your font drawn, they perfected the high-speed turnaround of stepping and repeating these films to set type for designers and creative directors.”

The scrappy process and quick hustle of Photo-Lettering, Inc. embraced commercial lettering artists working in and around Manhattan, including women type designers. The archive continues in this spirit of accessibility as a personal reference for House Industries which has slowly digitized the archive since acquiring it, and also as a source for other type designers and creative directors. Kate Moss tapped the archive for her work with TopShop, sourcing and re-engineering an old Harper’s Bazaar font, as one example.

Making type accessible is one part of the equation for Autotype and House. The other part is enthusiastically telling untold stories of typography’s history, through a lens of personal significance. The Neutraface A to Z eye chart, for instance, showcases the geometric sans serif font collection designed by House, inspired by the work of mid-century master architect, Richard Neutra. The collection of items and objects offers entry to a world of type, hopefully generating more fans. Stirred by a shared love for visual design that began with unvarnished influences in skateboarding culture, the pair have produced a product experience that is a genuine, not-so-scrappy tribute to the art of type.

Autotype and House Industries invite individuals to embrace the art of typography through their collection, available exclusively on Autotype and the Los Angeles location of Heath Ceramics beginning April 11th for one month. Notably, 5% percent of sales will be dedicated to supporting the Letterform Archive, a nonprofit design institution.

The post House Industries and Autotype Bust a New Type Routine appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

Traditionally filled with money and given as tokens of good wishes, red packets are integral to Chinese New Year celebrations. The Year of the Dragon holds special significance, symbolizing success, honor, and dignity — believed to bring growth, progress, and abundance.

The Secret Little Agency created the Long Bao to celebrate this auspicious year. A play on words, the name is derived from the pronunciation of the Chinese character for dragon, which is ‘lóng’ or ‘loong.’

This dragon year, we decided to extend the red packet and make it long-er.

The Secret Little Agency

Nodding to a rich tradition, The Long Bao also serves up some humor and a contemporary aesthetic, making the symbol of good fortune a unique gift.

This limited edition creation captures the Chinese New Year’s essence and exemplifies The Secret Little Agency’s commitment to creativity and innovation. Founded in 2009, The Secret Little Agency remains the only creative agency in Singapore to be named both Independent and Creative Agency of the Year multiple times in the last decade.

With only 1000 pieces available in this exclusive run, the agency plans to distribute them to friends and partners in Singapore and worldwide. Intrigued? Request your own Long Bao with an email to The Secret Little Agency.

The post ‘Long-er Bao’: Singapore’s The Secret Little Agency Celebrates the Year of the Dragon appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

“Sohla El-Waylly’s first cookbook, Start Here, is a real gem. In it she offers not just recipes but clear and thoughtful guidance on how to become a better cook. Her recipes are unique, flavorful, accessible and always satisfying.”

Roxane Gay is the New York Times Bestselling author of The Bad Feminist and other books and publications, a professor, editor, and social commentator. Her latest book, Opinions, is a collection of her best nonfiction pieces from the past ten years.

Banner photo by Christopher Burns on Unsplash.

The post Gifts for Creatives, Graphic Designers & Artists – Day 30 appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

“As a self-proclaimed colour obsessive, I’ve been eyeing viction:ary’s full colour-palette book series for some time now. I’m hoping to get graced by St. Nic himself with the full collection. At least at some point in the near future I’ll splurge and get all the books myself, I don’t care if my shelves are already overflowing, and I have gifted a few of the books to dear friends of mine already. Always on a mission to spread a little colour!”

Amelia Nash is a Canadian expat, now living in New York City, and wearer of many hats — designer, strategist, illustrator, storyteller, brand builder — showcasing her multidisciplinary creativity. As each pixel meets purpose under her deft touch, Amelia seeks to ignite change through creative cross-pollination, inviting you to explore the extraordinary in every detail. Amid her diverse creative ventures, catch her captivated by colour swatches or on a quest for the finest G&T.

Banner photo by Erol Ahmed on Unsplash.

The post Gifts for Creatives, Graphic Designers & Artists – Day 29 appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

“Subscriptions are the gifts that keep on giving, so I’m recommending two of my favorites out there for design lovers. The beloved pencil brand Blackwing offers a subscription for their Volumes (special collections) series, where subscribers receive as 12-pack of each new Volume for a full year, and 10% off all online purchases.

Another subscription I’d be giddy to receive is to BLAG Magazine: Adventures in Sign Painting Craft, Community & Culture. BLAG (Better Letters Magazine) is the world’s only print and online publication dedicated to sign painting, lovingly helmed by founder Sam Roberts.”

Charlotte Beach is an LA-based writer here at PRINT, who focuses on highlighting old-world art forms and creatives keen on keeping handcraft alive. She’s also a sign painter, currently enrolled in the famed Sign Graphics program at Los Angeles Trade Tech College. A proud maximalist, Charlotte harbors an inordinate disdain for the color navy and an affinity for retro aesthetics.

Banner photo by Ali Bakhtiari on Unsplash.

The post Gifts for Creatives, Graphic Designers & Artists – Day 28 appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

“This year has battered our creativity and optimism, so I gift you Art as Therapy — let your imagination immerse in its poetic prose, as Alain de Botton’s sublime writing therapeutically restores the sense of hope, empathy, connection, dignity, and beauty we all desperately need.”

As Strategy Director at BUCK, Surabhi Rathi harnesses the power of creativity and strategy to shape and launch brands globally. She further channels her strategic experience into advising the next generation of brand leaders in the Masters in Branding program at the prestigious School of Visual Arts.

Banner photo by Inna Skosyreva on Unsplash.

The post Gifts for Creatives, Graphic Designers and Artists – Day 27 appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

“In another year where protests were heard and seen around the world, Strikethrough: Typographic Messages of Protest from the Letterform Archive offers a historical account of calls and responses in typographic form as a way to see lineages of solidarity going back to time immemorial.”

Silas Munro is an artist, designer, writer, curator, and founder of the LGBTQ+ and minority-owned graphic design studio Polymode.

Banner photo by Jean-Philippe Delberghe on Unsplash.

The post Gifts for Creatives, Graphic Designers & Artists – Day 26 appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

“I would pick the classic Thyko radio from Lexon. A modern update on this classic Marc Berthier design that provides Bluetooth and is offered in no less than 15 colors. The challenge is the curation, as the color telegraphs the experience in a way few products can since the form can be so quiet on its own. Black is a classic Designerd way to go, although you have some understated neutrals such as Taupe, Mastic, Dark Grey, or the aptly titled ‘Ultimate Grey.’ If you prefer a pop of color, there is also a stale paprika hue. Whether you can see a special someone ironically listening to speed-metal in pink, or bringing the ruckus with some Wu-Tang in a very trending saturated yellow, it’s a stellar gift.

Fun facts: it graced the cover of Time Magazine and is part of the MOMA permanent collection. Can your Bluetooth speaker say that?”

Joe Meersman is a Partner at The Collective, a multidisciplinary design firm. He has also been an Adjunct Professor at UT Austin for over five years, teaching Visual Communication, Research, and Prototyping. He considers himself an accidental educator and loves knowing “Texas” is a slang term for “Crazy” in Norway.

Banner photo by Billy Huynh on Unsplash.

The post Gifts for Creatives, Graphic Designers & Artists – Day 25 appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

“I don’t want to play favorites, because there are a bunch of artisans who provide these via Etsy, but anyway, I love giving rope swings to families with kids. The Etsy folks can engrave anything you want into the wood, you tie the rope around a tree bough, and you’re all set. Nothing better.”

(Like this top-rated one from Midstatecustoms)

Dave Eggers is the author of many books and the founder of McSweeney’s.

Banner photo by Curioso Photography on Unsplash.

The post Gifts for Creatives, Graphic Designers & Artists – Day 24 appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

“Colette Bernard hair clips, like this fun cursor. Colette’s clips are so unique! There’s something for everyone.”

Phoebe (Cornog) Nelson is the owner of Pandr Design Co., a studio that specializes in custom murals and graphic design.

Banner photo by Jené Stephaniuk on Unsplash.

The post Gifts for Creatives, Graphic Designers & Artists – Day 23 appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

“I am excited to gift this MUJI sketchbook to my family, because I know I will be getting sketches or images of things they have drawn in them, a gift that keeps giving.”

Nik Bentel is an artist and designer who creates products and performances that engage viewers to reimagine their everyday objects. Learn more in this recent interview with PRINT’s Charlotte Beach.

Banner photo by Susan Wilkinson on Unsplash.

The post Gifts for Creatives, Graphic Designers & Artists – Day 22 appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

“Spread joy, courage, empathy, or anything you can envision with Gary Hirsch’s Botjoy. The idea is simple, you draw (or have Gary draw) a tiny robot on the back of a domino, transforming it into an art object that is imbued with superpower.

They’re the perfect size to carry with you for the oomph you need in the face of any challenge. This gift is humble and powerful all at once.”

Amy Brusselback comes from a family of artists and craftsman, yet spent 20 years in the corporate world with Procter & Gamble across varied categories, including as the head of design for its beauty businesses. As the founder of Design B&B, Amy set out to create the agency she always wished she could hire. Driven by the belief that design must be both surprising and obvious, Design B&B helps clients find their point of difference and then tell that story holistically and viscerally.

The post Gifts for Creatives, Graphic Designers & Artists – Day 21 appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

“Racism Untaught: Revealing and Unlearning Racialized Design by Lisa E. Mercer and Terresa Moses, (with a foreword by me), is a dynamic piece of scholarship disrupting our status quo. In Racism Untaught, adapted from their successful workshop series, Mercer and Moses explore design-led interventions and why these approaches are foundational to disrupting normative design practice.

Read more in my recent article: Five Essential Design Books to Decolonize Your Studio, Library, and Classroom.“

Dr. Cheryl D. Miller is is a designer, author, educator, theologian, and a decolonizing design historian. She is recognized for her outsized influence within the graphic design profession to end the marginalization of BIPOC designers through her civil rights activism, industry exposé trade writing, research rigor, and archival vision.

Banner photo by Diogo Nunes on Unsplash.

The post Gifts for Creatives, Graphic Designers & Artists – Day 20 appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

“I’ll be giving a copy of Design for a Better World: Meaningful, Sustainable, Humanity Centered by Don Norman.

A timely and direct discussion that reframes how we should be thinking and talking about sustainability as designers.”

Alvin Oei is a Senior Design Manager at Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products – focused on creating retail experiences and concepts around the world for different licensee and brand partnerships. He also runs CMD+Y, a 501(c)(3) non-profit with a small team of creatives, focused on educational design projects for the local community.

Banner photo by Max Williams on Unsplash.

The post Gifts for Creatives, Graphic Designers & Artists – Day 19 appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

1. The Group W. Bench – New Haven, CT 

An institution in this small New England city, amidst the crowds of Yale’s campus, The Group W. Bench has been a beloved gifting hot spot since 1968. Filled from floor to ceiling with jewelry, clothing, art, tchotchkes of all kinds, and so much more, The Group W. Bench is a veritable treasure trove with something for everyone— if you’re willing to look around long enough!

2. Jessica Hische & Friends – Oakland, CA

The brilliant hand letterer, graphic designer, and author Jessica Hische recently launched her latest endeavor: opening a retail store. Jessica Hische & Friends officially opened its doors in Downtown Oakland this past September and is filled with art, books, and “beautiful, useful things” curated by Hische herself.

3. Corners – Catskills, NY

Corners is an art and design store in upstate New York that boasts a careful curation of framed art, books, paper goods, design objects, and magazines from all corners of the art and design world. Nestled in the small town of Livingston Manor, Corners is a haven for art enthusiasts and design seekers alike. This is the spot to find the perfect vintage exhibition poster or design book for your art-obsessed uncle!
(Images by Michael Groth.)

4. Printed Matter, Inc. – New York, NY

Founded in 1976, Printed Matter, Inc. is the world’s leading non-profit organization dedicated to disseminating, understanding, and appreciating artists’ books and related publications. Their flagship bookstore in Manhattan’s Chelsea Arts District offers a range of artists’ books, zines, posters, apparel, ephemera, and more.

5. The Botanical Bar – Indianapolis, IN

If you’re shopping for that green thumb in your life, look no further than The Botanical Bar. The minority and women-owned shop is committed to supporting diverse suppliers and vendors, focusing on selling unique houseplants and lifestyle products.

6. Bond & Bevel – Caldwell, ID

Husband and wife duo Heath and Krista founded Bond & Bevel after unlocking their creative sides during the pandemic lockdown. Their brick-and-mortar store houses their custom-made leather goods, vintage finds, and even a coffee shop!

7. NicSon Mercantile – Los Angeles, CA

The groovy Highland Park neighborhood on the east side of LA is home to many intriguing small businesses, and NicSon Mercantile is right up there with the best of them. Founded in 2019 by the ridiculously talented sign painter Sonny Boy, the shop carries artisanal goods made by other craftsmen and products from Sonny Boy himself. During the holiday season, Sonny Boy offers custom hand-painted Christmas ornaments for purchase!

8. Paper & Craft Pantry – Austin, TX

Paper & Craft Pantry is a retail stationery shop and workshop studio in Austin, fueled by a love of all things paper, workshops, and community. They host monthly creative workshops ranging from cake decorating to felt flower making, and they donate a portion of the shop’s profits from their in-house stationery and product line to the Make-A-Wish Foundation and Black Mamas ATX.

9. Neighborly – Chicago, IL

Neighborly is the proud supplier of modern home goods, gifts, and artwork that are all handmade, fair trade, and eco-friendly. Alongside heirloom quality handmade finds, they carry a wide selection of gifts that give back to non-profit organizations and job training programs.

10. 826 Valencia – San Francisco, CA

The non-profit organization 826 Valencia is dedicated to supporting under-resourced students in San Francisco as they hone their writing skills, and their Pirate Supply Store helps fund their services. From apparel to “exploring essentials,” all sales benefit 826 Valencia’s mission.

11. Acorn Toy Shop – Brooklyn, NY

Toy stores can be sophisticated, too, and Acorn Toy Shop is proof. Peddling unique, handcrafted, ethically-made toys and goods that inspire the imagination and foster healthy childhood development, Acorn Toy Shop is one of those dreamy toy shops you fantasize about as a kid.

12. Hatch Show Print – Nashville, TN

Hatch Show Print is an operational letterpress studio and print shop founded nearly 150 years ago (in 1879). Using its vast collection of vintage type and hand-carved imagery, Hatch Show’s artists create timeless designs that express and commemorate America’s evolving cultural identity. Shop prints made at Hatch Show Print here, and find their other collections here!

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Supporting my local coffee shop or brewery by purchasing a hat or t-shirt helps my favorite small businesses get the word out and gives them much-needed revenue. With creative studios getting into the merch game, acquiring exclusive and carefully crafted merchandise has become even more rewarding (especially as a designer). Studios often pour their heart and soul into every aspect of their designs, creating limited-edition merchandise.

Regarding singular design, few can match the creativity and flair often found in studio merch. Whether they specialize in design, branding, or other creative endeavors, agencies and studios often produce merchandise that reflects their artistic vision outside their client’s creative briefs. Studio merch is aesthetically pleasing and holds a level of individuality that sets it apart.

It’s time to round out the best we’ve seen this year and give you some ideas on last-minute holiday gifts for your designer friend or yourself.

HEY STUDIO

CENTER

CO.POLICY

HIGH TIDE

GANDER

DAZZLE SUPPLY

FISK

OMSE.CO

ssstudio

SUPER OKAY

The post Ten Design Studios Creating Unique Merch appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

“One of my favorite design books of 2023 is Centered: People and Ideas Diversifying Design edited by Professor Kaleena Sales.

It’s a beautiful and engrossing collection of essays and interviews that spans geographical regions and cultures from Alabama to India, and from Kurdistan to Zimbabwe, illuminating designers, techniques, ideas, and artifacts that have previously gotten little or no attention by the established western design community.”

Doug Powell is an executive design leader, consultant, and coach who has led design programs at IBM and Expedia. He’s also the producer and host of This Is A Prototype: The Design Leadership Podcast, which is featured on Printcast, Print’s curated collection of design podcasts.

Banner photo by Paweł Wiśniewski on Unsplash.

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“I got everyone on my team this very cute glass block lamp from Kismas. Honestly, we all just think that glass blocks are the coolest. As soon as I saw it I knew I had to get these for them!

I also give out a lot of my own designs during the holiday season. The Soda Tab earring is one of our best sellers and friends are constantly asking about snagging one!”

Yuliya Veligurskaya is a jewelry designer and owner of STUDIOCULT, based in Brooklyn, New York.

Banner photo by Ricardo Gomez Angel on Unsplash.

The post Gifts for Creatives, Graphic Designers & Artists – Day 17 appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

“I recommend Font Karuta not only for type geeks but also for people who are tired of the usual card games.

The game is played by three or more players. There are two types of cards: cards with the name and description of the typeface, and cards with only the letterforms printed on them. One person reads the description card, while others compete to take the letter cards, which are placed randomly on the table. The person who takes the most cards wins.“

Creative Type Director Akira Kobayashi has over four decades of experience, an extensive background in Japanese typeface design, and is a 2022 TDC Medal and Keinosuke Sato Award winner.

Banner photo by Thor Alvis on Unsplash.

The post Gifts for Creatives, Graphic Designers & Artists – Day 16 appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

“Digital calendars are useful and have their place, but so does having a paper calendar that doubles as beautiful artwork!

I love the Midori 2024 Echizen Washi Calendar (large, flowers).”

Maurice Cherry is the founder and creative director at Lunch, and the creator and host of Revision Path, a podcast, an award-winning showcase of Black designers, developers, and digital creatives all over the world.

Banner photo by Max van den Oetelaar on Unsplash.

The post Gifts for Creatives, Graphic Designers & Artists – Day 15 appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

“I would give anyone working in any creative industry a copy of Miles Davis Quintet: Freedom Jazz Dance: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 5.

No creative act is a solitary pursuit. These full session reels show the collaborative process of the greatest jazz ensemble as they transform the most gossamer-thin of materials into an astonishing achievement — which, 50 years later, still sounds new.”

Mark Kingsley is a designer, emerging from wilderness, who teaches in the School of Visual Arts Masters in Branding program, and co-hosts the BrandBox podcast. Learn more about Mark at malcontent.com.

Banner photo by Rene Böhmer on Unsplash.

The post Gifts for Creatives, Graphic Designers & Artists – Day 14 appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

For the special people in my life I like to give the gift of art and design objects.

If you’re drawn to the classic artifacts of mid-century design, there’s no better place to learn, buy, or be inspired by the originals than Wright Auctions.

Dana Arnett is a Founder and Chair of VSA Partners. His love for graphic design is only surpassed by his love for mid-century furniture design. You can find out more about Dana, here.

Photo by Matija Mestrovic on Unsplash.

The post Gifts for Creatives, Graphic Designers & Artists – (Lucky) Day 13 appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

“Maira Kalman’s Principles of Uncertainty.

Maira basically invented a new genre, the picture book for adults. Many others followed, but she is still the champion.”

Stefan Sagmeister designs things about large subjects of our lives like happiness or beauty and long-term thinking.

Banner photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash.

The post Gifts for Creatives, Graphic Designers & Artists – Day 12 appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

“Ontario Fruit t-shirt by Christopher Rouleau. For all your Ontario-based fruits and fruit lovers, or fans thereof!

A subscription to the Criterion Channel. I have no affiliation with Criterion but this channel brings me so much joy and inspiration throughout the year. Open yourself up to the history of film and see what it sparks in you.

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin. There’s a beautiful hardcover version of it. This novel about a lone human emissary’s mission on an alien world named Winter, whose inhabitants can choose—and change—their gender, is a dazzling work of science fiction and a terrifically eye-opening experience.”

Lola Landekic is a graphic designer and writer working in film and branding. She is also the Editor in Chief of Art of the Title, which she runs from her studio in Toronto, Canada.

Banner photo by Bia W. A. on Unsplash.

The post Gifts for Creatives, Graphic Designers & Artists – Day 11 appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

Dear Fronds 🌿,

What if we put our “obviously the problem is capitalism” where our mouth is this year and stopped fucking buying new things because the planet is literally rotting in front of our eyes and nobody needs more stuff? It’s time. We have to change our insane consumption behaviors. [Absence of winky joke to break tension and not be a killjoy.] If you are worried people will be like “wow 🙄 thanks” maybe tell them something along the lines of “I’m trying not to buy any new things anymore, because I am trying to defer the part where the planet becomes uninhabitable until at least after we die.”

So. Here is a list of suggestions of gifts that are not new things. I’ve included a lot that are free or very cheap for the other good reason to dismantle the culture of everyone buying everyone new things every year: life is becoming more financially precarious for everyone, which sucks.

Gifts where people don’t actually get a thing from you:

• Make a donation in someone’s name. Could be to…
  • Gaza humanitarian aid!
  • A bail fund in someone’s city (check out the National Bail Fund Network)!
  • Animal Shelters!
  • Save the manatees!

• Go to the local thrift store, buy jackets, sheets, blankets, one for every person you’d be giving gifts to, and donate them all to the local migrant or homeless shelter. Take a picture of each item to make it tangible.

• Buy a used book for each person you’d be giving gifts to and send them all to prisons instead (check out NoName’s Book Club Prison Program). You can personalize it––send that person’s favorite book???

Gifts where people actually get a thing from you:

Used Things

• Used books! Google “used books” there are a lot of sites that sell them. But ideally, go to a used book store. These stores need support. I hope they exist forever. Inscribe the book with a nice note about why you thought of that book for that person.

• Buy used/vintage/antique things on eBay/Etsy/at thrift/antique stores. Here’s a store with gorgeous antique French textiles. The Vintage Jesus has a very special selection of vintage and reconstructed Mexican pieces here.

Things that aren’t Things

• Support body workers! Get people massages/acupuncture/reiki sessions.
• Are you handy? Do you know how to sew? Are you a tech person? Offer to mend clothes or repair things in people’s house or help them fix their computers or update their websites.
• Classes/workshops/lessons — if you know someone’s been interested in learning something. Or if they’re already someone who does Yoga, for example, find out where, swoop in and buy them a package of classes/
• Make people food. Doesn’t have to be sweets. A friend (love you Nika) made my mom and sister and I a huge dish of paella after my Nana died and that ruled. Dishes that can be frozen can be eaten whenever.
• Offer to babysit for people with babies/kids.
• Concert tickets —check if their favorite musician or someone you know they like has any tour dates coming up in their city. Get them 2 tickets.
• Theater/dance/anything tickets! Support the arts. Maybe this is isn’t a great kind of gift to surprise someone with, but still one I think a lot of people would be happy to receive.
• Museum memberships!
• A CSA! (A farm share) – Usually a box of veggies a month but there are dairy ones, and other specific ones. Each works a bit differently. Supports small farms. You can search CSAs by zip code here.
• Tattoo someone you love’s name on your ass. (Supports the tattoo artist and the person gets to go around telling everyone their name is tattooed on someone’s ass forever on.)
• Give people money! You gotta friend who’s struggling and you know it? Don’t be awkward about it. Just give them money. I found a card in my mom’s drawer once when I was a kid from a childhood friend of hers. She was a single mom working 4 jobs to support us at the time. The card just said, “Don’t mention it. Love you.” I thought that was so nice. Nobody is gonna be mad at you for giving them money.

Things that are things but that are better than “new things.”

• Stores that sell zero-waste products like The Last Object is a way to still buy someone something new but that will then replace many new things in the future.
• Propagate your plants and gift the plant babies! Got a broken mug you’ve been meaning to glue together? Perfect pot. Or punch a hole in the bottom of a can and paint it.
• Support artists! This is technically buying a new thing, but it’s an eco-better version of that and we need art in the world!
  • My friend Mallika Vora is donating 95% of the funds from the gorgeous print (above) of an Acapulco cliff diver to hurricane relief efforts in Guerrero.
  • Los Chachacha (yes, this is my husband, but he’s awesome, and buying his work supports the work he does in under-resourced communities all over Mexico! also prices are in PESOS not dollars.)
  • Jessie Lewis, my South African friend in Mexico City makes some very wild work that I love very much.

Zoe Keziah Mendelson is a writer, researcher, information designer, and creative director. She is co-founder of Webby-winning Pussypedia.net and the author of Pussypedia: A Comprehensive Guide.

Photo by Luca Nicoletti on Unsplash.

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“Ugly Books from designer Jon Contino. I love these vibrant, multicoloured notebooks and their delightful colourway names (Wharf Rat, Devil’s Night, Pink Moon!). You can grab a Mystery 3-Pack for a fun, surprise mix. Their Instagram @uuglybookss highlights the beautiful ways people have filled the books, too, for inspiration.

Prints or cards by illustrator Samantha Curcio (pictured). She has such a playful, fun style that lends itself very well to sending a loved one a note to let them know you’re thinking of them. The posters are fantastic for kids’ rooms. She also has a sweet children’s book called Hello Every Body! that I’ve given to several friends with little ones.

The Closure Pin is a cheeky pin that I made based on a real text message an adult man sent me. Great for all your inside jokes and nihilistic jean jackets.”

Lola Landekic is a graphic designer and writer working in film and branding. She is also the Editor in Chief of Art of the Title, which she runs from her studio in Toronto, Canada.

Banner photo by James Aldrin on Unsplash.

The post Gifts for Creatives, Graphic Designers & Artists – Day Ten appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

“A gift to give: the Salvador Dalí Tarot Card Deck, for the seasoned or brand new witch/wizard in your life! The 78-card deck comes with a comprehensive explanation of each card’s composition, its meaning, and practical advice, as well as step-by-step instructions on how to perform readings.

Gift-giving is such a personal act for me – it’s about truly knowing the recipient, and searching for an object or experience that they wouldn’t buy for themselves. Tarot cards offer both object and experience; this deck is beautifully eye-catching and makes a great addition to your bookshelf. And, as an engaging way to impress your friends, you simultaneously stimulate creativity and examine the past, present and future.”

Susannah Ramshaw is the managing director at Firebelly Design, a creative agency whose mission is to partner with socially-conscious organizations to co-create meaningful brands that strengthen, amplify and strategically advance the most important issues of our time.

Banner photo by Ricardo Gomez Angel on Unsplash.

The post Gifts for Creative, Graphic Designers & Artists – Day Nine appeared first on PRINT Magazine.

“Anything from Retro Supply Co.’s Lettering Library. Why? A digitized collection of 125 rare lettering books collected from auctions, antique shops and beyond…need I say more?”

Naomi Usher is the founder and creative director at Studio Usher, and is known for her smart, strategic, and beautiful design.

Photo by Birmingham Museums Trust on Unsplash.

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