2020 was the year that felt like 20 years—and in the two decades that amounted to 365 days, we brought the PRINT brand back to life, hosted an all-new competition, launched a new website, and published more articles than ever before.
From among them, our editorial covered a broad swath of topics—from the micro to the crucially macro, to all ground in between.
Here, in order, are the ones you read the most.
Redesigning Blatantly Racist Brands is Not Enough
As Debbie Millman writes, “Racism is not only alive and well in our everyday lives, it's alive and well on the shelves of our supermarkets.” By Debbie Millman
The Worst Magazine Cover at the Worst Moment
Letter to self and to anyone else: This is the wrong cover at the wrong time. Thanks for the emotional boost, New York Magazine! By Steven Heller
Sho Shibuya’s Window to the World
Throughout the pandemic, Sho Shibuya has been captivating his Instagram following by capturing sunrises from a small window in his apartment. By Zachary Petit
Brand of the Day: Nike’s Colorful New Kicks
Nike announced a slate of new shoes for sneakerheads to swoon over—and while we tend to prefer all things black, we’re reveling in the wonderland of color. By Zachary Petit
19 Art and Design Movies to Watch in Quarantine
If you’re like us, you’ve probably been spending a bit more time on your couch at night these days, watching a bit too much TV. Since there’s only so much “Love is Blind” snacking that one can handle before they require a more substantial meal, here are 19 art and design documentaries for your quarantine watchlist. By Zachary Petit
Mississippi Narrows Its New Flag Down to 5 Contenders
Mississippi is replacing its state flag with one of the following five designs. Which would you vote for? By Zachary Petit
The Daily Heller: A Postage Stamp for Jason Polan
Steven Heller talks with Richard McGuire about the initiative to get a postage stamp created in honor of the late, great Jason Polan. By Steven Heller
The Black Experience in Graphic Design: 1968 and 2020
In 1968, PRINT interviewed black designers about their experiences in the field. Five decades later, 15 contemporary designers weigh in. Edited by Stephen Coles
The Daily Heller: COVID in Real Times
Steven Heller takes PRINT readers behind the scenes of The New York Times’ powerful front pages throughout the COVID-19 crisis. By Steven Heller
Oh, the Places You Won’t Go! Jim Malloy Remixes Dr. Seuss and Dr. Fauci
There are two good doctors keeping us going these days: Dr. Anthony Fauci … and Dr. Seuss. By Zachary Petit
The Daily Heller: The Great Type Way
A city in England is turning to street art to “Tart up the town.” By Steven Heller
5 Package Designs of the Week
When it comes to the world of packaging, no one covers it more comprehensively than Dieline—so we’ve partnered with our friends at the site on a new column, 5 Package Designs of the Week. By the Editors
CoviDiaries: Gary Panter on the Point of Making Pointless Things
In order to make the creative world feel a bit less lonely and a bit more connected in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, we’ve been publishing a new blog series—CoviDiaries—that brings us into the homes and minds of various creatives, to see how they’re coping. Here’s a communique from cartoonist and artist Gary Panter in Brooklyn. By Gary Panter
The Daily Heller: We've Been in this Dangerous Predicament Before!
Adrian Wilson has adapted WWII-era VD posters for the age of COVID. By Steven Heller
Announcing the Winners of the PRINT RDA!
It’s here! The results of the 2019 RDA are in—and we couldn’t be more delighted by the brilliance of the 78 winners that emerged from a pool of nearly 3,000 entries. By the Editors
The Daily Heller: When Game Culture Went Viral
Adrian Wilson, known for his extraordinary résumé of public interventions, has found COVID-19 in Pac-Man. By Steven Heller
Black Designers: Forward in Action
Cheryl D. Holmes-Miller looks at the past moment, the present moment—and the brilliant Black designers carrying us into the future. By Cheryl D. Holmes-Miller
Designing Bond: 11 James Bond Posters
Matt Needle has tasked himself with designing a poster for every single Bond movie ever made. By Zachary Petit
Design Matters: Claire Danes
At 10, she announced that money or no money, she would be true to her art—and there was no plan B. And, well, actress Claire Danes stuck to it. By Debbie Millman
CoviDiaries: Finding the Printed Past in Neville Brody’s Lockdown London
Neville Brody navigates lockdown—and his archives. By Neville Brody
Racism for Designers: Dismantling the Design System of White Supremacy
Creating disruptive new realities is a cornerstone of design. And the patterns of white supremacy are well overdue for a system overhaul. By JR Miller
Kenny Gravillis Discusses His Collaboration with Spike Lee and Emory Douglas for Da Five Bloods
Kenny Gravillis began working with Spike Lee for the film Chi-Raq—and this year, the duo brought the legendary Emory Douglas into the mix. By Zachary Petit
Designers Take on COVID-19 in NYC: A Poster House + PRINT Project
At PRINT, we’ve been working behind the scenes with our friends at Poster House to apply design to the pandemic where it has hit the hardest: New York. By Zachary Petit
The Inside Story of NASA’s “Worm” Logo
Earlier this year, the design world was delighted when NASA unexpectedly revealed it was bringing back its iconic “worm” logo, which Richard Danne and Bruce Blackburn created in 1974. By Zachary Petit
Celebrating Milton Glaser With His Lesser-Known Work
The design world has lost one of its legends. Milton Glaser died on June 26, his birthday, at the age of 91. By Zachary Petit