With the tagline ‘Redefining Design’, and an editorial approach that takes in sharp-witted GChat interviews, Print Magazine aims itself squarely at progressive members of the design industry. A few of the pieces in it seem written solely for graphic designers – assuming their readership must work in at least a related field – but Print largely underestimate their appeal here. Their real strengths come in their rich, multi-disciplinary features that soak in histories and cultural explorations that – though always starting with a design object – expand far beyond the boundaries of this realm. Vivid and fascinating histories are provided for Biblical typography and the Linotype machine (dubbed “the Twitter of 1886”); we explore the cultural and political language of the kafiye; trawl though an archive of Riot Grrrl-era zines and learn about Philippe Vermes, the painter who shaped the visual identity of the Paris 1968 riots. Design, after all, is not autonomous: it is intrinsically linked to the society that generates it. Print’s eclectic content not only reminds us of this, but makes the magazine perhaps the most exciting and accessible read you’ll find in the design section.
Words: Rosa Abbott
