Black and White Graphics

Both inspirational and practical, Black and White Graphics showcases the appealing impact of using monochrome color schemes in the field of graphic design, and it presents an international collection of work that makes clear the capabilities of black, white, and gray. The posters, publications, labels, corporate communications, and other projects selected show that this achromatic combination can, at the same time as keeping a project’s budget to a minimum, elevate the value of graphic design, facilitate communication, and enhance the project’s dramatic effect by limiting design elements to those which are absolutely necessary. For black is not simply black, and white is not only white. There are endless possibilities that lie between the two, within the infinite palette of grays. In fact, black and white make for a timeless combination of colors that has been a popular choice for graphic designers for years. Simple, vintage, and sometimes elegant, black and white are the colors that capture viewers’ attention by simply reducing colors to the basics and therefore leading the focus back to the visual message that a graphic design tries to express.

“‘Black-and-white thinking’ is not quite as simple as it might appear. Not for us designers … Design in black and white, in other words, is not for the faint of heart. It is for those who aren’t afraid to commit themselves, to reveal what they’re capable of. Black and white are not neutral; they take risks. This is even truer of grey.”

Isabella Meischberger and Mike Rabensteiner / Bureau Rabensteiner, from the foreword