Graphic Design: A History offers an accessible account of the history of graphic design from the nineteenth century to the present day. The book makes an important critical contribution to the subject by presenting graphic design and typography as deeply embedded in the fabric of society in every era.

Organized chronologically, the book traces the impact of politics, economics, war, nationalism, colonialism, gender and art on graphic designers working in print and film and with the latest web, multimedia and emerging digital technologies.

In the third edition of this seminal text, Stephen J. Eskilson has expanded the introduction to begin with the origins of writing and added a new chapter that investigates current trends in digital design. The addition of forty-five new images brings the book right up to date taking better account of such phenomena as app design, social media and emojis.