Editorial Design: Fons Hickmann Posters by Slanted

Explore Fons Hickmann Posters — Now and Then by Slanted Publishers, a masterclass in editorial design, linen binding, and typography.

Monographs dedicated to poster work often stumble into a predictable trap: they treat the book format as nothing more than a passive container for flat graphics. This survey doesn't do that. Published on the occasion of Fons Hickmann's major exhibition at the Brandenburgisches Landesmuseum für moderne Kunst, this volume treats the printed artifact with the exact same rigor that defines Hickmann's three decades of visual communication. Designed in close collaboration between Sven Lindhorst-Emme and Hickmann himself, the publication functions as both an archival retrospective and an active space of typographic inquiry.

Mastering Editorial Design Across Three Decades

At 172 pages bound in tactile grey linen with crisp hot foil embossing, the physical presence of the monograph establishes an immediate sense of weight and purpose. Turn inside, and the editorial design reveals a disciplined two-column grid system balancing bilingual German and English texts by Helene Roolf and Jürgen W. Schulz. The typography gives every essay ample breathing room, letting running heads and deliberate margins structure the reading cadence before releasing into full-bleed poster reproductions. Nothing feels rushed. The pacing oscillates between dense academic reflections and unrestrained full-page visual spreads.

What makes Hickmann's posters endure is their refusal to settle into decorative routine. Whether constructing fluid, melted letterforms for the PAN Museum or assembling stark optical-art geometry that destabilizes viewer perception, every composition operates as both an aesthetic object and a sharp political statement. Full-color offset printing on heavyweight uncoated stock ensures the ink saturation reproduces every nuanced layer of torn-paper collages and screenprinted halftones. It's a reminder that poster design remains one of the purest testing grounds for typographic invention.

For designers invested in the craft of editorial design and print production, this survey stands as an essential reference. Explore more of the publication or secure a copy directly through Slanted Publishers, and discover further work from Fons Hickmann and studio Lindhorst-Emme+Hinrichs.