Smashing Magazine
Print Magazines for Web Designers, Digital Artists, and Photographers
Although much valuable information for all sorts of web and print professionals can be found online, it is often difficult to weed through all the noise and find good quality content. I believe it’s vital that professionals in different creative fields supplement their online learning and research through well-edited and high-quality print publications.
Print magazines, more often than not, are well-researched and are headed by top-notch editorial staff, usually containing information and resources on the cutting edge of their respective industries’ trends and happenings.
To that end, to help you fulfill part of your offline research needs, I’ve compiled a list of print magazines that are of interest to professionals in three different categories: Web Designers, Digital Artists, and Photographers. And be sure to comment so you can tell us your personal favourite print magazine, if you don’t see it listed here.
You may be interested in the following related posts:
- 45 Incredibly Useful Web Design Checklists and Questionnaires
- Professional Web Design Forums
- Useful Podcasts For Designers And Developers
- Useful Web Design E-Mail Newsletters
[Offtopic: by the way, did you know that we are publishing a Smashing eBook Series? The brand new eBook #3 is Mastering Photoshop For Web Design, written by our Photoshop-expert Thomas Giannattasio.]
Magazines for Web Designers
.net Magazine / Practical Web Design
.net is the world’s best-selling magazine for web designers and developers, featuring tutorials from leading agencies, interviews with the web’s biggest names, and agenda-setting features on the hottest issues affecting the internet today. If you’re serious about web design, then .net is the magazine for you. This is easily the best and most important magazine for web professionals, and it should be noted that .net is sold as Practical Web Design overseas.
Visit the .Net Magazine / Practical Web Design official website
Web Designer
Web Designer will help you design and develop stunning websites, providing exclusive interviews, professional advice, behind-the-scenes features with top developers and agencies, site showcases, plus how-to articles and tips for a variety of design and development software.
Visit the Web Designer Magazine official website
Magazines for Digital Artists
Computer Arts
The world’s best-selling creative magazine will inspire you, bring you the inside track on the creative industry, and reveal cutting edge skills and techniques. Every issue showcases the best illustrators, graphic designers and web designers from around the world. The tutorials section is the envy of the industry, giving you the skills and inspiration you need to be a better artist.
Visit the Computer Arts official website
Photoshop User
Photoshop User is more than just an amazing Photoshop resource, it’s also the official publication of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAAPP). Each issue includes behind-the-scenes features, how-to articles, help desk Q&A, step-by-step tutorials, and down & dirty tricks. Photoshop User is widely recognized as the most trusted resource for Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom training, advice, and how-to information for the graphic design, photography, and digital arts worlds.
Visit the Photoshop User official website
Photoshop Creative
Photoshop Creative provides Photoshop users with lashings of practical advice and inspiration. Whether you’re brand new to the program or simply looking to improve your existing skills, this is the magazine for you. We don’t like to leave anyone out, so we want to make sure there’s something for everyone – from the Adobe Photoshop Elements user right through to those lucky enough to own Photoshop CS3.
Visit the Photoshop Creative official website
Digital Artist
Digital Artist is the perfect magazine for anyone who uses their computer as a canvas. It is the only community-focused magazine to cover all art styles and all art software, making each issue a medley of breathtaking images to inspire you to create your own. The magazine includes tutorials and guides, an extensive Q&A section, reports on new artists and their current projects, plus interviews, features, and galleries.
Visit the Digital Artist official website
Corel Painter
The official Corel Magazine, offering professional tips and techniques, digital art concepts and theory, special effects, and more.
Visit the Corel Painter official website
3D Artist
3D Artist is dedicated to bringing you interviews with leading lights in the 3D industry, fascinating features on development and technologies that are shaping what you see on TV and in film, in advertising and architecture and in good old art. The magazine showcases the best and most exciting 3D images every month with a monster 11-page gallery.
Visit the 3D Artist official website
3D World
3D World is a high-quality magazine crammed full of news, inspiration and practical advice about 3D graphics. Includes news and analysis of all the latest trends in the 3D industry, in-depth reports on the hottest new 3D projects, detailed, step-by-step technical walkthroughs, artistic and creative advice from professionals at leading international studios, and impartial reviews of the latest creative hardware and software.
Visit the 3D World official website
Layers
Layers is the only magazine that covers everything Adobe Creative Suite 4 has to offer. Each issue is filled with top-notch tips and techniques for Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, Flash, Acrobat, Lightroom, After Effects, Dreamweaver, and more.
Visit the Layers official website
Magazines for Photographers
Practical Photography
Practical Photography delivers a diverse range of content that teaches photo enthusiasts to take better photos and how to creatively enhance them in Photoshop.
Visit the Practical Photography official website
Photo Technique
Photo Technique philosophy is that the photographic medium has never existed on the basis of unrelated techniques or unskilled aesthetics. For that reason, they incorporate the technology and methodology used in creating photographs into two categories. The first is a series of portfolio/article combinations that demonstrate both the means and the end result. The second is expanded technical articles intended to completely follow a process in detail, rather than offer short snip-its or tips. The magazine will never address the interest of a point-and-shoot mentality; the intent is to elevate the magazine to a more professional level.
Visit the Photo Technique official website
Photo Pro
If you’re a working photographer or have dreams of setting up your own photographic business, this is the magazine for you. Every issue of Photo Pro is packed with inspirational images, expert advice and reviews of the kit that you need to get ahead. There’s also must-read business guidance from successful working photographers. It’s the ultimate manual for modern pros.
Visit the Photo Pro official website
Popular Photography
Popular Photography is the world’s largest photography magazine and the leading technical authority, buyers guide and how-to resource for the photo enthusiast. Geared toward those who are passionate about photography, each monthly issue presents unmatched technical expertise and a wide range of articles on the technique, craft and equipment used in making outstanding images.
Visit the Popular Photography official website
Photography Monthly
Photography Monthly is the UK’s most interactive photography magazine, featuring expert advice, product reviews, tips and techniques, and more.
Visit the Photography Monthly official website
Digital Photo
Online and on newsstands, Digital Photo (formerly PC Photo) is the top digital photography magazine. Get the latest news, equipment reviews and previews, photography tips and more.
Visit the Digital Photo official website
Photo Life
For over 30 years, Canadian photography amateurs and professionals have turned to Photo Life as a partner in furthering their photographic skills. The magazine covers all aspects of photography, including industry news, photographic techniques and tips, field tests, travel, digital, secrets of the trade, and much more. Photo Life has something for everyone, plus it’s supplemented with images from some of the country’s best photographers, including those of our readers.
Visit the Photo Life official website
Photo District News (PDN)
Photo District News (PDN), the award-winning monthly magazine for the professional photographer, has been covering the professional photographic industry for over two decades. Every month, PDN delivers unbiased news and analysis, interviews, and portfolios of the latest photographic work. PDN delivers the information photographers need to survive in a competitive business – from marketing and business advice to legal issues, photographic techniques, new technologies, and more.
Visit the PDN official website
Related Resources
- 12 Print Magazines for Web and Graphic Designers
- Graphic Design Magazines at Design Dump
- 14 Essential Magazines for Graphic Designers
Related Posts
You may be interested in the following related posts:
Louis Lazaris is a freelance web developer based in Toronto, Canada. He runs Impressive Webs, and the recently-launched Interviews by Design that publishes interviews with talented designers. You can follow Louis on Twitter or contact him through his website.
- 72 Comments
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March 8th, 2010 12:53 am..that was going to be my addition too :)
- 3March 11th, 2010 4:13 pm
Hi! I wanted my comment to appear near the top. There’s no satisfaction in thinking that someone won’t read what I’ve asked. THAT is Web 2.0.
Anyways: Are all those magazines owned by the same publisher?
My only problem is paying $15 an issue for the UK ones, which generally seem to be the best. Layers is just really about Adobe products. We need a magazine here in the States that shows US web design, interviews US agencies, and promotes US design theories. And doesn’t cost $15!
omfgwebdesign.blogspot.com
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- 4March 5th, 2010 5:56 am
Nice round-up!
- 5March 5th, 2010 5:57 am
Thanks, I really appreciate the tips on the Web Design Magazines. It was actually my search for a good one that ended me on Smashing a year ago or so. I’ll have to look into those. The ones you highlighted seemed to lean toward WordPress. As a DotNetNuke Designer and Developer, it seems that I’m alone in a world of WordPress. Can I assume that as a whole, these magazines take a more holistic approach to Web Design?
- 6March 5th, 2010 6:09 am
.NET magazine is supposed to be offered in US also, right? I can’t find it anywhere, not even in Borders or Barnes and Nobles as they suggest. =/
- 7March 5th, 2010 6:31 am
.net is sold as Practical Web Design overseas..
- 8March 5th, 2010 6:39 am
The magazine is called Practical Web Design in the US (http://www.netmag.co.uk/zine/magazine).
They have a deal on at the moment for US subscribers: http://www.imsnews.com/net-a009
- 9March 5th, 2010 7:42 am
I LOVE Practical Web Design … but it’s soooooooooo expensive in the US. Is the content in .NET identical to the stuff in Practical Web Design? I usually skim the copies in Barnes & Noble … but may jump in and subscribe if .NET is a bit more affordable in the states and has the same content.
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- 10March 5th, 2010 6:12 am
Novum is so good! Its a graphic design magazine based in germany
- 11March 5th, 2010 6:15 am
I usually applaud your in depth reviews and round ups of topics, but I must say, this one falls short of the high bar you’ve set.
While .net and web designer magazine cover some more trendy topics and mostly focus on making shiny things with flash and dreamweaver, Website Magazine and Search Marketing discuss real life issues that many e-commerce companies deal with more regularly.
There’s also magazine devoted to just PHP developers and I think i even saw one just for Ruby.
- 12March 5th, 2010 6:18 am
Nice list.
What amazes me is that most of the digital media pubs are from the UK, not the US. It’s as if US accountants don’t see gold in digital media artists’ pockets…
Do a list of trashy, gossipy, celebrity pubs, and maybe the US will rule, though.
:)Meanwhile, I’d add IDN to your list:
http://idnworld.com/mags/
(It’s from Hong Kong, I believe.) - 13March 5th, 2010 6:41 am
I’d also like to suggest American Photo Magazine.
- 14March 5th, 2010 6:47 am
My personal favorites are “Page” for the german magazine market, “wallpaper” and “American Photo Magazine”
- 15March 5th, 2010 6:53 am
ImagineFX (http://www.imaginefx.com) is a great magazine for Sci-Fi and Fantasy artists. There’s a lot of Painter and Photoshop stuff in there.
- 16March 5th, 2010 7:03 am
All the magazines relating to Painter, Photoshop, or whatever other 2d artistic medium is nothing compared to ImagineFX (http://www.imaginefx.com/). Real artists. Real tips. Multiple software apps covered. I highly suggest this publication!
- 17March 5th, 2010 7:13 am
I’m really wandering why .net magazine who is specializing in webdesign has such an ugly website?Isn’t it unappropriate?
- 18March 5th, 2010 7:22 am
Great list! Can I also mention self-publishing and mags for people that work from home? I’m a journalist, writer and now a micro-publisher. Check out my HomeWorker and Publish Now! magazines on my blog at: http://www.nexus-publishing.co.uk/wordpress
Cheers,
Dave. - 19March 5th, 2010 7:32 am
A little leftfield, but I’d also mention ImagineFX – its aimed at the fantasy / scifi digital artists, but does a lot on composition, colour theory, design too with input from the best the professional scene has to offer.
I’ve certainly learnt stuff from reading it! - 20March 5th, 2010 7:33 am
I’m missing Photoshop Advanced, much better magazine compared to Photoshop Creative.
- 21March 5th, 2010 7:35 am
Thanks for sharing this list of resources. It is a great list and with regards to the website sometimes simple is better. It has all the resources that you need to share content and connect in different places on the web… For a design friendly website you should take a look at canvaspop.com. and tell me what you think as I think you might like the feel.
- 22March 5th, 2010 7:41 am
I miss the ‘Webstandards Magazin’ from Germany.
http://www.webstandards-magazin.de/
For german developers a must have.
Nice collection by the way ;)
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- 24March 5th, 2010 8:57 am
I read .net and Web Designer regularly although I am moving more towards online tutorials for learning new techniques introduction to new technologies.
- 25March 5th, 2010 9:03 am
Can’t believe that Computer Arts’ sister magazine, Computers Arts Projects, didn’t make the list!
- 26March 5th, 2010 9:12 am
Nice mainstream list. /sarcasm
Really? Is that it on the magazine list? Are designers these days only doing what other mainstream people are doing?
I would add PRINT to that list, one of the best for digital artists, illustrators (both digital and traditional) and so on. Tired of seeing Creative Arts and the others. I can pick up one and see what all the others have in them.
- 27March 5th, 2010 10:19 am
This list is more a list of magazines full of ads, A real Designer/print magazine is IDn, NO advertisement at all, just graphics, interviews and an awesome layout!
- 28March 5th, 2010 10:51 am
Great list! I need more subscriptions to these types of magazines :) Thnx.
- 29March 5th, 2010 11:22 am
It’s funny. My company just suggested we look into buying a creative design magazine and this came just in time to offer some choices. I LOVE Layers Magazine. I have to look into the web ones more often. Thanks for the list!
- 30March 5th, 2010 11:25 am
I’m subscribed to net mag. great great mag. bit of everything. might have to subscribe to a photography mag at some point.. not sure which yet.
- 31March 5th, 2010 11:29 am
I want to buy practical webdesign (Germany)? Any chances?
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- 33March 5th, 2010 12:23 pm
You forgot two important ones (in my opinion)
1. Advanced Photoshop
http://www.advancedphotoshop.co.uk/2. Digital Arts
http://www.digitalartsonline.co.uk/I prefer those over Computer Arts and Photoshop User/Creative
- 34March 5th, 2010 2:33 pm
Photoshop User is not, in my opinion, for the professional at all. It really is just for photographers which are new to Photoshop.
How could you leave out Advanced Photoshop magazine? For graphic designers it is better than Layers or Photoshop Creative.
Anyhow that’s my two cents…- 35March 6th, 2010 4:25 am
Tai, I couldn’t agree more :)
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- 36March 7th, 2010 10:27 pm
Really http://www.advancedphotoshop.co.uk/ is a greate site for photoshop professionals…Thanks a lot Simona
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- 37March 5th, 2010 1:39 pm
dope list
- 38March 5th, 2010 3:11 pm
Personally I find them all too expensive. That’s why I love smashing mag :)
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- 40March 5th, 2010 7:35 pm
Print is a good one, but mentioned already. One I didn’t see yet is How Design, a quarterly (i think) mag that reviews all kinds of design with a big focus on typography. I always enjoy flipping through that one, and actually just got back from the bookstore having done just that.
- 41March 5th, 2010 10:27 pm
People still use corel?
- 42March 6th, 2010 7:19 am
Can someone please explain to me what is the difference between Computer Arts to Computer Arts Projects? When I emailed them, the copy & pasted from the site, which doesn’t really help to understand…
- 43March 6th, 2010 9:52 am
The only photography magazine I subscribe to is Rangefinder. It meets my needs. These in your list, look not so impressive.
- 44March 6th, 2010 10:33 am
Excellent resources.
A lot of people use the web as a resource tool for information but these magazines show that print is alive and kicking in a web dominated world!
Shameless plug http://www.carlrosekilly.co.uk/
- 45March 6th, 2010 1:10 pm
I live in the United States, and have been subscribing to .Net magazine for two years. My current year is almost up, and I’m really considering just letting it go. It costs me roughly $115 a year for that awesome magazine, but for that price, awesome just won’t cut it.
Then, thanks to this post I found Web Designer Magazine, however that, too is printed in the UK and costs about $120 bucks for me to subscribe…
So why isn’t there a quality (or any at all for that matter) web design magazine printed in the USA? I mean, how low is the demographic here that no one has even thought of making one? I would love to see a U.S. printed web design mag available here with the same quality as .Net, but for the cost of any other locally printed magazine. When I go to Barnes & Nobel, almost every creative arts and web style magazine is printed in the UK, thus costing 15 bucks an issue. No thanks, I have the internet, Sir.
- 46March 8th, 2010 1:52 am
I hear you. Believe me, even to Europe it’s a bit too expensive I would say (I had subscription for Advanced Magazine and it was 80pound a year, so when I paid – 130euro). Calculate €10-12 per issue. Now we have magazine in dutch language – €5.95 per issue. Much cheaper, but if you would really like this magazine, then my advice to buy PDF-version of this mags on DVD.
Every year they have DVD with issues for the last year. Check this one out:
http://www.imagineshop.co.uk/products_show.php?typeID=170Or bookzines (as they call it – collection of best tutorials for the last year)
http://www.imagineshop.co.uk/products_show.php?typeID=151
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- 47March 6th, 2010 4:44 pm
I absolutely ADORE .net magazine and Photoshop Creative. .net always has great interviews and it’s nice to see what the newest ‘trends’ are on the web. Wish there was a cheaper version available without the cd (just for the cost factor) – but it’s worth it. Photoshop Creative is a great magazine also – their tutorial’s are amazing. Thanks for sharing your list!! I’ve got more magazines to locate now! :)
- 48March 6th, 2010 6:33 pm
Nice post. Computer Art is probably one of my main inspiration.
- 49March 7th, 2010 5:16 am
As a photographer, I’ve found Digital Photo Pro to be an invaluable asset. I don’t want to revise your list, Louis, but my list would include that one, as well as American Photo as others have mentioned. ;) A good, but not great, list though. Thanks! There are a couple others here I don’t know, but will soon.
- 50March 7th, 2010 7:05 am
I don’t think there are enough boobies in this post!!!
- 51March 7th, 2010 2:57 pm
computer Art is my hobby
- 52March 7th, 2010 3:56 pm
As was already mentioned, I too think it is ridiculous that quality magazines like this can’t be produced here in the United States. 15 dollars and up for imported magazines is just too much to spend!
- 53March 8th, 2010 12:08 am
Probably the first of it’s kind collection…good work…
- 54March 8th, 2010 12:51 am
Most of them are too expensive even for Europeans! It’s ridiculous. I’ve got Internet at my workplace for free, so I don’t need paper mags. I think a pro is able to find high quality resources even through all that shit.
- 55April 13th, 2010 6:45 am
Maybe this is the cause of big price: everybody has access to Internet, nobody wants to pay for hight quality paper.
Fixed costs for publish are devided for fewer people, hence the price.
We dug a hole for ourselves :)
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- 56March 8th, 2010 3:30 am
Absolutely amazed that Advanced Photoshop isn’t listed, it’s by far and away the best Photoshop magazine around at the minute!
- 57March 8th, 2010 3:52 am
I’m definitely surprised that Rangefinder didn’t make the list! It’s a great resource for photographers, and it’s free at that!
- 58March 8th, 2010 5:44 am
NIce list !!
- 59March 8th, 2010 7:21 pm
There is one magazine I always go back to and never get tired of because it showcases creativity, not computer techniques, tips, redundant how-tos: Print Magazine. Been around for a long time, has quality writers and will outlive all the trendy magazines on this list. After 30 years in the design business Print Magazine is still an inspiring source of material for me.
- 60March 9th, 2010 6:01 am
You can buy these and other design magazines here: http://www.loveoffers.co.uk/magazine/computers-technology i bagged computeractive the other day for only 3p, they have some crazy offers!
- 61March 9th, 2010 1:51 pm
always enjoy .net magazine – quality of their articles is always top class
- 62March 9th, 2010 7:49 pm
Can’t believe you left out ImagineFX magazine!, hands down, the best magazine i’ve read for people in the business (and im not even a digital artist, im into web design). .Net (“Practical Web Design” here in Mexico…) is great if you subscribe to it, if not it’s not really worth it to spend that much money, after all 99% of the authors who write in the magazine run their own blogs, so you can just read the article directly from their website. Still, it’s good to get them all on one read. I would to point out that Yuxtapoz is also a great artsy magazine and although is doesn’t focus on any specifi subject, it does show some interesting insight on the new art/design trends.
- 63March 9th, 2010 8:37 pm
“The rumors of our death are greatly exaggerated.” said the magazine to the internet. Readers might enjoy this video campaign from the magazine industry leaders: http://ow.ly/1gnZb Agreee? Disagree?
- 64March 10th, 2010 8:15 am
props to the comment above for IdN, great mag. Computer Art Projects trumps computer arts any day too =)
- 65March 10th, 2010 8:48 am
http://www.iSeelight.net – Online Magazines & Online Books collection for Web Designers, Digital Artists, and Photographers… http://www.iseelight.net/
- 66March 11th, 2010 4:10 pm
Hi! Are all those magazines owned by the same publisher?
My only problem is paying $15 an issue for the UK ones, which generally seem to be the best. Layers is just really about Adobe products. We need a magazine here in the States that shows US web design, interviews US agencies, and promotes US design theories. And doesn’t cost $15!
omfgwebdesign.blogspot.com
- 67March 12th, 2010 5:12 am
Hello, I buy from Spain advanced web designer and Photoshop.
It is quite expensive to buy from Spain, were very good the first few issues, but lately the amount of advertising is great.Greetings to all
- 68March 12th, 2010 1:46 pm
My favorites are Computer Arts and Photoshop Creative
Thanks for sharing this one of resources. It has all the resources that you need to share and connect to other people. - 69March 14th, 2010 7:25 am
Computer Arts is a nice source of inspiration and will often include challenging tutorials.
Both .Net and Web Designer are for beginner/intermediate web designers in my opinion. Neither cover overly difficult tutorials and the advice is often repeated – so once you’ve bought 6 issues there is little reason to keep buying. I dislike that both magazines consistently feature ‘top’ developers/designers who’s work is actually quite low quality among other tutorials such as developing a tabbed interface in less than 100 lines… 100 lines?! Tabs should usually require only a few extra lines of Javascript to make older browsers play fair.
- 70March 15th, 2010 8:23 pm
I’m surprised you don’t have “Practical Webdesign” listed. It touts itself as the most popular website design magazine, and even if this were not so, it’s definitely one of the best – far better than Web Designer.
- 71March 26th, 2010 11:12 am
No mention of Communication Arts, Applied Arts, Creative Review, Print or HOW? Or Advertising Age, Marketing Magazine or Adweek? Plus whatever else I’m missing from Europe, etc?
Got to start with the industry standards.
- 72May 5th, 2010 7:27 am
I know this post is a few months old, but the 2 main Photography magazines I read every single month living in the UK are Professional Photography Magazine, and BLACK+WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY. Both are excellent, and go well beyond the usual suspects in terms of articles, eg “How to photograph everything perfectly” and “Take better portraits” etc.
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I think Creative Review is worthy of a mention. It may not be primarily aimed at Web Designers, Digital Artists or Photographers but they really do showcase a lot of relevant and current work – offering inspiration for all. It’s definitely the first magazine I pick up when I”m short of something to read.
Great post none-the-less though – thanks!