About Standards Manual

Standards Manual is an independent publishing imprint founded by designers Jesse Reed and Hamish Smyth in New York City in 2014.

Our mission is to archive and preserve artifacts of design history and make them available to future generations. From reprinted graphics standards manuals to new compendiums of archival work, our titles always aim to make great design available to all.

As designers ourselves, we value high quality books. As an independent publisher, we produce our books using only the finest papers, printing, and finishing methods. We don’t cut corners when it comes to quality.


Titles

1970 New York City
Transit Authority
Graphics Standards Manual

Designed by Massimo Vignelli
and Bob Noorda, Unimark, 1970

ISBN 978-0-692-49695-4

First published in 2014 as a full-size limited edition version.

National Aeronautics and
Space Administration
Graphics Standards Manual

Designed by Richard Danne
and Bruce Blackburn,
Danne & Blackburn, 1975

ISBN 978-0-692-58653-2

Published 2015

Official Symbol of The American Revolution Bicentennial: Guidelines for Authorized Usage; Official Graphics Standards Manual

Designed by Bruce Blackburn, 1974
Limited Edition of 1,976

ISBN 978-0-692-77468-7

Published 2016

New York City Transit Authority:
Objects

ISBN 978-0-692-90255-4

Published 2017

1977 United States Environmental
Protection Agency
Graphic Standards System

Designed by Steff Geissbühler,
Chermayeff & Geismar Associates

ISBN 978-0-692-87830-9

Published 2017

Identity: Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv

A 60-year monograph celebrating
the work of the seminal firm

ISBN 978-0-692-95523-9

Published 2018

Parks

From the collection of Brian Kelley

ISBN 978-0-578-46982-9

Published 2019

The Worm

From the NASA archives

ISBN 978-0-578-70108-0

Published 2020

The New York Subway Map Debate

Edited by Gary Hustwit, with
never-before-seen photographs
by Stan Ries, and a foreword by
Paula Scher

ISBN 978-0-9895321-6-7

Published 2021

QSL? (Do You Confirm Receipt
of My Transmission?)

From the collection
of Roger Bova

ISBN 978-0-578-39052-9

Published 2023

Classified: Local Ads From
America’s Small Towns

From the collection of
Shelton and Josh Carnley,
Studio Carnley

ISBN 979-8-218-24544-3

Published 2024

1982 DC Comics Style Guide

Featuring the legendary art
of José Luis García-López

ISBN 979-8-218-33743-8

Published 2024


Want to stock our books?

For North American distribution (USA/Canada) please contact Standards Manual directly: contact@standardsmanual.com. For outside North America, please contact Thames & Hudson: sales@thameshudson.co.uk