OFFCUTS’ PA200 is a beautifully crafted publication that preserves the ephemeral art of posters

Posters are, by their very nature, temporary creations – designed to catch the eye, deliver information and often disappear without a trace. It’s this fleeting existence that pushes designers to experiment and push boundaries, knowing the outcome won’t be scrutinised for years to come. But this temporality also means many brilliant designs are lost to time, only existing in the memories of those who happened to see them during their brief display. This tension between permanent artistic value and temporary purpose is what Harrison Marshall’s book, Poster Archive 200, seeks to address. Published under Marshall's OFFCUTS imprint, the book presents a curated collection of 200 posters from designers around the world, preserving their work in a format that allows for deeper appreciation and longer-term enjoyment. “I feel as if posters are a staple piece for designers,” Marshall explains. “They’re a nice tidy frame where you can push and play with all the fundamentals – type, hierarchy, image, colour, composition. And because they’re temporary in nature, they’re often a bit more experimental.”