The competition 100 Best Posters of the Year – Germany, Austria, Switzerland at the end of 2012, advertised 12 times internationally, is considered an important institution of current poster design. Many graphic designers, students at universities and colleges specializing in graphic design, agencies, offices as well as clients and printing works participate every year. The total for this year is 510. 680 individual posters, selected in accordance with the two-stage regulations (online pre-selection) from around 1,700 entries, made it to the final round and were put before the judges. If you divide the award-winning 100 posters and poster series, Germany accounts for 49 entries, Switzerland 47, Austria 3, as well as a co-production from Austria and Switzerland. The posters consisted of 75 commissioned pieces, 6 self-initiated posters / self-advertisement and 19 were submitted as student project assignments.
There were 510 submissions to the competition (of which 180 came from students): 110 from agencies or graphic design agencies, 386 from individual designers and 14 from clients. There were 361 entrants from Germany, 33 from Austria and 116 from Switzerland. The selection represents a wide stylistic range of poster designs – in accordance with the competition brief, where no content or formal restrictions were placed – in German-speaking countries and features the work of professional designers and students on equal footing.
