10 amazing calendar designs for 2017

Branching out into calendar design is a great way to bring in extra client work and earn more money, not to mention promoting your own portfolio or maybe the product you produce. In this showcase of great calendar design we've tried to provide a good cross-section of examples, that offer unique and innovative calendar design approaches to one of the most traditional of products (to make yourself a quick calendar, check out these free calendar template designs for 2017

01. Paper Pusher isometric calendar

calendar designs

Another fine calendar design from Paper Pusher

Designed by JP King, this calendar showcases Risograph printing through an exploration of overprinting, halftones, and fluorescent inks on craft paper. The geometric graphics were created with two goals in mind: imagined depth on a two dimensional surface and accentuate the inherently retro feel of risography.

02. Birds

calendar designs

A gorgeous and eco-friendly calendar design

A stunning, super eco-friendly black and white calendar. Twelve pages are hung on a specially hand-made wooden hanger which is crafted in the most eco-friendly way possible, using only biodegradable materials, with absolutely no metal or plastic.

03. 12 Musketeers

March design by Reka Juhasz

March design by Reka Juhasz

The 12 musketeers calendar project is a collaboration effort spearheaded by paperreka and is between 12 young, battle-trained designers who formed an alliance and joined forces in honor of defending the art of letterpress.

04. 365 typefaces for 2017

2014 calendar designs

The calendar features 263 designers and foundries from 30 countries

Since 2012, the team behind German design and typography magazine Slanted make it their job to find the"freshest, boldest, most successful and unusual" fonts to feature in their annual 'Typodarium' calendar. For 2017, they have brought together 365 fonts – one for every day – by 263 designers and foundries from 30 countries.

05. Bike Type Calendar 2017

Nice collection of bike frame type

Nice collection of bike frame type

Also by the Slanted team is this calendar for people who are into bikes and typography; each month displays some cool type on a bike frame. 

06. Wall calendar

calendar design

This calendar design comes with 100 post-it notes

This wall calendar was designed by German company Populaere Produkte and comes complete with 100 post-it notes, each with a hole to mark and label single days throughout the year. The simple, crisp design gives a clean-cut feel, with the calendar printed on FSC-certified recycled paper – making it eco-friendly too!

07. C|M|Y|K Colour swatch calendar

calendar design

A calendar design for colour lovers and CMYK enthusiasts

This CMYK calendar is a daily inspiration for anyone that loves colour. Each day a colour stripe can be torn off, with new colour combinations then exposed. Printed on coated and uncoated paper, the stripes can be collected to create colour matching fans. The exact CMYK data is printed on every stripe.

08. Studio Armadillo

calendar design

Each page of this calendar design features a commissioned illustration

This calendar design from Studio Armadillo features commissioned illustrations from a whole host of designers; you'll get plenty of inspiration from every page.

09. Screen printed cacti and succulent calendar

Plant illustrations for each month in black and copper

Plant illustrations for each month in black and copper

These plant drawings by Derby-based illustrator and printmaker Pandora Johnson are easier to take care of than the real thing. They are screen printed by hand onto 200gsm Fabriano paper with eco-friendly black and copper inks. 

10. City Illustrations wall calendar

A different city for each month of the year

A different city for each month of the year

Tessa Galloway's intricate drawings of cities including New York, Dubrovnik, Venice and London decorate each page of this calendar; maybe it will inspire you to take a trip. 

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Sammy Maine

Sammy Maine was a founding member of the Creative Bloq team way back in the early 2010s, working as a Commissioning Editor. Her interests cover graphic design in music and film, illustration and animation. Since departing, Sammy has written for The Guardian, VICE, The Independent & Metro, and currently co-edits the quarterly music journal Gold Flake Paint.