Communication Arts 2027 Design Competition

The Communication Arts 2027 Design Competition is the design edition of the annual competitions run by Communication Arts, the US magazine that has been publishing the best of visual communication for 68 years. Alongside its illustration, typography, photography and advertising competitions, the design call covers 26 categories, from packaging and trademarks to posters, books, annual reports, environmental graphics and motion.

Selected work is published in the CA Design Annual, in print and digital editions, and on commarts.com. As with all CA competitions there is no cash prize. The reward is selection by a demanding jury and the visibility that comes with being in the annual, which is read closely by creative directors and clients.

Judging is entirely online, so printed pieces are entered as photographs or PDFs. Students have their own category at reduced fees.

Who Can Enter the Communication Arts 2027 Design Competition?

Designers, studios, agencies, in-house teams, clients and students from any country. Projects must have been printed, published or aired for the first time between May 2026 and May 2027. Work in other languages is accepted with English translations for the jury.

It is particularly relevant to:

• Graphic design and branding studios
• Packaging, editorial and book designers
• Motion and environmental graphics designers
• In-house design teams
• Design students

What Can You Enter?

There are 26 categories. The main groups and their fees are:

Packaging, Identity and Branding

• Packaging: single package $45; series of up to five $90
• Trademarks: trademark, wordmark or logotype $45
• Identity Guides: JPG up to five images $45; PDF $60
• Integrated Branding Programs: at least ten pieces, case study video up to three minutes, $300
• Business Papers: letterhead set $45; business-paper series $90

Reports, Brochures and Catalogues

• For-profit and non-profit annual reports, institutional brochures, product and service brochures, product, school and exhibition catalogues: JPG $45 or PDF $60

Posters, Editorial and Books

• Posters: single $45; series of up to five $90
• Editorial: magazine or newspaper page or section $45; complete issue JPG $90 or PDF $120
• Books: whole book JPG $45 or PDF $60; single cover $45; cover series $90

Promotion, Motion and Public Service

• Self-Promotion and Self-Promotion for Design Clubs: single $45 or video $110; series $90 or video series $220
• Motion Graphics: single $110; series $220
• Public Service: work for non-profits, single $45 or video $110; series $90 or video series $220

Environments and Other Work

• Environmental Graphics: signage, interiors, exhibits, up to ten images $90; digital installations video $110
• Personal Announcements, Calendars and Menus: single $45; series $90
• Miscellaneous: single $45 or video $110; series $90 or video series $220
• Student Work: single $20 or video $45; series $40 or video series $90

Entry Fees

Fees depend on the category and format, from $20 for a single student project to $300 for an integrated branding programme. Most single entries cost $45 and most series $90. Entries submitted after 7 May carry an extra $10 each.

What Do Selected Entrants Receive?

• Publication in the Communication Arts Design Annual, in print and digital editions
• A feature on commarts.com
• A personalised Award of Excellence, milled from solid aluminium
• Award certificates for the people credited on the work

Submission Requirements

All entries are submitted online; Communication Arts no longer accepts printed entries.

File Specifications

• Images: RGB JPG, up to 2 MB each
• Video: MOV, MP4, MPG or MPEG, up to 500 MB
• PDF: up to 50 MB

Series and Credits

All pieces in a series must be part of the same campaign or project, and they are judged together. Only basic credits are needed for judging; full credits are requested if the work is selected.

Important Rules

• Only work first printed, published or aired between May 2026 and May 2027 is eligible.
• AI text-to-image generated submissions are not accepted.
• Entrants keep all rights to their work, but grant CA the right to reproduce selected work.
• There are no cash prizes.

When Will Entrants Be Notified?

Each juror votes "in" or "out" independently on every entry, and jurors cannot vote on work they were involved in. Entries with a majority of votes move to the final round, where the winners are chosen. Only accepted entrants are contacted, within two months of the final deadline.

Things to Consider

• Pick the right category. A full identity system may do better as an Integrated Branding Program than as separate trademark and stationery entries.
• Photograph real applications. With online-only judging, good photography of printed and installed work is essential.
• Use PDFs for long documents. Annual reports, catalogues and books can be shown in full as PDFs.
• Enter by 7 May. Each late entry costs $10 more.
• Students should enter. At $20 for a single project, it is one of the most affordable ways to be judged alongside professionals.

Enter the Competition

Interested in submitting your work?

Enter the Communication Arts 2027 Design Competition

For the complete category list, fees and the entry portal, visit the official Communication Arts competition page.

Looking for more open calls? Browse all competitions and opportunities on Good Stuff Weekly.

Last verified: October 2, 2026