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The theme: Seeds of kindness
2026 starts with a calendar that is of importance to us: The Posterheroes 2026 Calendar, an editorial and artistic project created from the Posterheroes competition, promoted by Plug, Favini, ITC-ILO and Fondazione Time2. This calendar represents the conclusion of a competition that began in May 2025, during which, among the forty winners, two highly commended entries were selected by Favini and Fondazione Time2, along with the twelve illustrations now printed on the Favini paper calendar.
Not surprisingly, the calendar has been described as a Work of art, with a capital W: Twelve 70 × 100 cm posters that tell a story of kindness and empathy, month after month.
The 2025 edition of the Posterheroes competition was titled Seeds of Kindness and invited the international creative community to express the transformative power of empathy. The creative world responded enthusiastically: 3,637 posters from 119 countries, confirming how deeply felt and widely shared this topic is.
Why was this theme chosen?
The theme for the brief, Seeds of Kindness was chosen by Posterheroes’ partners (Plug, Favini, ITC-ILO, Fondazione Time2). It stems from an analysis of the contemporary social landscape and is in line with the reflections of previous briefs, aiming to counteract the performative tendencies of society.
Matteo Marcato, one of the main organisers of the Posterheroes competition, adds:
“This year we found ourselves thinking about the issues of bullying, but instead of stopping at simply denouncing it, we wanted to write about it in a positive light, identifying empathy and kindness as the answers to abusive behaviour’’.
Inside the Posterheroes 2026 Calendar
Taking a look inside the Posterheroes Calendar, the twelve months of artwork are printed on different weights, colours and types of Favini paper. The 70 x 100 cm format of the calendar allows you to fully appreciate the works month by month. Matteo Marcato comments:
“The calendar is an aesthetically beautiful and well-crafted object that presents us with one of the many facets of kindness each month. It is a sort of continuous reminder of the actions that make this world a better place’’.
Each month shows the calendar, the name of the artist, the paper and the printing techniques used. Alongside this information is a new feature: A QR code that allows you to listen to a description of the work. Matteo explains:
“Since the Beautifully Diverse edition (2023), we have started to make Posterheroes more accessible, with 3D posters and audio descriptions. Last year, our collaboration with the Forword association was consolidated, and today all the works are audio described in English and Italian. I believe this is also an act of kindness: culture and art must be as open as possible. Favini understood this need and asked us to include it in the calendar, and we are more than happy that it has been done”.
The QR code enriches the calendar experience, making the interpretation of each work more accessible and complete. Lucia Tonelli, from Quattrolinee, was involved in the layout and design of the calendar and explained that one of the main challenges in integrating the QR code was positioning it within the graphic design without compromising the visual balance of the work. The result is that the QR code expands the possibilities for enjoying the artwork, going beyond its physical dimensions and making it even more accessible and shareable.
Calendar layout and printing
The creative process did not stop at the selection of the works: the layout and printing process was also fundamental, transforming the illustrations into works of art. Lucia Tonelli of Quattrolinee comments that the calendar design process went smoothly and that the collaboration and dialogue with Favini brought additional value, especially for the preparation of the print files and coordination with regard to the choice of papers and finishes.
The layout is designed to enhance the works and organise the information in a clear and harmonious way. The 70 × 100 cm format allows you to fully enjoy the colours and texture of Favini papers, while the layout of the calendar, artist’s name and printing technique creates a balance between aesthetics and functionality.
The printing process required great attention to paper weights, shades and quality. The choice of different types of Favini paper was not random: each month is a dialogue between the artwork and the paper, between the artist’s stroke and the surface of the medium. The result is a calendar that combines design, print quality and functionality, becoming both a collector’s item and a tool for reflection on kindness.
Some artworks from the calendar
To showcase the variety and richness of the calendar, here are three posters that highlight different interpretations of the theme Seeds of Kindness:
January — Elena Galli
On Shiro Echo Raw Blue 350 gsm, lights emerge from the ivory-coloured windows, printed in silkscreen. The window frames were created using litho, while silkscreen printing was also used for the words “Open your heart to kindness. The world needs it.” Open your heart, just as these windows are open: all different from each other, but united by a common light.
May — Marko Škrbić
The work was created using multiple print passes on Sparto Cloud 250 gsm paper. The phrase ‘Violence ends where empathy begins’ is crossed by a knife with a feather on top. A complex work both in meaning and execution: First a pass of UV litho white, followed by the printing of the feather and cutmarks in standard screen print, finally a foil is used for the details of the knife
November — Viktor Melistas
Su Sparto Thunder 250 g, la serigrafia è protagonista. Una serie di passaggi, prima il bianco per il datario e per le sagome poi i colori, fanno emergere differenti tipi di abbracci, adattati alle varie situazioni e gesti, creando un effetto di calore e varietà.
Conclusion
The Posterheroes 2026 Calendar is more than just a calendar: It is a journey that combines art, design, quality print and digital interaction. Through each of the twelve plates, the layout, the choice of Favini papers and the printing techniques, every month offers food for thought on kindness and empathy, and the universal values expressed by the artists.
Thanks to the QR code and social media content, the calendar is enhanced with an interactive dimension, allowing you to discover the creative process behind each work. So, what began as a competition and collection of posters becomes an experiential object, in which paper, artistic expression and words come together, transforming to offer each month an invitation to observe, listen and reflect on the world around us.
A project that combines visual communication, quality print and cultural commitment, transforming the calendar into a tool for storytelling and raising awareness.
Discover month by month
Via our @Favinipapers Instagram account, we want to take you on a journey through the works, discovering month by month the print techniques, each of our papers used and information about the artists.
Each post will be accompanied by a short interview with the artist, who will talk about their artwork and creative process for the Seeds of Kindness edition of Posterheroes. In this way, the calendar is not just a collector’s item but also allows you to delve deeper into the stories behind the works and their creation.