Taschen Comics was founded in order to publish Benedikt's comic collection. Taschen has been a pioneer in making lesser-known art, such as fetishistic imagery, queer art, historical erotica, pornography, and adult magazines, available in mainstream bookstores (including multiple books with Playboy magazine). The company has brought potentially divisive art into the public eye by publishing it alongside more mainstream books on comics reprints, art photography, painting, design, fashion, advertising history, film, and architecture.

Taschen books are available in a variety of sizes, ranging from oversized tomes to small pocket-sized books. Calendars, address books, and postcard sets have also been produced by the company.

Taschen launched the Basic Art series in 1985, with a title on Salvador Dal. Today's series includes over 100 titles, each about a different artist, from classical to contemporary, and is available in up to thirty languages. There were more series, as well as an expansion into new themes such as architecture, design, film, and lifestyle. For example, the firm also publishes a "Basic Architecture" series, similar to "Basic Art," that covers some of history's most prominent architects.