He graduated 1954 from the Yale School of Design and Architecture, and followed a graduate programme where he studied with Paul Rand, Josef Albers and Herbert Matter. In 1958 he worked for Henri Wolf and later assisted Alexander Liberman. Antupit was the chief art director of Esquire (1962–68). From 1968–70, he established Hess and/or Antupit and in 1970 Antupit & Others, which consulted to book and magazine publishers. In 1972 he started Subsistence Press and from 1978–81, he was executive art director of the Book-of-the-Month Club. He also served as director of art and design at Harry N. Abrams for 16 years, with scores of books; monographs on Monet, Lichtenstein and Katz. In 1995 Sam established CommonPlace Publishing, dedicated to creating quality-illustrated books. But his major interest and heart, for over 40 years, lay in his private print shop Cycling Frog Press, operated from his basement. Sam received an N.E.A. American Fellow Grant in 1994 and the AIGA Medal in 2001.