Studied 1939–44 at the Skola Umeni in Zlin, a private university-level art school. He did corporate identity projects for Brno Trade Fairs and Hotel Morava Pohorelice. Jan lectured in graphic design and semiology at the Brno VUT University of Technology (1983–88) and became head of the visual communication department there (1992–94). He writes for design magazines, has had over 40 solo exhibitions and taken part in more than 300 (inter)national exhibitions, including: Venice, 1972; Brno Biennale, 1964–2006; Warsaw Biennale, 1968–2004; Trnava Triennial, 1994–2006. He has won over 40 awards, including: Icograda Excellence Awards, Nice, 1985 and Brno, 2002; Euro-Design Award Oostende, 1994; Czech Design Prestige Award, 1996; City of Brno Prize, 1995; elected to the Hall of Fame, Czech Exhibition Design, 2002. Rajlich founded the International Biennale of Graphic Design Brno in 1963 and remained its president until 1992. He is a member of ISGD (USA) and the Czech Art Association ‘Q’.