Willem Sandberg was born on 10 24 1897 in ‪Amersfoort‬, Holland. He studied art at the State Academy in Amsterdam and he studied psychology at the University of Vienna and Utrecht.In 1927, He apprenticeship to a printer in Herrliberg, Switzerland. In 1938, he appointed as an assistant director of the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam. Between 1943 and 1945, he experiment with typography under Henri Willem van den Bosch.
In 1945, he was appointed to be director of Stedelijk Museum where he designed almost all the printed matter for the Museum. He designed more than 250 catalogs and 270 posters during his 18 years tenure at the Museum. He also responsible to enlightened policy of the Museum toward new artist and art forms.
From 1947-1951 , he was president of Dutch artist equity and from 1948-1960 vice-president of the Netherlands Arts Council. From 1964 to 1968 and again since 1971 he was chairman of the executive committee of Israel Museum in Jerusalem. He was an advisor for the building of museums and cultural centers in Rio de Janeiro, Canberra, Paris (Center Pompidou). In His retirement he served on the committees for the Beaubourg in Paris and the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.