Honi Soit marked the fourth collaboration between Andy Warhol and John Cale, a founding member of The Velvet Underground. Their friendship stretched back to the 1960s and continued long after Cale left the band.

When Cale expressed uncertainty about the album's title and artwork, Warhol proposed several unconventional ideas, including a cover featuring Cale and Yoko Ono. The final design took a different direction, using a collage inspired by passports, travel documents and the experience of returning home.

The artwork reflects themes of movement and identity, while Cale himself added colour to the design. The simple pen drawing visible on the cover reveals the spontaneous and direct approach that often characterized Warhol's late record cover projects.