It’s more than just paper, pens and notebooks; stationery is a passion for many people around the globe. When we searched for the best stationery brands that were out there, we have come across some unique, professional and stunning studios and stores located online, and all over the world.
From historic, well-known names, to up and coming brands, these companies have created something for everyone – minimalist to wacky and wonderful. Read on to learn more about the top 15 best stationery brands.
1. Rifle Paper Co.
This Florida based stationery company is a well-known name in the industry, having collaborated with Paperless Post, Kids, and even Puffin Books. Creating a range of stationery materials, Rifle Paper also offers home products including candles, books, and bags, making it a go-to choice for gift ideas.
Anna and Nathan Bond are the wife and husband team that created Rifle Paper Co in 2009. Anna’s illustrations and designs have been used in the production of their creations. While Nathan came on board to help develop the stationery business, which suddenly began a big name in the business of stationery.
What helps make their business a success is the generous support of a staff of more than 150 team members. These people work hard and handle everything from customer service, shipping, operations, assembly, and accounts.
2. Bespoke Press
This Australian stationery brand has a letterpress studio, and the flagship store and letterpress cafe called ‘The Press Shop’ in Australia. The thick paper that’s used in the tradition cast iron printing method is what customers love about Bespoke Press. As one of the best stationery brands in Australia, their products include greeting cards, desktop stationery, writing sets, notebooks, and their best selling double-sided gift wrap.
Bespoke Press was created in a country town in Australia – Bowral, New South Wales. Founded in 2007 by Alischa Herrmann, this small business began with humble beginnings, until it’s now an internationally recognised brand.
It sets itself apart from other stationery brands in printing in a traditional way, with antique cast-iron machines. They also work with the mission of giving back to others, with every order placed offering a donation to the shoppers choice of a cause that supports at-risk young mothers, education for rescued children from trafficking, and ending violence against women.
3. Sugar Paper LA
Sugar Paper stationery can be purchased in thousands of stores across the United States, and in recent years, globally. Their handmade crafts are popular among stationery lovers who appreciate finer quality and unique pieces. Some of the most loved pieces are still the simple letter paper and envelopes.
The company began as a Bespoke letterpress project in 2003, which fast grew to more than just paper letters and cards, to stationery items. Rather than driving straight online, the company focused on developing a tangible product of quality.
This mindset steeped in tradition is what makes Sugar Paper a unique stationery brand, with using the letterpress printing technology of the 15th century, having every piece of paper and envelope hand-fed into the press, one sheet at a time, as well as details such each of the candles being hand-poured by person.
4. Papier
Papier stationery is a dynamic brand, that isn’t afraid to create playful and exuberant stationery. The UK-based company is one of the best stationery brands that collaborates with artists, illustrators, and top graphic designers to curate different collections for their range of products, from their best-selling greeting cards to notebooks and other gifts.
Founded in 2015, the core drive to create this company was Papier’s mission to harmonise quality materials, design and words to let each recipient enjoy the beauty of receiving a thoughtful expression.
It’s more than just a regular card and invitation online site, with the focus on personalisation. Taking on board customer requests for designers and styles, this large company, now printing in Australia as well as the UK, still maintains a strong relationship with its consumers.
5. Blacklist
Blacklist is a design studio that works with international and local talents in a range of ways. Not only is it a leading name for luxury stationery, but designers also offer raw services like typography illustration, branding, packaging, and print design.
Founded in 2008, this company was created by the wife and husband team, Jaynie and Nathan Johnson. This Sydney-based design studio branched out to stationery products for lovers of unique and high-quality design elements.
Their luxury stationery boasts beautiful quotes and hints of gold trimming, among other hallmark design features. From their mission statement, ‘Blacklist exists to bring a love for creating products that help others through inspiring them to make the most of every moment, every day, everyone, every thought, and every idea.’
6. Mark + Fold
Minimalist and modern are two words to describe this company, which is one of the best stationery brands based in the United Kingdom. From their hallmark everyday notebook which was their original product, creations of Mark + Fold has evolved to diaries, desktop pads, and other limited edition stationery.
Mark + Fold was founded in 2015 by designer Amy Cooper-Wright in London, who sought to create ‘the perfect notebook’ for all-purpose everyday use, while keeping a sense of simple design so that people using these creations could feel clear and focused on the functionality of the stationery.
The difference for this top stationery brand is in the focus on exercising restraint in their small-batch designs to uphold an element of elegant simplicity for people to customise their products in their own way.
7. Cass Art
A little different to the other brands in this article, Cass Art is rather a brand known to promote the best quality brands of art supplies in a range of its flagship stores all around the United Kingdom.
Originally, this brand began as an art store back in 1984 right next to the National Gallery in Charing Cross, U.K. Another store opened in 2001, on Kensington High Street. 2003 saw the next Soho store opening, with another in Charing Cross in 2004, Islington in 2006, Hampstead in 2010 and Kingston in 2012. 2013 saw the opening of their online store.
Cass Art is best known for its extensive selection of product lines, with over 10,000 different stationery brands being supplied, such as Winsor & Newton and Faber Castell, to name a few.
8. Papersmiths
With their retail stores in London and Bristol, in the U.K, this stationery brand also offers other homewares and products perfect for gifts and crafts.
The brand was created in 2013 after the founders Kyle Clarke and Sidonie Warren met with one another and bonded over their love of illustration and design. By 2014, the studio space was getting busier and Papersmiths expanded from their initial humble design studio in Bristol in 2013, to a four-story building in Clifton Village to suit the demands of a growing customer base and many more products.
The owners clear love and individual touches to the business are what make Papersmiths a passion project, as well as a company. Kyle and Sidonie remark that they’re stationery and paper addicts, and just wished to share what they love with the word.
9. Hammerpress
Adding a unique rock’n’roll energy to the stationery industry, Hammerpress is best known for their greeting cards that have been based on the studio’s initial creations of album cover and gig poster designs for local brands and performers in Kansas City.
Founded in Missouri, the print shop, design studio and retail store have been operating since 1994. Offering custom design and printing, the brand’s mission is to capture the essence of each individual, whether creating for companies or a customer looking to give a unique gift to loved ones.
It seems that their origins have continued to carry through to their offerings of exciting, modern and fun designs for people looking for a little more edge than the everyday simple stationery and cards.
10. The Stationer
Classic design and functionality are the main values of The Stationer brand, with products that will help you organise your life and work while making your desktop feel clear and stylish. Favourite products include simple notebooks and desktop organisers.
Founded in 2014, the initial flavour of The Stationer was actually a stationery blog by Tessa Sowry. The blog was called ‘All Thing stationery’ and became so popular that after 2 years of sharing tips and tricks, she decided to open a shop.
What draws people into this brand is the in-depth explanations of each product, as the origins of the Blog posts gave customers a foundation of knowing that they were receiving products that are shared by someone who really knows their stationery. Though based in the U.K, The Stationer also ships their products internationally.
11. Ladyfingers Letterpress
Founded by a wife and wife team, this award-winning letterpress company is known for its boutique stationery and their open sharing of their LGBTQ ideals. They’ve been featured in The New York Times, Vogue, and Martha Stewart Weddings, to name a few. This is one of our more unique companies in our list of the best stationery brands.
Launched in 2011, their business was sparked after their wedding invitation that they made for themselves went viral online. After more demand for different celebratory occasion stationery, they launched a greeting card line in 2013 and it took off so much that they’re now sold in more 800 globally.
They offer more than just products, with workshops and classes for gifts and stationery being a favourite for people visiting their Colorado Springs flagship store that was opened in 2016. The platform of their brand has been used to promote women’s, LGBTQ+, POC, and immigrant rights.
12. Happy Menocal
This brand of stationery was created by a watercolour and ink artist, who goes by this name ‘Happy Menocal.’ The brand creates hand-painted stationery and invitations for personal and corporate use, as well as textile and product designs and fine art. Wedding designs are the favourite for consumers, as the history of the brand created this foundation.
In 2009, Happy was asked to create wedding stationery for her friend, and decided to take an old coat of arms idea to breathe fresh life into the ancient tradition. Fine detail and symmetry were blended with a modern and personalised twist, making a niche product that she began to develop and create as a whole range of products for consumers.
What sets this brand apart from the rest is their love of creating personal relationships with each customer. As it states on their site: “Like the medieval artists before us, we develop long-lasting relationships with our patrons, and make work that evolves as individuals and families grow, so that it may endure for generations.”
13. Fox and Star
This unique ‘Indie’ style stationery brand is based in the U.K, offering their favourite pens, journals, planners and other stationery brands from around the world on their online store. The best selling ‘washi’ tapes from Japan are always a much-loved niche product for Fox and Star.
Founded in Birmingham in 2013, the brand later moved to Edinburgh to expand their products because the small team scouts unique designs and supplies to feature on their online store. Their name is inspired by a classic Novel, ‘Le Petit Prince’ (The Little Prince).
The niche element of this brand is their obvious love for Korean and Japanese design, which can be seen in the range of stationery products that they feature in this eclectic and playful style.
14. Milligram
Formally titled ‘NoteMaker’, this brand underwent a name change, and a new direction in creating high-quality stationery, office and desk supplies and lifestyle gifts and accessories. The dynamic products offered mean that there are many favourite products, though people might recognise the brand from high-quality pens and notebooks that are always great sellers.
Launched in 2007, Milligram was designed for people who are passionate about creating, writing, crafting, drawing and designing. Melbourne Central is where the store can be found, and it also has a successful online store with more than 6000 products featuring over 90 different brands.
Milligram has enjoyed success in the industry of stationery, receiving an award in 2013 for being one of the Top 100 ‘Coolest Companies’ in Australia, and again in 2018 for their Retail Interior Design in the Melbourne Design Awards. This focus on beautiful aesthetics is clearly witnessed in their products.
15. Faber-Castell
As one of history oldest and largest manufacturers of stationery supplies, Faber-Castell rounds off this list of the best stationery brands on the market. Best known for its range of coloured pencils and drawing materials, the brand operates and serves internationally.
Founded in 1761 in Germany, the company has been in the Faber family for eight generations. Opening stores in New York in 1849, London in 1851, Paris in 1855 and Vienna in 1872, it has continued to expand throughout the world. It got the Castell portion of its name after a marriage in the family to the count of Castell in 1990. You can learn more about brands here.
Operating 14 factories across the globe, including locations in Asia, North America, Australia, South America, and New Zealand, the brand employs an estimated 7,000 staff. The long-standing and trusted name of this historic company is what makes Faber-Castell a household name and favourite.
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