Ninety-eight brand guides to stationery — notebooks and planners, fine paper, design studios and the objects on the desk.
Stationery is a design category with devoted users, and its brands range from nineteenth-century paper mills to Kickstarter start-ups. These guides look at how each presents itself, with honest caveats where the record is thin.
Paper families
Several well-known names share parents. Rhodia, with its orange notepad, is owned by Clairefontaine, which founded its Vosges mill in 1858; Quo Vadis and G. Lalo are in the Exacompta Clairefontaine group. Midori, Traveler’s Company and PLOTTER share the parent Designphil, and Semikolon belongs to the Leuchtturm Gruppe.
Notebooks with a following
Some notebooks have devoted followings: Hobonichi’s Techo planner on Tomoe River paper, now made by the Sanzen mill; Field Notes, launched in 2007 by Coudal and Draplin; Smythson’s Featherweight diaries from Bond Street; and Rite in the Rain’s waterproof paper for field use.
On the desk
Desk objects come from design studios and old foundries alike: Danese Milano’s rationalist objects, Skultuna’s brass made in Sweden, Hacoa’s wooden pieces made in Japan, and machined tools from Studio Neat and CW&T.
How to use these guides
Each guide covers a brand’s visual identity — its signature product, palette and voice — as design commentary, and notes where facts could not be fully confirmed. The table at the end gathers the essentials.
Notebooks and planners
Rhodia, Clairefontaine, Field Notes, Traveler’s Company, Hobonichi, Smythson and Filofax.
- Rhodia — The 1923 Lyon founding, the iconic orange notepad, the two-pine-trees logo, Clairefontaine ownership, and honest caveats.
- Clairefontaine — The 1858 Vosges founding, the ultra-smooth vélin paper, the vertically integrated mill, the Rhodia ownership, and honest caveats.
- Field Notes — The 2007 Coudal + Draplin launch, the kraft memo book, the Colors subscription, the utilitarian aesthetic, and honest caveats.
- Traveler’s Company — The 2006 Traveler’s notebook, the leather-and-elastic refill system, the brass accessories, Designphil, and honest caveats.
- Hobonichi — The Techo planner, Tomoe River paper, founder Shigesato Itoi, the daily-quote LIFE book, and honest caveats.
- Smythson — The 1887 Bond Street founding, the Featherweight diary, the Nile Blue paper, royal warrants, and honest caveats.
- Filofax — The 1921 origins, the six-ring organizer, the 1980s yuppie status symbol, the refill system, and honest caveats.
Paper and notebook makers
Kokuyo, Maruman, Midori, Delfonics, Baron Fig, Quo Vadis and Rite in the Rain.
- Kokuyo — The 1905 Osaka founding, the Campus notebook, the office-furniture giant, the Pentel stake, and honest caveats.
- Maruman — The 1920 sketchbook founding, the yellow Zuan sketchbook, the Mnemosyne notebook, and honest caveats.
- Midori — The MD Notebook, the celebrated MD Paper, the Designphil parent shared with Traveler’s Company, and honest caveats.
- Delfonics — The 1988 Tokyo founding, the Rollbahn spiral notebook, the colorful design-stationery ethos, and honest caveats.
- Baron Fig — The 2013 Kickstarter founding, the Confidant notebook, the Squire pen, the community-built brand, and honest caveats.
- Quo Vadis — The 1954 Marseille founding, Dr. Beltrami’s planning grid, the Habana notebook, the Exacompta Clairefontaine group, and honest caveats.
- Rite in the Rain — The ~1916 Tacoma origins, all-weather waterproof paper, the military and field use, and honest caveats.
Fine paper and binders
Hightide, PLOTTER, Kunisawa, Original Crown Mill, G. Lalo, Semikolon and Galen Leather.
- Hightide — The Fukuoka design-stationery company, the retro Penco brand, the colorful lifestyle range, and honest caveats.
- PLOTTER — The Designphil parent shared with Midori and Traveler’s Company, the leather 6-ring binder system, the design ethos, and honest caveats.
- Kunisawa — The Kawachiya maker, the FIND notebook line, the silver-foil edges and Fine Paper, the executive positioning, and honest caveats.
- Original Crown Mill — The Belgian fine-correspondence-paper heritage, the laid and cotton letter paper, the crown motif, and honest caveats.
- G. Lalo — The 1919 French founding, the Vergé de France laid paper, the Exacompta Clairefontaine group, and honest caveats.
- Semikolon — The colorful bookcloth notebooks and albums, the numbered-pages-and-labels system, the Leuchtturm Gruppe parent, and honest caveats.
- Galen Leather — The 2012 Istanbul family workshop, the handmade leather notebook covers and pen cases, the Crazy Horse leather, and honest caveats.
Notebook and paper specialists
Stálogy, Yamamoto Paper, Nakabayashi, Sanzen, Endless, Write Notepads and Public Supply.
- Stálogy — The Nitoms-made 365 Days Notebook, the thin paper and self-dating grid system, the minimalist design, and honest caveats.
- Yamamoto Paper — The Osaka paper specialist, the Paper Tasting sets, the wax-coated Ro-Biki Note, and honest caveats.
- Nakabayashi — The 1923 Osaka stationery giant, the Logical notebooks, the photo-album heritage, its ownership of Taccia, and honest caveats.
- Sanzen — The Japanese paper mill that now makes the legendary Tomoe River paper, the Tomoegawa handover, the old-vs-new debate, and honest caveats.
- Endless — The Chennai stationery brand, the Recorder and Explorer notebooks on Tomoe River paper, the value specs, and honest caveats.
- Write Notepads & Co. — The Baltimore letterpress notebook maker, the American bookbinding craft, the school-donation program, and honest caveats.
- Public Supply — The Brooklyn stationery brand giving 25% of profits to public-school classrooms, the minimal notebooks, and honest caveats.
Design stationers
Kakimori, Grovemade, Present & Correct, Nuuna, Karst, Nava Design and Papier Tigre.
- Kakimori — The Tokyo stationer’s custom notebooks and bespoke ink, with honest caveats.
- Grovemade — The Portland studio’s wood-and-metal desk objects, with honest caveats.
- Present & Correct — The London studio-shop’s mid-century design stationery, with honest caveats.
- Nuuna — The Frankfurt notebook label’s graphic covers, with honest caveats.
- Karst — The Sydney brand’s stone-paper notebooks, with honest caveats.
- Nava Design — The Milanese house’s designer agendas, with honest caveats.
- Papier Tigre — The Paris studio’s bold graphic paper goods, with honest caveats.
Studios and stationers
Choosing Keeping, Craft Design Technology, Ugmonk, Roterfaden, Octàgon, Notem and Serrote.
- Choosing Keeping — The London stationer’s curated and own-brand goods, with honest caveats.
- Craft Design Technology — The Tokyo house’s redesigned office tools, with honest caveats.
- Ugmonk — The Pennsylvania studio’s minimalist goods and Analog, with honest caveats.
- Roterfaden — The German workshop’s modular leather organizer, with honest caveats.
- Octàgon Design — The Barcelona studio’s graphic planners and calendars, with honest caveats.
- Notem — The Copenhagen studio’s minimalist notebooks, with honest caveats.
- Serrote — The Lisbon letterpress house’s notebooks and books, with honest caveats.
Paper goods
Poketo, Papier, Kleid, X17, Milligram, Papelote and Bookbinders Design.
- Poketo — The Los Angeles brand’s art-forward design goods, with honest caveats.
- Papier — The London DTC brand’s customisable design stationery, with honest caveats.
- Kleid — The Osaka brand’s precise 2mm-grid notebooks, with honest caveats.
- X17 — The German maker’s refillable leather organizer, with honest caveats.
- Milligram — The Melbourne retailer’s curated and own-studio stationery, with honest caveats.
- Papelote — The Prague studio’s eco-conscious stationery, with honest caveats.
- Bookbinders Design — The Swedish house’s cloth-bound colour range, with honest caveats.
Letterpress and print
Appointed, Katie Leamon, Tools to Liveby, O-Check, Rossi 1931, Darling Clementine and Le Typographe.
- Appointed — The studio’s American-made notebooks and desk goods, with honest caveats.
- Katie Leamon — The London brand’s luxury hand-printed stationery, with honest caveats.
- Tools to Liveby — The Taipei brand’s design-led desk tools, with honest caveats.
- O-Check — The Seoul studio’s vintage-inspired stationery, with honest caveats.
- Rossi 1931 — The Tuscan house’s decorative papers, with honest caveats.
- Darling Clementine — The Oslo studio’s illustrated paper goods, with honest caveats.
- Le Typographe — The Brussels atelier’s letterpress notebooks, with honest caveats.
Decorative paper and diaries
Moglea, Kartotek, An Organised Life, Tassotti, Emilio Braga, Baltic Club and Mark’s.
- Moglea — The Iowa studio’s hand-painted, letterpress-finished paper, with honest caveats.
- Kartotek Copenhagen — The Danish studio’s Scandinavian-simple stationery, with honest caveats.
- An Organised Life — The Sydney brand’s minimalist diaries, with honest caveats.
- Tassotti — The Bassano house’s decorative papers, with honest caveats.
- Emilio Braga — The Lisbon house’s handmade notebooks, with honest caveats.
- Baltic Club — The Montréal studio’s illustrated paper goods, with honest caveats.
- Mark’s — The Tokyo house’s EDiT planners, with honest caveats.
Desk objects
El Casco, Orbitkey, Lexon, Craighill, Wingback, 22 Design Studio and Hacoa.
- El Casco — The Spanish brand’s machined-metal desk stapler, with honest caveats.
- Orbitkey — The Australian brand’s key and desk organizer, with honest caveats.
- Lexon — The French brand’s designer desk objects, with honest caveats.
- Craighill — The American studio’s brass sculptural desk objects, with honest caveats.
- Wingback — The British brand’s machined-metal desk pen, with honest caveats.
- 22 Design Studio — The Taiwanese brand’s concrete desk objects, with honest caveats.
- Hacoa — The Japanese brand’s made-in-Japan wooden desk objects, with honest caveats.
Desk design houses
Danese Milano, George & Willy, Areaware, Nomess, Penco, HMM and side by side.
- Danese Milano — The Italian house’s rationalist desk objects, with honest caveats.
- George & Willy — The New Zealand studio’s workspace objects, with honest caveats.
- Areaware — The American publisher’s playful design objects, with honest caveats.
- Nomess Copenhagen — The Danish brand’s clear acrylic organizers, with honest caveats.
- Penco — The Japanese brand’s retro-industrial desk tools, with honest caveats.
- HMM — The Taiwanese brand’s minimal machined desk tools, with honest caveats.
- side by side — The German workshop’s made-in-Germany wooden desk tidies, with honest caveats.
Desk organisers
Kristina Dam, Rexite, moheim, String, FAR Objects, Studio Neat and Tools to Live By.
- Kristina Dam Studio — The Danish studio’s sculptural desk objects, with honest caveats.
- Rexite — The Italian house’s modular letter-tray desk system, with honest caveats.
- moheim — The Japanese brand’s minimal organization objects, with honest caveats.
- String — The Swedish brand’s modernist desk organizers, with honest caveats.
- FAR Objects — The German brand’s functional desk tidies, with honest caveats.
- Studio Neat — The American duo’s machined desk tools, with honest caveats.
- Tools to Live By — The Taiwanese brand’s vintage desk tools, with honest caveats.
Trays and tools
Gejst, Pinetti, CW&T, Octaevo, Kaymet, Classiky and Skultuna.
- Gejst — The Danish brand’s magnetic desk organizer, with honest caveats.
- Pinetti — The Italian brand’s made-in-Italy leather desk set, with honest caveats.
- CW&T — The Brooklyn duo’s machined desk tools, with honest caveats.
- Octaevo — The Barcelona brand’s Mediterranean ceramic desk trays, with honest caveats.
- Kaymet — The London brand’s hand-made aluminium tray, with honest caveats.
- Classiky — The Japanese brand’s made-in-Japan wooden desk tool box, with honest caveats.
- Skultuna — The Swedish foundry’s made-in-Sweden brass tray, with honest caveats.
Fine paper and journals
Fabriano, Crane, Life, Apica, Tsubame Note, Postalco and Paperblanks.
- Fabriano — The 13th-century Italian papermaking heritage, the watermark, Fabriano Artistico art paper, the Fedrigoni group, and honest caveats.
- Crane — The 1801 Dalton founding, 100% cotton paper, the US currency-paper legacy, the Crane NXT / Mohawk split, and honest caveats.
- Life — The postwar Tokyo founding, the cream Japanese writing paper, the Noble Note, the paper-first ethos, and honest caveats.
- Apica — The 1916 company / 1973 brand, the Premium C.D. Notebook, the fountain-pen-friendly paper, the Nippon Note parent, and honest caveats.
- Tsubame Note — The 1947 Tokyo heritage, the swallow emblem, the Fools (foolscap) paper, the unchanged retro cover, and honest caveats.
- Postalco — Mike Abelson’s Brooklyn-to-Tokyo studio, the Snap Pad, the pressure-printed covers, the made-in-Japan ethos, and honest caveats.
- Paperblanks — The 1992 Hartley & Marks launch, the ornate covers drawn from historical art, the wrap closure, and honest caveats.
At a glance: founding, base and signature
Taken from each guide’s fact panel. Follow the link for detail and caveats.
| Brand | Founded | Based | Signature |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Design Studio | 2005 (Taipei) | Taipei, TW | Concrete object |
| An Organised Life | 2013 (Sydney) | Sydney | Minimalist diaries |
| Apica | See guide | See guide | C.D. Notebook |
| Appointed | 2015 (DC) | Washington DC | American-made notebooks |
| Areaware | 2005 (NY) | Brooklyn, US | Publisher object |
| Baltic Club | 2014 (Montréal) | Montréal | Illustrated paper goods |
| Baron Fig | 2013 (New York) | See guide | Confidant |
| Bookbinders Design | 1927 (heritage) | Stockholm | Cloth-bound books |
| Choosing Keeping | 2012 (London) | London | Curated & own stationery |
| Clairefontaine | 1858 (Vosges, France) | See guide | Vélin paper |
| Classiky | 1981 (Kurashiki) | Kurashiki, JP | Wooden tool box |
| Craft Design Technology | 2006 (Tokyo) | Tokyo | Redesigned office tools |
| Craighill | 2015 (Brooklyn) | Brooklyn, US | Brass object |
| Crane | 1801 (Dalton, MA) | See guide | Cotton paper |
| CW&T | 2009 (Brooklyn) | Brooklyn, US | Machined pen |
| Danese Milano | 1957 (Milan) | Milan, IT | Rationalist object |
| Darling Clementine | 2006 (Oslo) | Oslo | Illustrated paper goods |
| Delfonics | 1988 (Tokyo) | See guide | Rollbahn |
| El Casco | 1920 (Eibar) | Elgeta, ES | Desk stapler |
| Emilio Braga | 1918 (Lisbon) | Lisbon | Handmade notebooks |
| Endless | See guide | See guide | The Recorder |
| Fabriano | 13th c. (Fabriano, Italy) | See guide | Fabriano Artistico |
| FAR Objects | 2000s (Germany) | Hanover, DE | Cable tidy |
| Field Notes | 2007 (Chicago / Portland) | See guide | Memo book |
| Filofax | 1921 (England) | See guide | Ring organizer |
| G. Lalo | 1919 (France) | See guide | Vergé de France |
| Galen Leather | 2012 (Istanbul) | See guide | Leather covers |
| Gejst | 2013 (Odense) | Herning, DK | Magnetic organizer |
| George & Willy | Mid-2010s (NZ) | Mt Maunganui, NZ | Studio Roller |
| Grovemade | 2009 (Portland) | Portland, US | Desk objects |
| Hacoa | 2001 (Sabae) | Sabae, JP | Wooden object |
| Hightide | c.1994 (Fukuoka) | See guide | Penco (retro) |
| HMM | 2014 (Taipei) | Taipei, TW | Machined tool |
| Hobonichi | 1998 (Tokyo) | See guide | Techo planner |
| Kakimori | 2010 (Tokyo) | Kuramae | Custom notebooks & ink |
| Karst | 2017 (Sydney) | Sydney → Taiwan | Stone paper |
| Kartotek Copenhagen | 2016 (Copenhagen) | Copenhagen | Stationery & posters |
| Katie Leamon | 2011 (London) | London | Luxury stationery |
| Kaymet | 1947 (London) | Peckham, UK | Aluminium tray |
| Kleid | 2013 (reported) | Osaka | 2mm grid notebooks |
| Kokuyo | 1905 (Osaka) | See guide | Campus notebook |
| Kristina Dam Studio | 2012 (Copenhagen) | Copenhagen, DK | Desk Sculptures |
| Kunisawa | See guide | See guide | FIND notebooks |
| Le Typographe | 2007 (Brussels) | Brussels | Letterpress notebooks |
| Lexon | 1991 (Paris) | Paris, FR | Designer object |
| Life | late 1940s (Tokyo) | See guide | Noble Note |
| Mark’s | 1982 (Tokyo) | Tokyo | EDiT planners |
| Maruman | 1920 (Tokyo) | See guide | Zuan / Mnemosyne |
| Midori | 1950 (Tokyo) | See guide | MD Notebook |
| Milligram | 2007 (Melbourne) | Melbourne | Curated & Studio Milligram |
| Moglea | 2008 (Iowa) | Des Moines, US | Hand-painted paper |
| moheim | 2014 (Fukui) | Fukui, JP | Honest object |
| Nakabayashi | 1923 (Osaka) | See guide | Logical notebooks |
| Nava Design | 1970 (Milan) | Milan | Agendas & diaries |
| Nomess Copenhagen | 2007 (Copenhagen) | Copenhagen, DK | Acrylic organizer |
| Notem | 2017 (Copenhagen) | Copenhagen | Minimalist notebooks |
| Nuuna | 2012 (reported) | Frankfurt | Design notebooks |
| O-Check | c.2000 (Seoul) | Seoul | Vintage-inspired stationery |
| Octaevo | 2013 (Barcelona) | Barcelona, ES | Ceramic desk tray |
| Octàgon Design | 2012 (Barcelona) | Barcelona | Planners & calendars |
| Orbitkey | 2013 (Melbourne) | Melbourne, AU | Desk organizer |
| Original Crown Mill | See guide | See guide | Correspondence paper |
| Papelote | 2009 (Prague) | Prague | Eco stationery |
| Paperblanks | 1992 (Vancouver) | See guide | Ornate journals |
| Papier | 2015 (London) | London | Customisable stationery |
| Papier Tigre | 2012 (Paris) | Paris · Tokyo | Graphic paper goods |
| Penco | 1999 (Fukuoka) | Fukuoka, JP | Storage Caddy |
| Pinetti | 1983 (Bergamo) | Bergamo, IT | Leather desk set |
| PLOTTER | c.2017 (Tokyo) | See guide | Leather 6-ring |
| Poketo | 2003 (LA) | Los Angeles | Art-forward design goods |
| Postalco | 2000 (Brooklyn → Tokyo) | See guide | Snap Pad |
| Present & Correct | 2009 (London) | London | Design stationery |
| Public Supply | See guide | See guide | Give-back notebooks |
| Quo Vadis | 1954 (Marseille) | See guide | The planner |
| Rexite | 1968 (Milan) | Milan, IT | Letter-tray system |
| Rhodia | 1923 (Lyon, France) | See guide | Orange notepad |
| Rite in the Rain | c.1916 (Tacoma, WA) | See guide | All-weather paper |
| Rossi 1931 | 1931 (Tuscany) | Mugello, IT | Decorative papers |
| Roterfaden | 2007 (Saarbrücken) | Saarbrücken | Leather organizer |
| Sanzen | 2021 | See guide | Tomoe River |
| Semikolon | See guide | See guide | Colorful albums |
| Serrote | 2005 (Lisbon) | Lisbon | Letterpress notebooks |
| side by side | 2001 (Raubling) | Raubling, DE | Wooden desk tray |
| Skultuna | 1607 (Sweden) | Skultuna, SE | Brass tray |
| Smythson | 1887 (London) | See guide | Featherweight diary |
| String | See guide | Malmö, SE | Desk organizer |
| Studio Neat | 2010 (Austin) | Austin, US | Machined tool |
| Stálogy | c.2014 | See guide | 365 Days Notebook |
| Tassotti | 1957 (Bassano) | Bassano, IT | Decorative papers |
| Tools to Live By | 2013 (Taipei) | Taipei, TW | Scissors |
| Tools to Liveby | 2013 (Taipei) | Taipei | Design desk tools |
| Traveler’s Company | 2006 (Tokyo) | See guide | Traveler’s notebook |
| Tsubame Note | 1947 (Tokyo) | See guide | Tsubame Note |
| Ugmonk | 2008 (Pennsylvania) | Downingtown, US | Minimalist goods & Analog |
| Wingback | 2014 (London) | London, UK | Machined pen |
| Write Notepads & Co. | 2011 (Baltimore) | See guide | Letterpress books |
| X17 | 2005 (Saarbrücken) | Saarbrücken | Refillable leather organizer |
| Yamamoto Paper | See guide | See guide | Paper Tasting |
Frequently asked questions
Who owns Rhodia?
Clairefontaine, according to our guide.
Who makes Tomoe River paper now?
The Sanzen mill, which took it over from Tomoegawa, according to our guide.
See also our pen and ink and art supply brand guidelines.
Part of our Design & Stationery brand guidelines. See also all collections.