All of us lead different lifestyles with different needs. Some of us are creatives who enjoy having aesthetically-pleasing stationery we can pen down our thoughts into, hoping that the cover designs will inspire us in moments of need.
Some of us have more technical jobs and simply want a dependable, solid notebook to scribble down data or important tasks into.
If we’re travelling, we might not want to carry around a regular-sized notebook and instead want something small and light that can fit into our pockets.
Regardless of what lifestyle you live or what purpose you need your notebook or planner to serve, these 9 Malaysian stationery brands have got you covered. If not for you, they’ll make lovely gifts for someone special in your life.
1. ana tomy
The brainchild of The Alphabet Press, ana tomy was established in 2016 to offer a complete customisation experience when it comes to notebooks and planners. From the outside to the inside, you can essentially build your notebook according to your needs on their website.
Besides the classic mono-coloured notebook covers, you can also customise your planner with designs from specific artists who are collaborating with the brand like Shuh Lee, Kamwei Fong and Shan Shan Lim.
Their notebooks cost RM15 to RM94, while their planners cost RM50 to RM368.
2. KATjA
An artist called Katrisha, or Katja who lives in Sarawak started KATjA in 2016 after she was unable to find beautiful and functional stationery in her area.
She then took it upon herself to design her own range of planners and notebooks and after about 10 months, she settled on a finished product range. At the moment she is in the midst of designing a new line of notebooks which she will be releasing soon.
The notebooks currently being sold via her Facebook cost RM40.
3. My BookCraft
My BookCraft keeps their notebooks basic without fancy or colourful designs. Their notebooks are best suited to individuals who like a classic notebook with perhaps a touch of customisation with their name embossed on the cover.
They also cater to corporates who want employees to have uniform notebook designs with the company logo and the employee’s name embossed on the cover.
For non-corporate orders, the price of getting a customised leather notebook will cost RM50 to RM69.90. The price for corporate orders will be quoted based on the needs of the company.
4. Mypaperprojects
Mypaperprojects is a brand that doesn’t sell fancy notebooks or planners. Instead, they mostly sell products that you can use to embellish your existing notebooks and planners with like notebook inserts and writeable planner stickers.
Besides that, they also sell postcards, die cuts, stamps, and various other craft items. They have a work planner that costs RM12 and a sketchbook that costs RM23.
Their notebook inserts cost RM18 while their postcards cost RM2 to RM5. Die cuts cost RM10 to RM15 and their stamps cost RM18 to RM35.
5. PapergeekCo
In 2014, PapergeekCo originally started out as a scrapbook supply store but have since broadened their offerings to include handmade leather journals, greeting cards, washi tapes, rubber stamps and stickers.
Their notebooks are on the slimmer side as they’re catered towards travellers, and they also sell pocket-sized notebooks in sets of three. Notebook inserts and refills are available here too for those with compatibly-sized notebooks.
With their notebooks being on the smaller side and more for your everyday practical use or travelling, they cost only RM5. For their stamps, you can expect to pay RM1.50 for a single one, and up to RM19 for a stamp set.
6. Salt x Paper
Founded by Chrystin Choo, a lover and collector of notebooks and stationery, Salt x Paper wants to give Malaysians the opportunity to own pretty notebooks at affordable prices.
Their notebooks come in 2 sizes, A5 and A6, and boast designs by 3 Malaysian designers, Aaron Lam, Alyani Fadzil, and Nat Andrea Ng. Besides notebooks, Salt x Paper also carries greeting cards, postcards, stickers, and craft and art supplies.
The A5 notebooks cost RM21.90 while the A6 ones cost RM11.90. Their postcards inspired by Sabah’s landmarks, nature and culture cost RM4.90.
7. Sassy
If you’re bored of the regular rectangular notebooks, you’ll be able to find notebooks shaped like a cat’s paw or cat’s head at Sassy. They also sell other paper products, accessories, bags and pouches that have matching designs.
They categorise their stationery by collections like the Tropical Collection and Rose Collection, so if you’ve got a particular design of a notebook or planner in mind, this makes it easy for you to find what you’re looking for.
Notebooks sold on their website are priced starting from RM9.30 to RM32.90.
8. Summorie
Summorie was established after its co-founders, Cynn and Ying realised they were unable to find quality notebooks in Malaysia, especially ones that were customisable and used lay-flat binding.
Ying herself is a graphic designer and works on the branding and design of their products. They have regular and pocket-sized notebooks and planners that are dated and dateless.
Besides customisation for individual customers, Summorie also offers notebook customisation services for corporates. Their notebooks are priced at a range of RM16.99 to RM75.99. On the other hand, their planners start at RM25.99 and the most expensive option costs RM83.99.
9. The Write Shop
The Write Shop offers slim planners and notebooks for travellers along with larger-sized A5 and A6 ones. Their designs range from simple mono-coloured covers to covers with designs of leaves and flowers.
They’re not too fancy nor are they customisable, but they get the job done. Aside from your regular book-styled planners, they also have the kind where you flip pages upwards, calendar-style.
Their cheapest notebooks start at RM10 while their most expensive notebook costs RM30.
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Quite a few local stationery brands have come and gone, while others manage to hold on, particularly the bigger, well-known ones.
If you’ve been on the hunt for new stationery and wanted to explore some other local brands besides the already-popular ones, these online stores are still up and running for your perusal.
- You can read more about what we’ve written on stationery here.
Featured Image Credit: ana tomy / PapergeekCo
