
With over 600 promotional notebooks available on the Branded Products® website, we understand that notebooks are serious business!
Even in a world where technology is constantly evolving and devices exist to replace traditional methods of note-taking, there is still a place for paper notebooks, which are tactile, lightweight, relatively inexpensive and don’t require charging.
Put simply, a high-quality promotional notebook is a practical gift idea that everyone will find useful – plus it’s a great way to generate brand recognition and recall with your business logo at their fingertips.
But with so many sizes, finishes and features available, how do you know which promotional notebook is the best choice for your clients, prospects and/or new hires?
Read on for our top 7 things to consider when choosing a branded notebook for your promotions:
1. SIZE:
The first step to simplifying your choice is to consider the size of notebook you’re after. To make your selection easier, most notebook sizes are standardised to align with standard paper sizes in Australia.
Perfectly sized for most bags whilst providing plenty of space to write, it’s easy to see why A5 notebooks are our best-selling size. At half the size of an A4 notebook but with the added benefits of comfortability and portability, A5 notebooks provide ample cover space for you to customise with your branding, such as this A5 Lancia Full Colour Notebook, which allows stunning edge-to-edge full colour print.

The size of choice for students, new hires and office workers alike, our desk-ready A4 notebooks provide plenty of room for taking detailed notes and drawing diagrams; promoting better organisation and legibility with its generous size.
This A4 Soft Cover PU Notebook can be customised with a range of decoration methods (which we’ll explore in detail under tip #6), while the pen loop, ribbon bookmark and elastic strap closure all provide functional yet aesthetic elements to the design.

With a focus on portability over writing space, our A6 notebooks are the ideal size for note-taking on-the-go. At roughly half the size of our best-selling A5 notebooks, this compact size is small enough to fit into a pocket, and is the perfect solution for jotting down a key detail, phone number or measurement at a moment’s notice.
This A6 Natural Cork Cover Notebook features a natural cork cover that is both eco-friendly and soft to the touch.

2.Cover material:
They say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover – but in the case of promotional notebooks, your choice of cover material is an important consideration! Not only will the cover material affect the perceived value of your chosen notebook, but it will also determine the type of customisation that is possible (more about that later under tip #6 – decoration methods).
Whether your preference is for a hard or soft cover, our range of cover materials is practically endless – from PU and leather-look to all manner of eco-friendly and sustainable options, including recycled paper, recycled cotton, bamboo, cork and stone paper.
Looking to impress your clients, prospects or new hires with a branded notebook that’s aesthetically pleasing yet eco-friendly? Iconic stationery brand JournalBooks is leading the way in sustainable innovation with this Pineapple Leather Bound Notebook, featuring a hard cover made from 30% repurposed pineapple components, plus 80 lined sheets of FSC-certified recycled paper.
3.Pages:
Many of our notebooks feature lined pages for easy note-taking, with most constructed from recycled paper in a nod to sustainability.
Show your clients that you are committed to eco-friendly solutions with this Recycled Paper Eco Notebook, featuring the universally-recognised recycling symbol in the bottom corner of each page.

For something a bit different, this Camri Notebook features 32 colour-edged leaves of lined cream paper to closely match your brand logo (five colours available).

4.Special features:
With user experience top of mind, many of our notebooks feature a range of functional and eye-catching finishes that make life just a little bit easier.
A popular choice for many, an elastic strap closure and pen holder combination allows the user to keep their notebook & pen together whilst protecting the inner pages from damage. This Beaumont Stone Paper Notebook not only features an elastic strap closure and pen holder combination, but it is also made from eco-friendly lined stone paper with a soft kraft cover.

Pockets add another level of functionality to notebooks, allowing for easy storage of mobile phones, receipts, business cards, passports and more.
The popular Isaly Notebook features a pouch-style front pocket, whilst the JN006 Notebook with zipper pocket closure enhances security for personal belongings. Alternatively, the Illusion Pocket Notebook features an expandable inner pocket on the inside of the back cover, perfect for keeping receipts and business cards together.



5.Brand Names:
Co-brand with an iconic label renowned for their craftsmanship in notebooks, and give your clients a gift that’s sure to leave a lasting impression.
A tribute to the art of creation, our selection of fully customisable designer notebooks includes options from Karst®, JournalBooks and Moleskine® to add another level of luxury to your branding.
Karst® now offers a range of premium luxury notebooks made from 100% sustainably recycled stone paper. Without any bleaches or acids, Karst Stone Paper™ is rebuilt from first principles to be better than wood pulp paper: more durable, more sustainable and infinitely smoother to write, scribble, doodle or draw on.

When the message matters, look no further than a notebook from JournalBooks. Most JournalBooks products are made from scratch in the brand’s North Carolina factory by some of the best production craftsmen in America; bringing you journals and notebooks that surpass the ordinary.

Before we dive into our range of decoration methods in the next section, it is worth noting that all custom Moleskine® notebooks can now be further elevated with a vibrant, full-colour belly band and presentation sleeve to offer additional branding opportunities.

6.Decoration methods:
At Branded Products®, we know that there is a whole world of decoration methods at your fingertips, from digital direct printing to gloss printing, embossing and more.
Choosing the right decoration method for your brand and notebook will not only depend on your marketing objectives and budget, but different cover materials lend themselves to different types of decoration or customisation, which will help to determine the look and feel of your final product.
For instant impact, the Kingston Notebook features a hard cover with a smart PU finish that can be customised with your brand logo. An optional paper belly band is available on request and can be branded in full colour.

Full colour printing across the entire cover (front, back, and spine) is now available locally for small quantities of selected notebooks, with offshore production services available for larger quantities. This Designa Full Colour Notebook offers full coverage, full colour printing on the cover, which is crafted from soft-touch vegan leather as an eco-friendly option.

For subtle yet high-impact branding on notebooks, Gloss Tone is a decoration method that offers a high-quality tone-on-tone effect using a direct digital print method. A colour selection is made to complement the colour of the product, then applied with a high gloss UV paint. Our high-resolution linear scale for fine-step accuracy of dot placement allows for detailed printing as small as 3pt fonts. This Nova Bound JournalBook with ultrahyde cover is the perfect surface for achieving a Gloss Tone effect.
Another option for tone-on-tone branding is this Genoa Soft Cover Notebook, featuring a soft leather-look PU cover which thermo debosses to a stunning two-tone finish.
7.Add-ons:
Last but certainly not least, there are several ‘add-ons’ available to give your branded notebooks another point of difference.
A full colour digital sleeve is available on the Venture A5 Notebook, while customised internal flysheets may be attached to the inside of our Carnival Notebooks. These fly sheets provide three pages of printable space customised to your logo or artwork, and are ideal for adding detailed information like product specifications, full colour images, data tables or calendars.
So there you have it – 7 things to consider when choosing a branded notebook for your promotions. We hope that these discussion points have simplified the many choices available to you for branded notebooks; ensuring that your selection ticks all the right boxes for your brand, target audience and marketing objectives.
Still not sure which promotional notebook is right for you? Contact our experienced team of Branding Advisors to discuss your next promotion or to find out more about our wide range of customisable notebooks.
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