Out with the old: Freshen up your brand stationery for spring

Spring often brings the energy for new ideas and exciting plans in our businesses, but there’s one area that’s easy to overlook—our brand stationery. Just like a good spring clean helps clear out the clutter, a fresh batch of stationery can breathe new life into our brands.

Whether you’re looking to refresh the basics or try something seasonal and sustainable, this is the perfect time to refresh your stationery.

Yes, it’s time to finally recycle those unused business cards in your desk drawer—the ones with your old contact details that you’ve been hanging onto forever! Instead, turn your thoughts to the lovely client thank-you cards you’ve been meaning to order but haven’t quite got around to yet.

Even as a stationer, I know how easy it is for my own stationery to tumble down the to-do list—so mine will definitely be getting some attention! And if sparkly new stationery is on yours this spring, I’ve put together five tips to help you on your way.

Focus on what you really need—you can always add more later. And if you’re unsure about how much to order, start with small quantities.

Focus on what you need

I love stationery, but I know it’s easy to get carried away, ordering a full suite of pieces when all you really need are a few key items. Whether you’re starting from scratch or tweaking what you already have, there’s no need to rush into ordering everything (even though you might want to). Focus on what you really need—you can always add more later. And if you’re unsure about how much to order, start with small quantities. Because there’s nothing sadder than boxes of unused stationery collecting dust.

Quick action: Before you decide what you need to order, take a moment to map out your client journey from start to finish, writing down each touchpoint you have with your clients along the way. You’ll quickly see which pieces of stationery you really need, and how they fit into your overall brand experience.

Get more from your stationery

One of my favourite ways to make stationery more efficient is by designing multi-use pieces. Business cards can double as thank you notes, or even mini loyalty cards. And beautifully designed postcards can allow you to write personal notes to your customers and serve as a fun promotional keepsake. Getting creative with your stationery can help cut costs and reduce waste while still making an impact.

Quick action: Think about your stationery pieces and their potential beyond their main purpose. By combining functions, you can be more resourceful while adding extra value for your clients.

From your logo and colour palette to your typography and messaging, consistency helps strengthen your connection with your audience.

Consistency is key

Your stationery is an extension of your brand, so it’s essential that everything works together. From your logo and colour palette to your typography and messaging, consistency helps strengthen your connection with your audience. If you’ve been in business for a while, does your stationery still align with your overall brand aesthetic and, more importantly, your brand values? Or if you've recently updated your logo, website, or packaging, is it time to refresh your printed materials?

Quick action: Take a moment to review your brand’s visual identity across all platforms—your website, social media, and printed materials. Does everything feel aligned? If not, consider updating your stationery to reflect your current brand aesthetics and guidelines.

Seasonal and sustainable

There’s a wide variety of eco-friendly paper stocks available, but with spring in mind, plantable seed paper can be a fun choice for everything from thank you notes to gift vouchers, giving stationery a second life and keeping the pollinators happy.

Other options include tree-free cotton paper made using clothing industry by-products, fully recycled paper made from single-use coffee cups, and FSC-certified papers from responsibly managed forests. For added luxury, there are small-batch handmade papers too. All of these options allow you to create beautiful, thoughtful stationery with the environment in mind.

Quick Action: If sustainability is at the heart of your brand, think about how you can carry it through to your stationery in a practical way. Consider which eco-conscious materials best align with your brand values and your products and services.

You can learn more about earth-friendly printing by visiting (you guessed it) the sustainability page.

Your stationery is an opportunity to extend your brand’s personality and values into the physical world. It’s not just about what you give your clients—it’s about how you make them feel.

Create an experience

Your stationery is an opportunity to extend your brand’s personality and values into the physical world. It’s not just about what you give your clients—it’s about how you make them feel. Whether it’s a beautifully crafted business card or a thoughtful note tucked into a package, your stationery plays a role in creating the experience you want to offer. If it’s designed with care, it will leave a lasting impression, helping clients feel personally connected to your brand.

Quick action: Think about the experience you want to create for your clients. How can your stationery leave your clients feeling surprised, connected, and valued?

Build from the brand up

Before diving into stationery, it’s worth stepping back and making sure your branding is truly aligned. Your core brand—the visuals, messaging, and overall experience—is the foundation that everything else grows from. If something doesn’t feel right, it’s worth refining that first so your stationery can truly support your brand.

As Sarah Robertson, founder of These Are The Days and writer at Brand Seasons, explains:

“Spring can be a good checkpoint for a brand audit – an opportunity to make sure everything is aligned and working for you as well as your audience. Do your emails, socials and website reflect where your business is now? Are your materials and stationery still serving a clear purpose? Where can you tighten things up so each touch point feels intentional?

Take a look at your branding and content through a fresh lens and consider where you can enhance or refine elements. A good starting point is my free brand audit.”

Ready for a refresh? Enjoy 10% off your brand stationery order this spring!

This spring I’m offering a 10% discount on all brand stationery orders for a limited time. Whether you’re updating your business cards, revamping your thank you notes, or creating something shiny and new, now is the perfect time to create the stationery that your brand deserves.

Let’s work together to create something that reflects the growth and energy of this season—get in touch to start your stationery refresh today!

Offer details: 10% discount applies to printing costs on brand stationery orders placed by 30 April 2025. This offer includes business cards, thank you notes, postcards, swing tags, and other printed brand materials. Design services are available separately.