Black N’ Red® is dedicated to creating the highest quality notebooks, notepads, and journals for every writing need. Since our founding in 1970, we have been committed to using only the finest materials and craftsmanship to produce stationery that stands apart. Our signature black covers and vibrant red spines are globally recognized as symbolic of reliability, organization, and style.
Our History
The Black N’ Red story begins over 50 years ago in Reading, England. We started as a small stationary maker focused on producing notebooks for businesses and institutions. Our early branding featured the distinctive black and red color scheme that would eventually become our hallmark.
In the 1980s, we began expanding our distribution beyond the UK to reach customers worldwide. The consistent quality and smart design of Black N’ Red products quickly earned global appeal. We established offices in Europe, Australia, and North America to provide localized sales and distribution.
The 1990s brought significant growth as businesses embraced mobile workforces reliant on Black N’ Red notebooks to stay organized on-the-go. We rapidly innovated to deliver improved performance and variety for every preference. Premium touches like elastic closures, dividers, and archive filing were introduced based on direct customer feedback.
Over the past two decades, the Black N’ Red lineup has continued to evolve with the times. We offer more sizes, ruling styles, and specialty formats than ever. The modern needs of students, creatives, and professionals inform every design. While our look is now iconic, our mission remains responding to the changing needs of notebook users worldwide.
Our Notebooks
Since the beginning, the black covers and red spines of Black N’ Red have signified notebooks designed for performance, quality, and style. Our attention to detail can be seen across these product lines:
Hardcover Executive Notebooks
The classic Black N’ Red notebook features durable hardcovers, rounded corners, elastic closure, ribbon bookmark, gusseted back pocket, and acid-free paper ruling options. Executive notebooks are perfect for meeting notes, to-do lists, journaling, sketching, and academic use. They are available in A4 and A5 sizes.
Wirebound Softcover Notebooks
With flexible covers, Wirebound notebooks are ideal for frequent travelers. The lie-flat wire binding allows pages to turn smoothly and fold over entirely. Softcover notebooks come in square, A5, and A4 sizes with plain, ruled, grid, and graph paper styles.
Top Opening Notebooks
Featuring a convenient top-bound opening, these notebooks are designed for quick single-handed access. Page colors alternate for easy indexing, and a back pocket provides storage. Top opening notebooks come in executive A5 and compact A6 sizes.
Hardcover Casebound Notebooks
The Smyth sewn binding of these notebooks allows pages to lie fully flat. Stylish head and tail bands plus rounded corners complete the polished look. Casebound notebooks are perfect for journaling and feature premium cream paper in ruled and plain styles.
Softcover Reporters Notebooks
Perfect for interviews and field research, these A5 notebooks have discreet diagonal ruling on cream paper. The back pocket fits loose notes, while the inner cover contains quick references like weight/measure conversions. Reporters notebooks are a versatile choice for students and media professionals.
Multipacks
For exceptional value across core notebook styles, our multipacks offer 3-5 notebooks bundled together. Options include hardcover executive packs, softcover multipacks, top opening sets, and mixed packs to sample different Black N’ Red designs.
Our Quality
Black N’ Red notebooks are crafted to the highest standards to satisfy even the most discerning notebook user. Some key aspects of our quality:
- Responsible Sourcing – Our paper is FSC® certified to support responsible forest management.
- Acid-Free – All paper is acid-free for archival integrity and ink longevity.
- Fountain Pen Friendly – Paper accepts both ballpoint and fountain pen with minimal showthrough.
- Durable Construction – Covers and binding are built to withstand regular use.
- Design Consistency – Sizing, ruling, and branding stay consistent across regions.
We frequently review all materials, suppliers, and manufacturing to verify our strict standards are followed. Reliable quality is the bedrock that 50 years of customer trust has been built upon.
Our Future
While many things have changed since those first English notebooks, our vision remains the same – deliver smart stationery solutions through quality materials and design.
Some priorities as we look ahead:
- Environmental Impact – Seeking ways to further reduce our ecological footprint through sustainable materials and packaging.
- Responsive Innovation – Continuously improving notebooks and formats based on the evolving needs of users.
- Design Leadership – Setting new standards in performance, aesthetics, and usability.
- Global Reach – Making Black N’ Red notebooks available to customers everywhere.
We are grateful to the loyal users worldwide who have made us their notebook of choice. Your support pushes us to build on our heritage while shaping the future. Please continue sharing your feedback – it is what keeps our notebooks fresh and relevant.
Here at Black N’ Red, we take great pride in making tools that empower achievement. Our notebooks go to class, go to work, go exploring, and go everywhere in between. They capture thoughts, spark ideas, and make progress tangible. We can’t wait to see where our Black N’ Red notebooks journey to next in the hands of creators, doers, and dreamers like you.