Notebook and Pen Sets: Gifting Ideas That Work as a Pair

A notebook and pen that match read as one gift rather than two pieces of merchandise, which is why sets work for clients, speakers and new starters. The sets that work best come matched, branded and ready to give, such as the Tactical Notebook Gift Set in its gift box, or the Zenith A5 Notebook and Pen - Full Colour, with both pieces printed in full colour.

This is our guide to which set suits which occasion, how each one is branded and presented, and the three choices that separate a gift set from a giveaway.

Why does a notebook and pen work as a pair?

Because they're used together, so they stay together.

Where the notebook has a pen loop or a slot, the pen lives in it, so it doesn't get lost in a bag or a drawer. Both come out in every meeting, so your logo is seen twice. And matched branding across the two reads as a deliberate gift, where a notebook from one supplier and a pen from another reads as a bundle.

Which sets suit clients?

The ones presented as a gift, with a discreet logo on each piece.

The Tactical Notebook Gift Set pairs an A5 notebook with a thermo PU cover, cream lined paper, a ribbon marker and a magnetic closure with the Tactical click-action ballpoint pen, and both come packed in a Luxe gift box. It's the set to choose when the box matters as much as what's in it.

The A5 Premium Soft Touch Notebook & Engraved Pen pairs our A5 soft-touch notebook with a colour co-ordinated metal pen. Your logo is printed in one colour on the front of the notebook and engraved on the pen, which is the finish that suits a client's desk. Our client thank you gifts and premium corporate gifts collections have the products that sit alongside a set, and our idea on corporate Christmas gift ideas for clients covers the occasion most sets are bought for.

Which sets suit new starters?

The ones that go to work on day one, with branding people are happy to carry.

The Zenith A5 Notebook and Pen - Full Colour is a hardback notebook with a soft-touch finish, a pen loop and a section at the front for contact details, paired with a soft-touch metal pen. Both pieces are printed in full colour, so a multi-colour logo goes on as designed. The A5 Premium Soft Touch Notebook & Printed Pen is the printed version of the engraved set above, with the logo in one colour on both pieces.

Our employee onboarding gifts collection has the rest of the welcome kit.

Which sets suit speakers, VIPs and milestones?

A set with more than two pieces, presented in a branded box.

The Mood Gift Set - Bottle, Notebook & Pen with Branded Box brings together an A5 soft-feel notebook with FSC certified lined paper, the Mood Soft Feel Ballpen and a vacuum-insulated metal bottle. All three are branded with your logo in one colour, and the set comes in a white card presentation box with your logo printed on the front. It's the set for a speaker's thank you, a long-service gift or a launch.

Which sets suit a sustainability brief?

The ones made with recycled paper, where the product page names the material.

The Mindarie Recycled Notepad and Pen Set has lined pages made from recycled paper, a wire binding that lets it lie flat, an elastic closure and a pen loop, with a matching ballpen. The Recycled Notebook and Pen Set has a cover made entirely from recycled paper, with a pen that fits into the side of the notebook. That set is supplied with an unprinted pen, so it suits a brief where only the notebook carries the logo.

Our guide to buying eco-friendly merchandise without the greenwashing covers what to check on any recycled claim.

What makes a set a gift rather than a giveaway?

Three choices: the presentation, what's branded, and the pen itself.

The presentation. A gift box turns a set into a present, and a set without one is still a good pair of products for a welcome kit. The Tactical set and the Mood set come boxed. The others don't list a gift box, so check the product page.

The branding. Most sets brand both pieces, with the notebook printed and the pen printed or engraved. The Recycled Notebook and Pen Set brands the notebook only. An engraved logo on the pen reads quieter than a printed one, which suits a gift.

The pen. An engraved metal pen is the gift-tier choice. A printed metal pen suits everyday use. A recycled pen suits the brief it's chosen for.

Set What's in it How it's branded Presentation Suits

Can you build your own pair?

Yes, from any notebook with a pen loop and any pen in the range.

If none of the sets fits, pair a notebook from our idea on the best branded notebooks for businesses with a pen from our guide to the best promotional pens for businesses. A Parker Jotter or a Vantage Recycled Pen - Engraved from our metal pens range turns a good notebook into a gift, and matching the branding across both keeps it reading as a set.

When should you order, and how much should you spend?

Order against the delivery date shown on the product page, and set the budget by the account rather than the calendar.

For Christmas, check the guaranteed delivery date against the day the gifts go out rather than 25 December, and allow time for your Visual Proof™ to be signed off. The product page shows current pricing and the delivery date before you order, and your basket shows No-Rush, Standard and Express where the product supports them, each with its own date.

If the sets are going to clients, there are specific rules on when a branded gift can be claimed as a business expense, so check them before you set the budget.

To see your logo on a set, request a free Visual Proof™ on the product page. Our in-house designers will show it on both pieces, with the price and the delivery date, usually in around 20 minutes.