Customised Notebooks for Employees: What HR Should Consider Before Ordering

A customised notebook may look like a simple corporate gift, but the right notebook can become a useful daily item that employees actually keep and use.

For HR teams, the challenge is not simply choosing a notebook with a company logo. You also need to consider budget, quantity, notebook specifications, branding, employee needs and delivery timeline.

Here are the key things HR should consider before placing an order.

1. What Is the Purpose of the Notebook?

Start with the reason you are giving the notebook.

Is it for:

• Employee onboarding

• Staff appreciation

• Training or workshops

• Company anniversary

• Annual dinner

• Internal events

• New employee welcome kits

The purpose can influence the notebook style, quality and level of customisation you need.

For example, a simple branded notebook may work well for a training session, while a premium notebook with a quality cover may be more suitable for an employee appreciation gift or management event.

2. Set Your Budget Per Person

Before selecting a notebook, determine your budget per employee.

A lower budget may be suitable for a basic notebook with simple logo printing. A higher budget gives you more options for:

• Premium cover materials

• Better paper quality

• Custom colours

• Special finishes

• Individual packaging

• Additional accessories

Instead of spending the entire budget on the notebook itself, consider whether packaging or combining it with another useful item would create a better employee gift.

3. Choose the Right Notebook Size

Notebook size affects both usability and cost.

Common choices include:

A5 – A versatile option for meetings, notes and everyday office use.

A6 – Compact and easy to carry around.

B5 – Provides more writing space and is useful for training, project notes or employees who take frequent notes.

For general employee gifting, A5 is often a practical balance between portability and writing space.

4. Consider Cover Material and Quality

The cover is one of the first things employees notice.

Depending on your budget and brand image, you can consider:

• PU leather

• Fabric

• Paperboard

• Hardcover

• Recycled or eco-friendly materials

If the notebook is intended as a premium employee gift, avoid choosing based on appearance alone. Check the cover durability, binding and overall finishing.

A notebook that looks good but feels flimsy may not create the impression your company wants.

5. Don't Forget the Paper

Paper quality can make a bigger difference than expected.

Consider:

• Paper thickness

• Smoothness

• Lined, blank or dotted pages

• Number of pages

• Writing experience

• Compatibility with common pens

For everyday office use, lined pages are usually the safest choice. For creative or design teams, blank or dotted pages may be more suitable.

6. Think About Branding

Customisation does not always mean placing a large company logo on the front.

HR teams can consider more subtle branding such as:

• Small logo embossing

• Debossing

• Foil stamping

• Printed logo

• Custom cover design

• Company colours

• Branded inner pages

For a professional corporate look, simple and understated branding often feels more premium.

7. Check the MOQ Before Finalising the Design

Minimum order quantity (MOQ) can vary depending on the notebook specification and customisation method.

Before designing the notebook, confirm:

• Minimum quantity

• Available notebook models

• Branding options

• Customisation costs

• Packaging requirements

If you only need a smaller quantity, ask whether there are suitable low MOQ customised notebook options rather than selecting a specification that requires a large production quantity.

8. Plan the Lead Time

Customised notebooks are usually not an immediate off-the-shelf purchase.

The lead time can depend on:

Notebook selection → artwork → sample/proofing → production → customisation → packaging → delivery

A simple logo print may have a different production timeline from a fully customised notebook with special materials or finishing.

For HR events with a fixed date, such as onboarding programmes or company anniversaries, start planning early and confirm the production timeline before approving the design.

9. Make Sure the Gift Is Useful

The best employee gifts are not necessarily the most expensive.

Ask yourself:

"Will our employees actually use this?"

A notebook is a strong corporate gift because it can be used for meetings, planning, training and everyday notes.

However, choosing the right size, paper type and design for your employees is what makes the notebook more valuable.

10. Think Beyond the Notebook

A customised notebook can also become part of a larger employee gift set.

For example:

New Employee Welcome Kit
Customised notebook + pen + company welcome card

Training Kit
Notebook + pen + reusable bottle

Employee Appreciation Gift
Premium notebook + personalised message card + gift packaging

This allows HR to create a more complete gifting experience without simply choosing a more expensive notebook.

Final Checklist for HR

Before placing your customised notebook order, check:

☐ Purpose of the gift
☐ Budget per employee
☐ Quantity and MOQ
☐ Notebook size
☐ Cover material
☐ Paper quality
☐ Branding method
☐ Packaging
☐ Artwork approval
☐ Production lead time
☐ Delivery date

Explore Custom Notebooks

Final Thoughts

A customised notebook is a practical choice for employee gifting, but the notebook specification should match your employees, budget and purpose.

For HR teams, planning the notebook from the beginning — rather than choosing a product at the last minute — makes it easier to control cost, quality and delivery while creating a gift employees will actually use.

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