Branded Diaries and Planners: How to Choose for Your Team

Branded diaries are A5 notebooks or planners with your logo on the cover, given to staff and clients for the year ahead. In our catalogue they are undated, so they work in any month: choose the cover, the paper and the marking, then add a pen or a box for presentation.

This guide explains what to look for in a diary or planner for business use, which models in the current range suit which purpose, how the logo is applied and how to plan an order around the end of the year. Every product and starting price comes from the live Zintora catalogue on 28 October 2026.

Dated or undated: decide this first

In the UK, "diary" is used for two different things. One is a dated diary with a week-to-view or day-to-a-page layout for a specific year. The other is a hardback notebook or planner that people use as a diary, writing the dates in themselves. For a company order, the difference matters more than the cover:

• A dated diary has a deadline. It must arrive before January to be useful, and any stock left in February is wasted. Late orders are the most common problem.
• An undated planner has no expiry. You can give it to a new starter in March, to a client in June or at a conference in September, and it is still current.
• One undated design can serve several occasions. Welcome packs, training courses, client meetings and year-end gifts can all use the same model, which helps you reach a product's minimum order.

The diaries and notebooks in our catalogue are undated. The product page of the A5 Magnetic Notebook states that no dated calendar is indicated, and the Glimmer Notebook page says it should not be assumed to be a dated diary. If you need a dated layout, say so in your request: whether a dated version is possible for the model you want is confirmed in the quote, and if it is not, an undated planner is the alternative.

Branded diaries in the current range

The table compares the A5 models most often used as diaries and planners. Prices are starting prices ex VAT; printing and delivery are extra, UK import VAT and duties are paid on delivery.

For more A5 notebook choices, including pen sets, our guide to branded A5 notebooks goes into covers and sizes in more detail. The full range is on the branded notebooks page.

Choosing the right diary for each use

Everyday planners for the whole team

For a planner that every employee gets, the Classic Notebook and the Executive Notebook keep the cost per person down while still looking like a proper business notebook. Both start at a minimum of 25 units, so a small team can order one batch for the year. The Executive Notebook has a leather-effect finish in black, navy blue, brown or grey, which reads as more formal on a meeting table.

Planners people actually keep

If you want the diary to stay on desks for the whole year, the paper and the binding matter more than the cover. The Forma Notebook has Smyth-sewn binding that lets it open completely flat, 192 pages of 100 g/m² dotted paper, a ribbon bookmark and an elastic closure. Dotted pages suit people who plan with lists, timelines and sketches rather than fixed date boxes, which is exactly how an undated planner is used.

Diaries for clients and senior staff

For a client gift or a senior thank-you, the Ledger Hardcover Journal is the more substantial choice. It is linen-bound with copper foil stamping, gilded edges and 120 g/m² cream paper, and it arrives in a rigid slipcase. Each unit can include a bookplate page printed to order, which is the natural place for a name, a year or a short message.

Outdoor and site teams

For teams who take notes outside, the Slate Stone Paper Notebook uses waterproof, tear-resistant stone paper. It works for site visits, field sales and events where a paper diary would not survive the weather.

How the logo goes on a branded diary

The marking technique depends on the cover, and each product page lists what is available:

• Blind embossing presses the logo into the cover without ink. It is discreet and works well on soft-touch and leather-effect covers such as the Forma Notebook.
• Foil embossing or foil stamping adds a metallic finish. On the Ledger Hardcover Journal the foil is copper; on the Forma Notebook it is offered alongside blind embossing.
• Screen printing and UV printing give a coloured logo on covers such as the Classic, Executive and Premium notebooks.
• Laser engraving marks the cover permanently in one tone.
• Personalised first page or bookplate puts a message inside: company values, a welcome note or the year.

Keep the logo simple and allow a margin from the edges and the spine. Fine lines and small text can fill in on embossed or engraved covers. You receive a digital proof showing the technique, the position and the size before production starts, and nothing is produced until you approve it.

Diary and pen sets

A diary is usually given with a pen, and a matching set looks more considered than two separate items. Options in the catalogue include:

• Ledger Hardcover Journal with an Arc Metal Pen, a weighted pen with a brass core and laser engraving, from £6.08 ex VAT with a minimum of 50. The pen comes in a gift tube with a magnetic closure.
• Ready-made diary packs, such as the Wooden diary, pen and calendar pack, with an A5 diary with a wooden cover, a wooden pen and a perpetual desk calendar. Models, branding, packaging, minimum quantity, lead time and price are confirmed in the quote.

A perpetual calendar suits an undated diary well: like the planner, it never goes out of date. More writing instruments are on the promotional pens page.

Presentation and packaging

For a client or year-end gift, presentation is part of the product. The Ledger Hardcover Journal already comes in a rigid slipcase that can be printed. For other models, the two packaging options are a printed kraft box or a rigid gift box, and the quote confirms which fits the items you choose. A short printed card with a message from the team turns a branded notebook into a gift rather than stationery.

Timing a diary order around the new year

Diaries are a seasonal purchase for many companies, even when they are undated. Work back from the date the diaries must be in people's hands:

1. Choose the model and collect quantities per department or recipient list.
2. Send your logo as a vector file and request the quote.
3. Approve the digital proof.
4. Production takes 10 to 20 working days after proof approval, confirmed in the quote.
5. Add delivery time to one office or to each recipient.

If the diaries are part of a year-end gift, our Christmas corporate gifts page lists the order dates for the season. Because the diaries are undated, there is no loss if a few are handed out in January or kept for new starters later in the year.

Delivery to offices and remote staff

Zintora delivers across the UK and internationally to Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Asia-Pacific and the Americas, to one office or to each person. For a team spread across several offices or working from home, list the addresses in your request and the quote confirms delivery to each destination.

Sustainability questions

If your company reports on purchasing, the product pages give the material facts: the Slate Stone Paper Notebook is tree-free stone paper, and the Forma Notebook and Ledger Hardcover Journal state "Paper; certified on request". Ask for the documentation with the quote. We can also give an estimated carbon footprint per product in the quote. The only certificate we name is the GRS of The Tenth House, checked per lot; certificates for other products are available on request. More on our approach is on the sustainability page.

Branded diaries checklist

• Decided between an undated planner and a dated diary
• Chosen the model by use: everyday team planner, client gift or outdoor notebook
• Checked the minimum order on the product page
• Logo sent as a vector file, with a simple version for embossing or engraving
• Marking technique chosen for the cover material
• Inside page, bookplate or card message written
• Pen or set chosen, if the diary is a gift
• Packaging chosen: printed kraft box or rigid gift box
• Recipient list and addresses collected
• Order placed with time for proof, production and delivery before the date

Frequently asked questions

Are your branded diaries dated?

No. The diaries and notebooks in our catalogue are undated, so they can be used from any month. If you need a dated layout, ask in your request; whether it is possible for that model is confirmed in the quote.

What is the minimum order for branded diaries?

It depends on the product. The Classic, Executive and Premium notebooks and the Ledger Hardcover Journal start at 25 units, the Forma Notebook and the Slate Stone Paper Notebook at 50. For models priced on request, the minimum is confirmed in the quote.

How much do branded diaries cost?

Starting prices range from £6.08 ex VAT for the Classic Notebook to £13.58 ex VAT for the Ledger Hardcover Journal. Printing and delivery are extra, and the quote gives the total for your quantity and design.

Can each diary carry a name?

The Ledger Hardcover Journal offers a bookplate printed to order and the Forma Notebook a personalised first page. Whether each unit can carry a different name is confirmed in the quote.

How long does a branded diary order take?

Production takes 10 to 20 working days after proof approval, confirmed in the quote, plus delivery. For year-end gifts, order early in the autumn.

Ready to choose your diaries? Browse the catalogue, or request a quote with the model, the quantity, your logo and the date the diaries should arrive.