Clarkes Stationers

I walked in to Clarke's Stationers this morning with 100% confidence that they would have everything I needed to create my arty homemade Xmas cards. Red card- check. Glitter glue- check. Gold and silver pens- check. Will my cards look like they were made by a 5 year old? Yes, probably, but at least they will be made with love and quality stationary from Clarke's!

Clarke's is great- its one of those extremely satisfying (if you're a stationary geek like me) shops, nay, emporiums, that stock EVERYTHING your little stationary-loving heart could desire. I had to make a hasty exit before I started buying completely unnecessary items like rubber stamps and embossed card sets!

If you need card, coloured paper and envelopes, diaries, or arts and crafts supplies, this is the best place I've found. Downstairs they have a massive collection of pens and other standard stationary items. Upstairs they have all manner of coloured and patterned paper and card, as well as sketch books, watercolour paper and huge (A3, A2) sheets of backing card. So whether you fancy embarking on an arty project, or simply need a pritstick, Clarke's is the place. They also have a photocopying service available.

I've always loved stationary stores. Clarke's in the North Laines is a big one, with aisles upon aisles to look through. Oooh, paper. Of course, the shop offers more than just notebooks and loose sheets; there are organisers and planners, large and small calendars (including a grippy wall calendar!), binders and diaries.

Arts and crafts supplies are also available - this is the first place I've seen pipe cleaners in ages. Common art supplies like coloured pencils, oil paints, canvases and here, along with craft projects like paper mache kits, knitting accessories and a variety of felt and fabric pieces for make-your-own crafty ideas.

There's a copy centre on site, which is handy, and although the prices are a little higher than some chain budget stationary shops,
Clarke's does offer a 15% student discount when you show your student card. I'll probably be back for term two school supplies.

Call me weird or whatever, I am a stationary nut. I loveee greeting cards and cute stuff. I was in need of some nice cards to mail to my family and friends back in the states (rather than postcards). Found some nice cards here that showcase the Brighton Pier. Pricey cards, but the quality speaks for itself.

This is one of those hole-in-the-wall stores. Don't let the name deceive you. They don't sell shoes, but stationary and walls of art supplies.

As someone who is both a stationary freak and also, someone who does mid scale product photography, this place is the one for all art and crafting supplies!

Upstairs they have a great selection of A1 150 & 300gsm paper in a bunch of nice standard and non standard pastel colours. They also have great stuff, like mounting board and 4 to 8mm thick foam core boards.

Downstairs they have a pretty vast selection of pens, pencils, general stationary, binders and more.

They're easily my first selection for paper and stationary!

Great selection of papers from cartridges to handmade to inkjet. Clarkes has pretty much everything you need plus all the fiddly silly things to amuse the kids. They often have a bin which does knock off papers if your not to fussy, and the staff are very helpful if you are after something particular. The paints are very expensive but not at all pricey. For the really professional you are probably better off at Lawrences on Portland Road but Clarkes is one of the only practical art stores about in the centre, so head here if you want to get arty quick.

I love this shop, they hold everything that anyone in the creative industry could want for. Portfolio folders, mounting card, spray mount, scalpels....I could go on and on.

I think the prices are pretty reasonable in here and the staff are so helpful with guiding you in the right direction for what your looking for.

They also give students a discount which is jolly nice!

As the name suggests, if you love stationary then this is a place you've absolutely got to check out. This is a far higher class of stationer's than your average WHSmith. Selling beautifully bound notebooks including real leather Filofaxes, the famous Moleskin notebooks, as well as the most gorgeous leather journals, this place has some brilliant stuff but it doesn't come cheap. If you're anything like me though and half the time can't decide whether you actually want to write with pen and paper or have just been seduced by some seriously sexy stationary, then this place will be your heaven.


For the creatively inclined Brightonian, their 'piece de resistance' is their collection of greeting card making paraphernalia coloured cards, envelopes, gorgeous papers, flowers, glittery things, little model people, metallic swirly things, stick on letters... you name it, they probably stock it. True, you can go a little mad and end up spending a ridiculous amount of time and money on one single birthday card, but it's great fun and results in a HUGE sense of achievement. Well, it does if you're me anyway. Plus, your friends will love the thoughtful, personal touch of a handmade card.

As an artist, this is an essential shop for me to visit at least once every two weeks or so and I usually end up buying far more than I originally intended going there for!


They have an absolutely huge choice, and one of my favourite sections is the one with the acrylic paints. They have a large variety of 2oz bottles at £1.49 each, but if you buy them in threes you get 3 for 2 so they're only a quid for each bottle. I also buy my lacquer pens there (the ones which will write on any colour surface) and office material. I'd probably buy the whole shop, but although they're not completely overpriced, unfortunately they don't give anything away for free either (something which I'm not even asking they do for everyone just some freebies for me would be fine).

Appropriately Clarke's is next door to Art Republic, and you can bet your bottom dollar the likes of Dan Baldwin used to come in here as a starving artist to buy his oil paints when he was still eating beans on fag butts in his garret flat. They sell everything you need to get creative from paper, sketch pads, gouache, paint brushes, glitter, spray mount... it gets me excited every time I come in here. On the ground floor it's more stationary related.

Clarke's Stationers (located in the southern end of Brighton's famous North Laine) is the place to go for all your stationary needs. It's less chaotic than W H Smith's, and cheaper/more utilitarian than neighbouring Pen to Paper. Here you'll find all you need in terms of paper, pens, folders etcetec as well as a good stock of arts items.