Paper High – Brand Refresh
Background
Paper High is a UK company specialising in ethically sourced, handmade and sustainable gifts, leather goods and stationery. Founded following a trip to India in 1998, the company works with small, family-run enterprises and Fair Trade producers in India, Sri Lanka and Nepal.
Paper High commissioned Toop Studio to refresh its existing brand identity. The main focus was the logo, with some additional work on the strapline and product tags.
The aim was not to change the look and feel of the brand. Instead, I wanted to refine the existing identity and create a more consistent set of logo marks.
Refining the Logo
The existing Paper High logo already had some strong and recognisable elements. I retained the established brand colours.
The main change was to the typography. I introduced a more pleasing serif typeface and carefully adjusted the spacing and proportions of the wordmark.
Particular attention went to the circular version of the logo. The original arrangement of ‘Paper’ above ‘High’ left too much space between the two words.
I brought the ‘i’ in Paper and the ‘p’ in High closer together. This allowed the two words to sit more comfortably as a single unit. It also meant that the lettering could be made larger within the circle, making the logo easier to read at smaller sizes.
I also created a refined horizontal wordmark and a simplified ‘PH’ monogram for use as a favicon and in other small digital applications.
Strapline
I simplified the existing strapline to make it shorter and clearer.
The new strapline works more effectively alongside the refreshed logo, while retaining the key message of the original brand.
Product Tags
I also designed new 4pp product tag cards for Paper High’s range of products.
The tags were designed for printing on natural kraft stock. They include product information and space for Paper High’s Fair Trade, sustainable and handmade credentials.
The new tags give the refreshed identity a practical application across Paper High’s physical products.
A Refined Identity
The result is a cleaner and more consistent set of Paper High logo marks. The refreshed identity retains the character of the existing brand while improving the typography, spacing and proportions.
The new marks also give Paper High greater flexibility across its website, social media, product tags and other printed materials.
