Best Stationery Stores in Boston

Black Ink makes it easy to craft your own stationery. / Photograph by Jenna Skutnik

For the DIY-er
Black Ink
101 Charles St., Boston; 5 Brattle St., Cambridge; 617-497-1221, blackinkboston.com.

A self-described “design laboratory,” Black Ink caters to the creative crowd with its eclectic assortment of rubber stamps and ink pads, specialty papers, and colorful ribbons. Bonus: If the crafty vibes don’t draw you in, the shop’s whimsical selection of premade greeting cards, books, and cheerful tchotchkes (think: penguin-shaped cocktail shakers and polka-dotted trays) definitely will.

Must-Buy: Leavenworth Jackson skeleton-key rubber stamp, $9.50.

For the Party Planner
Rugg Road Paper Company
105 Charles St., Boston, 617-742-0002, ruggroadpaper.com.

Set the tone for upcoming fetes with ultra-personal invitations from this Beacon Hill institution, founded as a paper-making studio more than 30 years ago. You can work with in-house designers on a creation all your own, or choose from a bevy of customizable templates by stationers such as Kramer Drive and Smock.

Must-Buy: William Arthur one-color thermography folded thank-you notes with printed envelopes, $480 for 100.

An elegant fountain pen from Bromfield Pen Shop. / Courtesy Photo

For the Ink Connoisseur
Bromfield Pen Shop
5 Bromfield St., Boston, 617-482-9053, bromfieldpenshop.com.

That important board meeting deserves more than a Bic: Trade up at this Downtown Crossing gem, where luxe writing instruments from the likes of Montblanc, Aurora, and Parker command attention from inside lighted glass cases. Pick up that limited-edition fountain or ballpoint number you’ve been eyeing, or bring in a vintage treasure for repairs; Greg Byrne, the shop’s in-house specialist, has been restoring pens for more than 20 years.

Must-Buy: Montblanc Meisterstück “LeGrand” fountain pen, $655.

Letterpress business cards from Goosefish Press. / Photograph by Felix Rust

For the Entrepreneur
Goosefish Press
450 Harrison Ave., Boston, 617-728-2822, goosefishpress.com.

Like it or not, first impressions count. The printing pros at Goosefish, best known for their bespoke wedding stationery, will help make yours a good one with letterpress business cards, churned out on antique equipment in the outfit’s subterranean South End studio/retail space. Looking to add a little extra pizzazz? Ask owner Rob Charlton about designing a custom logo, just for you.

Must-Buy: One-color custom letterpress business cards, $200 for 100.

For the Scribbler
Brookline Booksmith
279 Harvard St., Brookline, 617-566-6660, brooklinebooksmith.com.

This Coolidge Corner mainstay impresses with its vast compendium of notebooks, which run the gamut from no-frills Moleskines to embossed hardcover journals by Peter Pauper Press. You’ll find them across from a vibrant display of markers, which you’ll need once you spot the store’s selection of adult coloring books.

Must-Buy: Paperblanks “Le Gascon” Smyth-sewn journal with ribbon marker, $20.