The best stationery stores in Los Angeles

Iron Curtain Press made a name on the indie paper-goods scene with charming letterpressed cards, stylish notebooks and custom work. Now Rosanna and Joel Kvernmo, the artists behind the brand, have moved to a new print studio in Highland Park and opened up the front as a retail storefront, carrying their house lines as well as a selection of office goods, cards and items from other brands.

Shopping for a graduation gift—or just ready to upgrade your toolbox of writing instruments? Flax Pen to Paper specializes in classy, classic pens, high-quality note cards and stationery to use those pens on as well as an assortment of folios and gift items.

This cheerful and immenently Instagram-able Echo Park boutique stocks a variety of cards, stationery products and home and fashion items, all selected with an emphasis on local and California-based designers. Come in here to pick up a card and you'll probably end up grabbing a cute notebook, clever coffee table book and trendy enamel pin to go along with it.

This Beverly Hills boutique draws everyone from brides-to-be and event planners to the stationery-obsessed for its custom invitations, stylish cards and giftables. Browse through the shelves of color-coded envelopes and stock paper, stamps, stickers and pens—basically, anything you need to craft a handwritten note or scrapbook. Plus, if you're looking for a last-minute gift, expect to find a mix of stylish tumblrs, coffee table tomes, coaster and more.   

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways (with letterpress cards). With enough stationery and cards to pen "I love you" every day of the year, Sugar Paper outfits its Brentwood Country Mart outpost—its second location following its original Century City storefront—with a nicely-curated selection of gift items, office musts and writing essentials for the old-fashioned, 21st-century gal. Browse letterpress cards or create your own bespoke business cards, invitations and note sets.

This hidden gem of a shop in Glassel Park is a studio and shop run by a husband-and-wife team who combine their loves of German Bauhaus and Japanese wabi-sabi to inform their selection of traveller's notebooks, modernist writing instruments, washi tapes, creative tools and other stationery and lifestyle products. The mottos underpinning everything here are "love for analog" and "slow living." Do note that the retail shop's hours vary by day and check the calendar on their website before heading out.

Don't miss Venice's Urbanic Paper Boutique, which stocks a carefully edited selection of letterpress cards and striking gift wrap. There's also a collection of cheeky folders and Post-Its that should liven up any office space.

Stop inside the historic LA Central Public Library and find this shop, where an assortment of cards, pens, notebooks and other stationery supplies can be found in bright colors and emblazoned with fun designs with a literary bent alongside perfect gifts for any book-lover. Proceeds from purchases here go toward the Library Foundation, so while you write a letter on your new stationery you're also helping support enrichment programs to keep the written word alive.

This is the place to come for a terribly civilized stationery experience—with a bit of whimsy included. You'll find Jonathan Wright himself manning the studio's 19th-century letterpress machine for custom jobs, but popping into the storefront shop will reveal an assortment of ready-made cards, invitations, annoucements and personal stationery products sourced from artisans around the world who share a vintage sensibiity.

For eco-friendly paper, follow stylish brides-to-be to this West Hollywood boutique. Loyalists stock up on the shop's signature tree-free paper (made from cotton remnants) and opulent Japanese Yuzen silkscreens; glass pens and floral-scented inks are for special occasions. Not content to just shop for stationery any more? They also offer intimate paper-making classes to teach you to craft your own.

Far from your typical stationery store, Lula Mae stands out from others with a bit of quirk that has helped this little shop garner a strong fan following. In addition to the expected array of greeting cards for every occasion, paper goods, and party accessories, it is the store’s DIY elements that make it one of a kind. Weekly workshops—from crafting dream catchers to arranging a Mother’s Day floral bouquet—take place every Sunday, and grant you a 20 percent discount on all your same day purchase. Be sure to check the discount box where everything inside (often filled with incredible cards and paper accessories) has been reduced to $2.