GF Smith was founded in 1885, making this our 140th year. The company was established by George Frederick Smith and his son, Thomas Brook Smith, with the vision of searching the world for the most beautiful papers and bringing them back to the UK for exclusive distribution.

At the time, graphic design as a profession didn’t really exist, but printers and illustrators used these papers to create stunning work. Many people today recognize us by our iconic yellow collection book.

The last time we launched a new edition of this book was just as COVID hit, but its history dates back to the early 1900s. Thomas Brook Smith, determined to expand our paper selection, set out on a journey to the U.S. to meet the Strathmore Paper Company. The fact that he took a boat across the Atlantic just for this mission still amazes me.

However, when he arrived, the meeting wasn’t going well—until an unexpected moment changed everything. The paper mill owner’s wife returned home distressed because their church’s organist had fallen ill. Coincidentally, Thomas was an accomplished pianist, so he stepped in and played at the recital. That act of kindness turned the meeting around, and by the end of his trip, he had secured GF Smith as the exclusive UK stockist of Strathmore Paper.

That was in 1900, marking the beginning of our exclusive paper collections. Since then, we’ve continuously sought out the world’s finest papers. In the 1930s, we began creating our own ranges, and one of our most significant innovations was Colorplan—our flagship colored paper collection. While the color profiles were initially developed in the 1930s, Colorplan was officially launched in the 1970s and remains our most renowned product, distributed globally across every continent.

The 2014 rebrand with Made Thought was a pivotal moment for GF Smith, capturing our heritage, craftsmanship, and manufacturing roots. It positioned us as a global brand at a time when celebrating history was a key differentiator, especially post-recession.

However, in the 11 years since, our business has evolved, and the identity no longer reflects who we are. While the 2014 design emphasized tradition and seriousness, GF Smith today is a dynamic, creative, and forward-thinking company that challenges norms in an often traditional industry.

Beyond that, the world has changed. We now operate in an immediate digital-first connected environment, and the way we communicate and inspire our community has to evolve.

Our papers aren’t old-fashioned—they are innovative, creative tools used by designers worldwide. The 2014 identity celebrated paper manufacturing, but the 2025 rebrand is about celebrating the joy of using paper—whether through bold colors, unique textures, or creative possibilities.

Ultimately, this rebrand is about better reflecting who we are. We’ve built a strong brand, but now it needs to align with our energy, creativity, and the vibrant industry we serve. We want to inspire the next generation of designers to see paper as just as exciting and relevant as digital mediums—something joyful, colorful, and full of possibility.

"Feel Good Papers" started as our brand positioning before we even got to the visual identity. We chose it because it represents two key things. First, we want every interaction with GF Smith to feel good—whether it’s through our team, our service, or the experience of working with us. That personal, human connection is something we value deeply.

Second, it’s about the emotional experience of using paper. Forget for a moment where it comes from or the brands we sell—there’s something special about putting a pen, pencil, or paintbrush to paper. It’s a material that sparks creativity, brings joy, and feels good to use. That’s what Feel Good Papers is all about—it reflects the tactile, emotional connection people have with paper and captures the essence of GF Smith as a company.

When searching for an agency, I met with several to understand their perceptions of GF Smith. But when I spoke with Pali and Anoushka, Templo’s Co-Founders, the conversation, meant to last 30 minutes, stretched to two and a half hours. It was one of those rare moments where everything just clicked—I immediately knew they were the right fit. Chemistry is hard to define, but I trust my instincts, and the connection was undeniable.

Beyond that, their cause-led approach perfectly aligned with our values. GF Smith has always been about more than just paper; we genuinely care about people. Since the 1970s, we’ve had an employee benefit trust to help staff facing hardship, and we’re always saying yes to people who need support—whether that’s advice, paper, or a factory tour.

Templo saw the depth of our commitment and immediately connected with our purpose. Like us, they are driven by meaningful work, and they helped us refine how we communicate this story. Even though we operate in different spaces—Templo could see that GF Smith isn’t just a business—we’re a company that genuinely wants to make a difference. That’s why it felt like the perfect fit.

The process was highly engaged and inclusive—every member of our team participated in workshops and had direct input, which made it feel like a shared effort rather than a top-down decision.

We set out to create something bold and radical, and we approached it with an open brief, allowing Templo full creative freedom. Rather than placing restrictions, we wanted to see where the process would take us, trusting that the best creative work happens when people have space to experiment.

The biggest challenge was the moment of committing to a final direction. With any brand redesign, there’s a point where you have to trust your instincts and move forward with confidence.

We knew this rebrand would stir opinions—especially since the 2014 identity was so well known—but that’s the nature of creative work. It’s subjective, and we expected reactions to vary. The real challenge was stepping back and letting people absorb it, knowing that some would embrace it immediately while others might take time to adjust.

The G.F Smith Charitable Trust was set up to make an official commitment to something we’ve been doing for years—helping people. It’s focused on three main areas: supporting our local community in Hull, contributing to wider initiatives across the city, and backing creative education in the UK.

Hull is one of the most underfunded areas in the country, so it’s important to us that we give back where we can, but we also want to support young creatives by giving them better access to education and opportunities in an industry where funding has been cut significantly.

We’ve always been the kind of company that tries to help, whether it’s supporting employees through our benefit trust, donating paper to students, or giving creatives advice and mentorship. This trust just allows us to do that in a more structured way and hopefully make an even bigger impact.

I’m proud that we achieved exactly what we set out to do—creating a brand and visual identity that is dynamic, unique in our sector, and a true reflection of who GF Smith is. More than anything, I’m proud that we were brave enough to develop a brand that captures the feeling of using paper—the joy, warmth, and creativity that comes with it.

For too long, paper has been spoken about as this old-fashioned material that has simply existed for centuries. But it’s so much more than that.

We’re not just preserving tradition—we’re pushing the industry forward, redefining how people think about paper in the modern world.

I’m also proud of the company for taking this leap. We knew this rebrand would stir opinions, especially in an industry full of designers who have strong creative perspectives. But that’s what makes this so exciting. Creativity should challenge and provoke, and we embraced that.

We were bold, we were honest, and we created something that truly represents us—and that’s what I’m most proud of.