Paper pusher

Paper was invented in China about 2,000 years ago but ironically Hong Kong has lagged behind other countries in the stationery stakes with a dearth of funky photo albums and tasteful greetings cards. Not any more. Making its Hong Kong debut is Scandinavian paper shop Prints (shop 230, Prince's Building, Central, tel: 2523 9811; www.prints-international.com). Its stylish interior, which looks and smells good, is lined with more than 100 card designs (blank inside) and 40 types of limited-edition wrapping paper, displayed flat in thick reams rather than typically man-handled on a badly designed rack. Cards and wrapping paper, which come in a variety of patterns from retro spots to bold flowers, can be co-ordinated with a range of items that make excellent gifts such as Smythson-style notebooks with coloured pages, card books, storage boxes, ring binders and a small collection of bags, tins and pencil cases from cult Finnish textiles brand Marimekko. We love the photo albums made of acid-free paper to prevent yellowing, particularly the extendable versions (extra pages are available in the shop) and the wide-format album for panoramic pictures ($165). Prices are reasonable too, with cards and wrapping paper costing $22 each, small notebooks, $45, and photo albums from about $100. Colours and patterns are updated regularly and there's not a smiling teddy bear in sight.