Class 16: Paper & Printed Matter
Class 16 is paper, print and stationery: books, magazines, posters, greeting cards, stickers, notebooks, pens, calendars and art supplies. It also covers a lot of everyday paper goods and packaging, from gift wrap and paper bags to toilet paper. It’s the sixth most used of the 45, with 54,287 UK registrations between September 2021 and September 2026, which is about 70% more registrations than the average class. Almost every brand with printed merchandise or packaging ends up looking at it.
What class 16 covers
This is the official Nice heading, in full:
Paper and cardboard; printed matter; bookbinding material; photographs; stationery and office requisites, except furniture; adhesives for stationery or household purposes; drawing materials and materials for artists; paintbrushes; instructional and teaching materials; plastic sheets, films and bags for wrapping and packaging; printers’ type, printing blocks.
It’s a long heading, and it splits into a few groups. Printed matter covers anything with words or pictures printed on it: books, magazines, posters, cards and prints. Stationery covers the tools of the desk: pens, pencils, notebooks, diaries and labels. Then there’s paper and packaging, from cardboard boxes and gift bags to paper napkins and tissues. Art supplies sit here too, with one catch covered below.
When you definitely need class 16
- You publish books, magazines, comics or other printed matter
- You sell stationery, such as notebooks, planners, pens, pencils or diaries
- You sell greeting cards, posters, art prints, calendars or stickers
- You make paper products or packaging, such as gift wrap, gift bags, paper bags or cardboard boxes
- You sell art and craft supplies, such as paintbrushes, sketchbooks or drawing materials
When you might need class 16 without realising
Class 16 turns up in a huge range of businesses, often because of merchandise or packaging.
- Brands with printed merchandise. Stickers, posters and art prints are class 16, with stickers on 7,457 registrations and art prints on 4,112. A band, influencer or illustrator selling prints needs class 16.
- Brands with their own packaging. Branded gift bags, on 2,804 registrations, and paper bags, on 2,216, are class 16 goods in their own right.
- Collectables and card brands. Trading cards not designed for playing a game are class 16, on 2,152 registrations. Cards for a trading card game are class 28.
- Household paper brands. Toilet paper, on 1,463 registrations, paper tissues, kitchen rolls and paper napkins, on 1,444, are all class 16.
If it’s printed, made of paper or used at a desk, class 16 is worth checking before you file.
Not sure whether your product is class 16 or somewhere else? The free class tools below show you where businesses like yours actually file, or you can give us a call.
What businesses actually claim in class 16
These are the terms that turn up most often in recent UK class 16 registrations:
| Term | Marks using it | Share of class 16 | How common |
|---|---|---|---|
| printed matter | 14,931 | 27.5% | Most use this |
| stationery | 13,631 | 25.1% | Most use this |
| books | 12,919 | 23.8% | Most use this |
| posters | 9,571 | 17.6% | Most use this |
| printed publications | 9,530 | 17.6% | Most use this |
| photographs | 8,804 | 16.2% | Most use this |
| calendars | 8,578 | 15.8% | Most use this |
| stickers | 7,457 | 13.7% | Most use this |
| magazines | 6,391 | 11.8% | Recommended |
| greeting cards | 5,948 | 11.0% | Recommended |
The broad terms lead. Printed matter is on 14,931 registrations, with stationery on 13,631 and books on 12,919 close behind. Posters, photographs, calendars and stickers follow. Many of these come from brands whose main business is elsewhere, adding class 16 to cover merchandise and printed materials.
Broad terms are popular because they’re easy, but they’re also crowded. Naming what you actually sell, such as colouring books or greeting cards, costs nothing extra within the class and makes clear where your brand trades.
What class 16 does not cover
Games, puzzles and playing cards are class 28. They’re printed, but they’re played with, so they sit with toys and games. Playing cards appears on 4,674 class 28 registrations and jigsaw puzzles on 4,539.
Downloadable content is class 9, and publishing is class 41. A printed book is class 16. The e-book is class 9, where downloadable electronic publications appears on 6,966 registrations. The service of publishing is class 41, with publishing services on 4,654.
Paper cups and plates are class 21. Paper napkins are class 16, but disposable tableware sits with kitchenware, where paper plates appears on 1,717 class 21 registrations and paper cups on 1,533.
Tote bags are class 18, and printing is a class 40 service. A paper gift bag is class 16, but a fabric tote is class 18, with tote bags on 7,536 registrations there. A print shop printing for customers provides a class 40 service. Office furniture is class 20.
Where these terms actually live
| Term | Belongs to | Marks using it |
|---|---|---|
| downloadable electronic publications | Class 9 | 6,966 |
| tote bags | Class 18 | 7,536 |
| paper plates | Class 21 | 1,717 |
| paper cups | Class 21 | 1,533 |
| card games | Class 28 | 4,699 |
| playing cards | Class 28 | 4,674 |
| jigsaw puzzles | Class 28 | 4,539 |
| publishing services | Class 41 | 4,654 |
| publication of books | Class 41 | 4,163 |
Each of these is a separate registration. A mark in class 16 does not cover any of them.
The mistake I see most often
The mistake is using class 16 as a broad publishing class. Class 16 protects physical printed goods and stationery. It doesn’t cover the publishing service, the teaching, or the digital versions of the same content.
Take a children’s author with a growing brand. The printed books are class 16. The e-books and audiobooks are class 9. The publishing imprint and the school workshops are class 41. The puzzle and card game spin-offs are class 28. File only class 16 and the parts of the brand that often grow fastest aren’t covered.
The practical fix is to list every format your content comes in, printed, digital, taught or played, and check each one. A UK application can’t have classes added later, so it’s worth getting the list right at the start.
Is class 16 the right class for you?
If you make or sell printed matter, books, stationery, cards, posters, stickers, paper goods, packaging or art supplies under your own brand, class 16 is very likely yours. If you also sell games, e-books, tote bags or disposable tableware, or offer publishing or printing, look at classes 28, 9, 18, 21, 41 and 40 as well.
Our free class tools build a specification from wording already accepted on real UK filings, so you can see what businesses like yours claim before you commit.
Common questions about class 16
Are playing cards and jigsaws class 16?
No. Playing cards, card games and jigsaw puzzles are class 28, with games and toys. Card games appears on 4,699 class 28 registrations. Trading cards are the exception: collectable ones not made for playing a game stay in class 16.
Are paper plates and cups class 16?
No. Paper plates and paper cups are class 21, with other tableware. Paper napkins and paper tablecloths stay in class 16, so a party-supplies brand usually needs both classes. Fabric gift bags are class 22, while paper ones are class 16.
Is a publisher class 16 or class 41?
Usually both. The printed books and magazines are class 16. Publishing them is a class 41 service, where publication of books appears on 4,163 registrations. Any e-books or downloadable versions need class 9 as well.
Are artists’ paints class 16?
No, and it catches out a lot of art-supply brands. Paintbrushes, sketchbooks and drawing materials are class 16, but paints for artists, including watercolour and acrylic paints, are class 2. Make-up brushes are class 21.
About these figures. Last researched 23 September 2026, from UK trademarks registered between September 2021 and September 2026 whose entry in this class is still active. That is current drafting practice rather than the historical register. Terms shown are those most frequently used in that period.
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