As filed  with the  Securities  and  Exchange  Commission  on  November  8, 1996

                                                           Registration No. 333-

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                           -------------------------

                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                           -------------------------

   Incorporated          THE STANDARD REGISTER COMPANY         I.R.S. Employer
  Under the Laws               600 ALBANY STREET              Identification No.
   of Ohio                    DAYTON, OHIO 45401                  31-0455440
                                (513) 443-1000

                           -------------------------

                             1995 STOCK OPTION PLAN

                           -------------------------

                              Gary P. Kreider, Esq.
                           Keating, Muething & Klekamp
                             One East Fourth Street
                             Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
                                 (513) 579-6411
                         (Agent for Service of Process)

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                     Proposed       Proposed     
                                     Maximum        Maximum
    Title of          Amount        Offering       Aggregate      Amount of
   Securities          To Be          Price        Offering     Registration
To Be Registered   Registered(1)   Per Share(2)     Price(2)        Fee(3)
----------------   -------------   ------------  --------------  ------------

  Common Stock,      2,000,000       $26.375     $52,750,000.00   $15,984.85
 $1.00 par value      Shares

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     (1)  This  Registration  Statement  is  filed  for up to  2,000,000  shares
issuable upon exercise options granted pursuant to the 1995 Stock Option Plan.

     (2)  Estimated solely for purposes of calculating registration fees.

     (3) Registration  fee has been calculated  pursuant to Rule 457(h) based on
the  average of the high and low prices of the Common  Stock as  reported on the
New York Stock Exchange on November 7, 1996 of $26.375 per share.



<PAGE>

                                     PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

        Item 3.       Incorporation of Documents by Reference

     The  following  documents  filed  by The  Standard  Register  Company  (the
"Company") with the Securities and Exchange  Commission are incorporated  herein
by reference and made a part hereof:

          1.   The Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K dated March 22,1996;

          2.   The Company's  Quarterly  Reports on Form 10-Q dated May 15, 1996
               and August 14, 1996; and

          3.   The  description  of the Common Stock  contained on the Company's
               Form 8-A Registration Statement under the Securities Exchange Act
               of 1934 effective May 13, 1996.

     All reports and other documents  filed by the Company  pursuant to Sections
13(a),  13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, prior to the
filing of a  post-effective  amendment  which  indicates  that all Common  Stock
offered  has been sold or which  deregisters  all Common  Stock  then  remaining
unsold,  shall be deemed to be  incorporated  by reference in this  Registration
Statement and to be a part hereof from the date of filing such documents.


Item 4.        Description of Securities

        Not applicable.


Item 5.        Interests of Named Experts and Counsel

     The legality of the Common Stock offered hereby will be passed upon for the
Company by Keating,  Muething & Klekamp,  1800 Provident  Tower, One East Fourth
Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202.


Item 6.        Indemnification of Directors and Officers

     Section   1701.13(E)   of  the  Ohio   General   Corporation   Law   allows
indemnification  by the Registrant to any person made or threatened to be made a
party to any  proceedings,  other  than a  proceeding  by or in the right of the
Registrant, by reason of the fact that the person is or was a director, officer,
employee or agent of the Registrant,  against expenses,  including judgments and
fines, if the person acted in good faith and in a manner reasonably believed to

<PAGE>


     be in or not opposed to the best  interests  of the  Registrant  and,  with
respect to  criminal  actions,  in which the person had no  reasonable  cause to
believe that the person's  conduct was  unlawful.  Similar  provisions  apply to
actions  brought  by or in the  right of the  Registrant,  except  that,  unless
otherwise  determined  by the court,  no  indemnification  shall be made in such
cases when the person shall have been  adjudged to be liable for  negligence  or
misconduct to the Registrant.  The right to  indemnification is mandatory in the
case of a director or officer who is  successful  on the merits or  otherwise in
defense  of any  action,  suit or  proceeding  or any claim or issue,  or who is
successful  on the  merits  or  otherwise  in  defense  of any  action,  suit or
proceeding or any claim, issue or matter therein.  Permissive indemnification is
to be made by a court of competent  jurisdiction,  the majority vote of a quorum
of disinterested directors, the written opinion of independent counsel or by the
shareholders.

     The  Registrant's  Code of Regulations  provides that the Registrant  shall
indemnify such persons to the fullest extent permitted by law.

     The Registrant  maintains  director and officer  liability  insurance which
provides coverage against certain liabilities.


Item 7.        Exemption from Registration Claimed

        Not applicable.


Item 8.        Exhibits

        4.1           1995 Stock Option Plan

        5             Opinion of Keating, Muething & Klekamp.

        23.1          Consent of Keating, Muething & Klekamp (contained on
                      Exhibit-5).

        23.2          Consent of Battelle & Battelle PLL.

        24            Power of Attorney (contained on the signature page).


Item 9         Undertakings

     9.1 The undersigned  Registrant hereby undertakes to file during any period
in which  offers or sales are being made,  a post-  effective  amendment to this
Registration Statement to include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of
the  Securities  Act of 1933, to reflect in the  prospectus  any facts or events
arising

<PAGE>


     after the effective date of this Registration Statement (or the most recent
post-effective  amendment  thereof)  which,  individually  or in the  aggregate,
represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in this Registration
Statement  and to include any material  information  with respect to the plan of
distribution  not  previously  disclosed  in the  Registration  Statement or any
material change to such  information in the  Registration  Statement;  provided,
however,  that (i) and (ii) shall not apply if the  information  required  to be
included in a post-effective amendment is contained in periodic reports filed by
the  Registrant  pursuant  to  Section  13 or  Section  15(d) of the  Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 that are  incorporated  by  reference in this  Registration
Statement.

     9.2 The undersigned  Registrant  hereby undertakes that, for the purpose of
determining   any  liability  under  the  Securities  Act  of  1933,  each  such
post-effective  amendment  shall be  deemed to be a new  Registration  Statement
relating to the securities offered therein,  and the offering of such securities
at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

     9.3  The   undersigned   Registrant   hereby   undertakes  to  remove  from
registration by means of a post-effective  amendment any of the securities being
registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

     9.4 The  undersigned  Registrant  hereby  undertakes  that, for purposes of
determining  any liability  under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the
Registrant's  annual  report  pursuant to Section  13(a) or Section 15(d) of the
Securities  Exchange  Act of  1934  that is  incorporated  by  reference  in the
Registration  Statement  shall  be  deemed  to be a new  registration  statement
relating to the securities offered therein,  and the offering of such securities
at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

     9.5 Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities
Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors,  officers and controlling  persons of
the  Registrant  pursuant  to  the  foregoing  provisions,   or  otherwise,  the
Registrant  has been advised that in the opinion of the  Securities and Exchange
Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act
and is, therefore,  unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification
against such  liabilities  (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses
incurred or paid by a director,  officer or controlling person of the Registrant
in the  successful  defense of any action,  suit, or  proceeding) is asserted by
such director,  officer or controlling  person in connection with the securities
being registered,  the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the
matter  has  been  settled  by  controlling  precedent,  submit  to a  court  of
appropriate jurisdiction the question whether

<PAGE>


such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and
will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

<PAGE>

                                            SIGNATURES



     Pursuant to the  requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant
certifies  that it has  reasonable  grounds to believe  that it meets all of the
requirements  for  filing  on Form S-8 and has  duly  caused  this  Registration
Statement  to be  signed  on its  behalf  by  the  undersigned,  thereunto  duly
authorized, in Dayton, Ohio, on November 7, 1996.

                                               THE STANDARD REGISTER COMPANY



                                               BY:/s/Peter S. Redding
                                                  ----------------------------
                                                    Peter S. Redding
                                                    President, Chief Executive
                                                    Officer and Director

     Pursuant  to  the   requirements  of  the  Securities  Act  of  1933,  this
Registration  Statement  has  been  signed  by  the  following  persons  in  the
capacities  and on the dates  indicated.  Persons whose names are marked with an
asterisk (*) below hereby  designate Paul H. Granzow,  Peter S. Redding or Craig
J.  Brown  as  their   attorney-in-fact   to  sign  all  amendments,   including
post-effective amendments, to this Registration Statement.

                          
        Signature                Capacity                       Date


*/s/Peter S. Redding        President, Chief               November 7, 1996
-----------------------     Executive Officer
Peter S. Redding            and Director
                            (Principal
                            Executive Officer)
          


*/s/Craig J. Brown          Senior Vice President -        November 7, 1996
-----------------------     Administration,
Craig J. Brown              Treasurer and Chief
                            Financial Officer
                            (Principal Financial
                            Officer and
                            Principal Accounting
                            Officer)

<PAGE>


        Signature                Capacity                       Date


*/s/Paul H. Granzow         Chairman of the                November 7, 1996
----------------------      Board of Directors
Paul H. Granzow             

*/s/Roy W. Begley, Jr.      Director                       November 7, 1996
----------------------
Roy W. Begley, Jr.


*/s/F. David Clarke III     Director                       November 7, 1996
----------------------
F. David Clarke, III


*/s/Graeme G. Keeping       Director                       November 7, 1996
----------------------
Graeme G. Keeping


*/s/Dennis Rediker          Director                       November 7, 1996
----------------------
Dennis L. Rediker


*/s/Ann Scavullo            Director                       November 7, 1996
----------------------
Ann Scavullo


*/s/John J. Schiff, Jr.     Director                       November 7, 1996
----------------------
John J. Schiff, Jr.


*/s/Charles F. Sherman      Director                       November 7, 1996
----------------------
Charles F. Sherman


*/s/John Q. Sherman II      Director                       November 7, 1996
----------------------
John Q. Sherman, II
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "description": "1995 STOCK OPTION PLAN", "secsgml_size_bytes": 13444}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "STANDARD REGISTER CO", "cik": "0000093456", "assigned-sic": "2761", "irs-number": "310455440", "state-of-incorporation": "OH", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-15851", "film-number": "96657403"}, "business-address": {"street1": "600 ALBANY ST", "city": "DAYTON", "state": "OH", "zip": "45401", "phone": "5134341000"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "600 ALBANY STREET", "street2": "P O BOX 1167", "city": "DAYTON", "state": "OH", "zip": "45401-1167"}}
As filed  with the  Securities  and  Exchange  Commission  on  November  8, 1996

                                                           Registration No. 333-

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                           -------------------------

                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                           -------------------------

   Incorporated          THE STANDARD REGISTER COMPANY         I.R.S. Employer
  Under the Laws               600 ALBANY STREET              Identification No.
   of Ohio                    DAYTON, OHIO 45401                  31-0455440
                                (513) 443-1000

                           -------------------------

                             1995 STOCK OPTION PLAN

                           -------------------------

                              Gary P. Kreider, Esq.
                           Keating, Muething & Klekamp
                             One East Fourth Street
                             Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
                                 (513) 579-6411
                         (Agent for Service of Process)

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                     Proposed       Proposed     
                                     Maximum        Maximum
    Title of          Amount        Offering       Aggregate      Amount of
   Securities          To Be          Price        Offering     Registration
To Be Registered   Registered(1)   Per Share(2)     Price(2)        Fee(3)
----------------   -------------   ------------  --------------  ------------

  Common Stock,      2,000,000       $26.375     $52,750,000.00   $15,984.85
 $1.00 par value      Shares

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     (1)  This  Registration  Statement  is  filed  for up to  2,000,000  shares
issuable upon exercise options granted pursuant to the 1995 Stock Option Plan.

     (2)  Estimated solely for purposes of calculating registration fees.

     (3) Registration  fee has been calculated  pursuant to Rule 457(h) based on
the  average of the high and low prices of the Common  Stock as  reported on the
New York Stock Exchange on November 7, 1996 of $26.375 per share.
PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

        Item 3.       Incorporation of Documents by Reference

     The  following  documents  filed  by The  Standard  Register  Company  (the
"Company") with the Securities and Exchange  Commission are incorporated  herein
by reference and made a part hereof:

          1.   The Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K dated March 22,1996;

          2.   The Company's  Quarterly  Reports on Form 10-Q dated May 15, 1996
               and August 14, 1996; and

          3.   The  description  of the Common Stock  contained on the Company's
               Form 8-A Registration Statement under the Securities Exchange Act
               of 1934 effective May 13, 1996.

     All reports and other documents  filed by the Company  pursuant to Sections
13(a),  13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, prior to the
filing of a  post-effective  amendment  which  indicates  that all Common  Stock
offered  has been sold or which  deregisters  all Common  Stock  then  remaining
unsold,  shall be deemed to be  incorporated  by reference in this  Registration
Statement and to be a part hereof from the date of filing such documents.

Item 4.        Description of Securities

        Not applicable.

Item 5.        Interests of Named Experts and Counsel

     The legality of the Common Stock offered hereby will be passed upon for the
Company by Keating,  Muething & Klekamp,  1800 Provident  Tower, One East Fourth
Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202.

Item 6.        Indemnification of Directors and Officers

     Section   1701.13(E)   of  the  Ohio   General   Corporation   Law   allows
indemnification  by the Registrant to any person made or threatened to be made a
party to any  proceedings,  other  than a  proceeding  by or in the right of the
Registrant, by reason of the fact that the person is or was a director, officer,
employee or agent of the Registrant,  against expenses,  including judgments and
fines, if the person acted in good faith and in a manner reasonably believed to
be in or not opposed to the best  interests  of the  Registrant  and,  with
respect to  criminal  actions,  in which the person had no  reasonable  cause to
believe that the person's  conduct was  unlawful.  Similar  provisions  apply to
actions  brought  by or in the  right of the  Registrant,  except  that,  unless
otherwise  determined  by the court,  no  indemnification  shall be made in such
cases when the person shall have been  adjudged to be liable for  negligence  or
misconduct to the Registrant.  The right to  indemnification is mandatory in the
case of a director or officer who is  successful  on the merits or  otherwise in
defense  of any  action,  suit or  proceeding  or any claim or issue,  or who is
successful  on the  merits  or  otherwise  in  defense  of any  action,  suit or
proceeding or any claim, issue or matter therein.  Permissive indemnification is
to be made by a court of competent  jurisdiction,  the majority vote of a quorum
of disinterested directors, the written opinion of independent counsel or by the
shareholders.

     The  Registrant's  Code of Regulations  provides that the Registrant  shall
indemnify such persons to the fullest extent permitted by law.

     The Registrant  maintains  director and officer  liability  insurance which
provides coverage against certain liabilities.

Item 7.        Exemption from Registration Claimed

        Not applicable.

Item 8.        Exhibits

        4.1           1995 Stock Option Plan

        5             Opinion of Keating, Muething & Klekamp.

        23.1          Consent of Keating, Muething & Klekamp (contained on
                      Exhibit-5).

        23.2          Consent of Battelle & Battelle PLL.

        24            Power of Attorney (contained on the signature page).

Item 9         Undertakings

     9.1 The undersigned  Registrant hereby undertakes to file during any period
in which  offers or sales are being made,  a post-  effective  amendment to this
Registration Statement to include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of
the  Securities  Act of 1933, to reflect in the  prospectus  any facts or events
arising
after the effective date of this Registration Statement (or the most recent
post-effective  amendment  thereof)  which,  individually  or in the  aggregate,
represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in this Registration
Statement  and to include any material  information  with respect to the plan of
distribution  not  previously  disclosed  in the  Registration  Statement or any
material change to such  information in the  Registration  Statement;  provided,
however,  that (i) and (ii) shall not apply if the  information  required  to be
included in a post-effective amendment is contained in periodic reports filed by
the  Registrant  pursuant  to  Section  13 or  Section  15(d) of the  Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 that are  incorporated  by  reference in this  Registration
Statement.

     9.2 The undersigned  Registrant  hereby undertakes that, for the purpose of
determining   any  liability  under  the  Securities  Act  of  1933,  each  such
post-effective  amendment  shall be  deemed to be a new  Registration  Statement
relating to the securities offered therein,  and the offering of such securities
at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

     9.3  The   undersigned   Registrant   hereby   undertakes  to  remove  from
registration by means of a post-effective  amendment any of the securities being
registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

     9.4 The  undersigned  Registrant  hereby  undertakes  that, for purposes of
determining  any liability  under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the
Registrant's  annual  report  pursuant to Section  13(a) or Section 15(d) of the
Securities  Exchange  Act of  1934  that is  incorporated  by  reference  in the
Registration  Statement  shall  be  deemed  to be a new  registration  statement
relating to the securities offered therein,  and the offering of such securities
at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

     9.5 Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities
Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors,  officers and controlling  persons of
the  Registrant  pursuant  to  the  foregoing  provisions,   or  otherwise,  the
Registrant  has been advised that in the opinion of the  Securities and Exchange
Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act
and is, therefore,  unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification
against such  liabilities  (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses
incurred or paid by a director,  officer or controlling person of the Registrant
in the  successful  defense of any action,  suit, or  proceeding) is asserted by
such director,  officer or controlling  person in connection with the securities
being registered,  the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the
matter  has  been  settled  by  controlling  precedent,  submit  to a  court  of
appropriate jurisdiction the question whether
such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and
will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the  requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant
certifies  that it has  reasonable  grounds to believe  that it meets all of the
requirements  for  filing  on Form S-8 and has  duly  caused  this  Registration
Statement  to be  signed  on its  behalf  by  the  undersigned,  thereunto  duly
authorized, in Dayton, Ohio, on November 7, 1996.

                                               THE STANDARD REGISTER COMPANY

                                               BY:/s/Peter S. Redding
                                                  ----------------------------
                                                    Peter S. Redding
                                                    President, Chief Executive
                                                    Officer and Director

     Pursuant  to  the   requirements  of  the  Securities  Act  of  1933,  this
Registration  Statement  has  been  signed  by  the  following  persons  in  the
capacities  and on the dates  indicated.  Persons whose names are marked with an
asterisk (*) below hereby  designate Paul H. Granzow,  Peter S. Redding or Craig
J.  Brown  as  their   attorney-in-fact   to  sign  all  amendments,   including
post-effective amendments, to this Registration Statement.

                          
        Signature                Capacity                       Date

*/s/Peter S. Redding        President, Chief               November 7, 1996
-----------------------     Executive Officer
Peter S. Redding            and Director
                            (Principal
                            Executive Officer)
          

*/s/Craig J. Brown          Senior Vice President -        November 7, 1996
-----------------------     Administration,
Craig J. Brown              Treasurer and Chief
                            Financial Officer
                            (Principal Financial
                            Officer and
                            Principal Accounting
                            Officer)
Signature                Capacity                       Date

*/s/Paul H. Granzow         Chairman of the                November 7, 1996
----------------------      Board of Directors
Paul H. Granzow             

*/s/Roy W. Begley, Jr.      Director                       November 7, 1996
----------------------
Roy W. Begley, Jr.

*/s/F. David Clarke III     Director                       November 7, 1996
----------------------
F. David Clarke, III

*/s/Graeme G. Keeping       Director                       November 7, 1996
----------------------
Graeme G. Keeping

*/s/Dennis Rediker          Director                       November 7, 1996
----------------------
Dennis L. Rediker

*/s/Ann Scavullo            Director                       November 7, 1996
----------------------
Ann Scavullo

*/s/John J. Schiff, Jr.     Director                       November 7, 1996
----------------------
John J. Schiff, Jr.

*/s/Charles F. Sherman      Director                       November 7, 1996
----------------------
Charles F. Sherman

*/s/John Q. Sherman II      Director                       November 7, 1996
----------------------
John Q. Sherman, II