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                                                                EXHIBIT 10.1(l)





                                EXHIBIT 10.1(l)


           FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE 1993 DIRECTORS STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN









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            FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE AMERICAN BUSINESS PRODUCTS, INC.
                      1993 DIRECTORS STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN




     This First Amendment to the American Business Products, Inc. 1993
Directors Stock Incentive Plan (the "Plan") is made and entered into this
11th day of December , 1996, by American Business Products, Inc. (the
"Company").



                              W I T N E S S E T H:


     WHEREAS, the Company maintains the Plan for the benefit of its directors
who are not otherwise employees of the Company or its subsidiaries; and

     WHEREAS, the Company believes it is in the best interest of the Company
and its directors to amend the Plan to (i) effective as of January 1, 1996,
permit directors whose service on the Board of Directors ceases as a result of
their voluntary termination or due to attainment of age 70 to exercise their
vested Options for a period of up to one year following the end of their
service, (ii) effective as of January 1, 1997, increase the formula for awards
of Restricted Stock to eligible directors, and (iii) decrease the vesting
period for Restricted Stock awards made after January 1, 1997; and

     WHEREAS, Section 10(b) of the Plan permits the Company to amend the Plan
at any time; and

     WHEREAS, the Board has adopted a resolution authorizing the amendment of
the Plan;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Plan is hereby amended as
follows:


                                       1.

     Effective as of January 1, 1996, subsection 5(j)(ii) of the Plan shall be
deleted in its entirety and the following substituted in lieu thereof:

            "(ii) In the event an Optionee ceases to be a director
            of the Company at the request of the Company or due to
            his failure to be reelected by the shareholders, any
            Option or unexercised  portion thereof granted to him
            which is otherwise exercisable shall terminate on and
            shall not be exercisable after the earlier of
            (a) the expiration date of the Option, or (b) 3 months
            after the date the director ceases to be a director of
            the Company.  Prior to the earlier of the dates
            specified in the first sentence of this subsection
            5(j)(ii), the Option shall be exercisable only in
            accordance with its terms."



                                       2.

     Effective as of January 1, 1996, Section 5(j) of the Plan shall be amended
by adding the following as subsection (iv) thereof:



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            "(iv) In the event an Optionee voluntarily ceases to be a
            director of the Company at any time or ceases to be a
            director upon attaining age 70, any Option or unexercised
            portion thereof granted to him which is otherwise
            exercisable shall terminate on and shall not be exercisable
            after the earlier of (a) the expiration date of the Option,
            or (b) 1 year after the date the director ceases to be a
            director of the Company.  Prior to the earlier of the dates
            specified in the first sentence of this subsection 5(j)(iv),
            the Option shall be exercisable only in accordance with its
            terms."


                                       3.

     Effective as of January 1, 1997, subsection 6(a)(iv) of the Plan shall be
deleted in its entirety and the following new subsections (iv) and (v)
substituted in lieu thereof:

            "(iv) As of the date of the annual shareholders
            meeting at the beginning of each year for which an
            eligible director is reelected or continues to serve
            as a director of the Company, he shall receive 100
            shares of Restricted Stock.

            (v) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Plan,
            no director shall receive a total of more than 2,000
            shares of Restricted Stock under this Plan."


                                       4.

     Effective as of January 1, 1997,  Section 6(b) of the Plan shall be
amended by adding the following sentence at the end thereof:

            "For purposes of any award of Restricted Stock made
            after January 1, 1997 under the Plan, the restrictions
            described above shall apply for only one year after
            the date of award, instead of three years after such
            date.  Further, the one-year period shall be waived
            and the Recipient deemed fully vested upon any one of
            the events described in subsections (i) through (iv)
            of this Section 6(b) above that occurs during the
            one-year period from the date of award."


                                       5.

     Except as specifically set forth herein, the terms of the Plan shall
remain in full force and effect.


     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this First Amendment to be
executed by its duly authorized officer as of the date first written above.


                            AMERICAN BUSINESS PRODUCTS, INC.


                            By:    /s/  R. W. Gundeck
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                            Title:  President and Chief Executive Officer
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