A good notebook can be invaluable for recording thoughts, notes and sketches. A quality notebook should have a cover to protect its paper while lying flat for easy writing; as well as offering the type of pages best suited to your needs – for linear thinking it should feature grid or lined pages while plain or dot pages may work better for drawing and sketching.
Hardcover
Hardcover notebooks provide a sturdy surface to write on, with covers that wipe clean easily and strong bindings to withstand years of use. It is the classic choice for taking class notes, creating bullet journals or writing down creative thoughts.
One-subject notebooks of 100 pages should typically suffice for any given class, depending on whether your teacher prefers wide or college-ruled paper. We highly recommend Five Star’s affordable hardcover notebook, which features plastic spillproof cover, moveable pocket dividers, and a storage page specifically dedicated to handouts and loose leaf papers.
Lemome’s classic notebook offers those seeking a more professional appearance and fountain pen use the ability to use colourful fountain pens, lined or gridded pages in various cover colors for optimal use.
Softcover
No matter whether it is for work or creative pursuits, notebooks that can withstand daily use should be at the top of your shopping list. Look for thicker paper — measured in grams — so as not to allow any ink bleed-through onto subsequent pages.
Looking for durable covers made of leather, canvas or cloth will protect your notes from being damaged. Many covers feature a ribbon bookmark to mark your place while an elastic closure keeps it closed securely. Alternatively, consider investing in covers designed to hold refills so you can change up your pages as your preferences evolve; Amazon provides this simple notebook which features grid, lined, squared or plain pages depending on what suits your writing style best.
Lined
Lined notebooks provide an effective means of organizing thoughts, whether that means journaling or simply taking down notes and tasks for later. Not only can they improve handwriting skills and foster creativity by encouraging sketching, they’re also great way to enhance handwriting skills while unleashing creative forces by encouraging artistic expression on paper pages.
Narrow lined paper offers closer-spaced lines than other forms of lined paper, making it perfect for people with smaller handwriting or wanting to fit more words on each page. However, for larger handwriting it might be more suitable to switch out with a wide lined notebook instead.
The Strategist writer recommends this Moleskine Classic notebook for to-do lists, reminders, sketches and notes, as its “special enough for journaling but compact enough to fit into a tote bag”. The paper features excellent texture that accommodates gel and fountain pen pens without bleeding through or ghosting.
Plain
Some individuals prefer using a plain notebook for various tasks, including note taking, list making, creative writing and planning. These notebooks may feature griddded, lined or blank pages.
Hardcover notebooks with protective covers offer added protection from wear and tear, making them suitable for taking anywhere or bringing into wet weather to write in.
One subject notebooks of 100 pages each should be sufficient to get you through an entire semester of classes. They feature college-ruled paper with 25 lines per page – thick enough that ink does not bleed through and help keep subjects organized by subject.
Dotted
If you plan on using your notebook for bullet journaling, school notes, diary writing or sketching purposes, consider choosing one with dotted pages – these allow for greater flexibility than ruled paper while still providing structure and keeping ghosting to a minimum.
Leuchtturm1917 soft dotted notebook’s dotted pages work wonderfully with fountain pens to prevent ink from bleeding through, while its hardcover provides protection from spillage while offering micro perforated pages that tear out evenly, elastic closure band, bookmarks and bookmarking features – as well as offering you options such as ruled, dot grid or blank pages!
Graph
An essential tool in your writing journey or for simply journaling is a notebook. We carry various styles that feature smooth paper that can accommodate a range of writing instruments.
Sheet styles matter: gridped paper works well for artists or those who enjoy making diagrams; lined pages lend themselves to narrative-style writing; while dotted papers offer an intermediate approach between plain and graphed surfaces, helping keep thoughts organized – perfect for bullet journaling!
Midori offers two portable options for writing on cotton paper: their MD Cotton Paper is thick enough to withstand water-washes while still holding fountain pen ink beautifully, and there is also the lighter MD Light version.
