Notebooks & Journals
Dotted, Lined, Grid or Blank?
Four rulings, and one of them is the right default for a gift for a reason that has nothing to do with fashion.
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The answer first
Buy dotted if it is a gift. It guides handwriting like lines do, supports tables and diagrams like a grid does, and disappears behind a sketch the way blank paper does. It is the only ruling that is not actively wrong for any common use.
The four rulings
| Ruling | Good at | Bad at | Right for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dotted | Prose, tables, diagrams, sketching - all adequately | Nothing badly. It is not the best at any single one. | Gifts, bullet journaling, mixed use |
| Lined | Continuous prose, fast writing, neat handwriting | Tables, diagrams, drawing - the lines fight everything | Diaries, letters, note-taking |
| Grid (squared) | Tables, plans, technical work, drawing to scale | Prose - the vertical lines are visually noisy behind text | Engineering, accounts, planning |
| Blank | Drawing and anything visual | Handwriting, which drifts and slopes without a guide | Sketchbooks |
Quick picks
Ranked for the person doing the buying. Every pick names who it is wrong for.
| # | Product | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | No image LEUCHTTURM1917 Medium A5 Dotted Hardcover Notebook 80 gsm paper, 251 numbered pages and a printed contents page, which is why this is the default recommendation in every journaling forum. | The bullet-journal standard | Check price on Amazon #ad No live price right now. How this is funded |
| 2 | No image Rhodia Webnotebook A5, Dot 90 gsm Clairefontaine ivory vellum, which is the heaviest mainstream notebook paper in this comparison by a clear margin. | A fountain-pen user, without qualification | Check price on Amazon #ad No live price right now. How this is funded |
| 3 | No image Moonster Refillable Leather Journal with Pen Full-grain buffalo leather, 320 pages and a pen holder, for the recipient who wants a journal that looks handmade. | A rustic-looking journal with real hide | Check price on Amazon #ad No live price right now. How this is funded |
1. The bullet-journal standard
LEUCHTTURM1917 Medium A5 Dotted Hardcover Notebook
80 gsm paper, 251 numbered pages and a printed contents page, which is why this is the default recommendation in every journaling forum.
#ad No live price right now. How this is funded
Numbered pages plus a printed contents page is the whole reason bullet journaling settled on this book. An index needs page numbers, and printing them saves the user writing 251 of them.
80 gsm against the Moleskine Classic's published 70 gsm is a 14 percent difference in paper weight, and it is the difference most people notice as ghosting on the reverse of a page.
Two ribbons is not decoration in a journal that has an index. One marks the index, one marks today.
| Paper weight | 80 gsmSource: Amazon listing - LEUCHTTURM1917 Notebook Hardcover Medium A5, Dotted |
|---|---|
| Pages | 251 numbered pages, with 8 perforated detachable sheetsSource: Amazon listing - LEUCHTTURM1917 Notebook Hardcover Medium A5, Dotted |
| Size | A5, approximately 5.75" x 8.25" (145 x 210 mm)Source: Amazon listing - LEUCHTTURM1917 Notebook Hardcover Medium A5, Dotted |
| Fittings | Blank table of contents, two page markers, gusseted rear pocket, elastic band, archival stickersSource: Amazon listing - LEUCHTTURM1917 Notebook Hardcover Medium A5, Dotted |
| Binding | Thread bound, opens flatSource: Amazon listing - LEUCHTTURM1917 Notebook Hardcover Medium A5, Dotted |
What it does well
- 251 pre-numbered pages and a blank contents page, ready for an index.
- 80 gsm published, the heaviest of the three mainstream hardcovers here.
- Thread bound, so it lies flat from the first page.
What it does not
- Still not fountain-pen-proof; 80 gsm reduces show-through, it does not eliminate it.
- The dot grid is fainter than some users want for straight-line work.
Skip this: if the recipient has never mentioned journaling. A 251-page dotted notebook handed to a non-journaler is 251 blank pages of obligation. See how to pick a journal as a gift.
2. A fountain-pen user, without qualification
Rhodia Webnotebook A5, Dot
90 gsm Clairefontaine ivory vellum, which is the heaviest mainstream notebook paper in this comparison by a clear margin.
#ad No live price right now. How this is funded
90 gsm is the number to buy this for. Against 70 gsm Moleskine paper that is roughly 29 percent more paper between one page and the next, and that is where fountain-pen show-through stops being a problem.
The trade is page count. 160 pages against 251 for the Leuchtturm1917 at a similar size - heavier paper in a book of the same thickness means fewer sheets. That is physics, not a cost saving.
Ivory rather than white is a real preference axis. It is easier on the eye under a desk lamp and it flattens the contrast of a photograph, which matters if anyone is posting pages.
| Paper weight | 90 gsm Clairefontaine brushed ivory vellum10 gsm above the Leuchtturm1917 and 20 above the Moleskine Classic.Source: Amazon listing - Rhodia A5 Webnotebook, Dot, Black |
|---|---|
| Pages | 160 (80 sheets)Source: Amazon listing - Rhodia Webnotebook, A5 |
| Size | A5, approximately 5.5" x 8.25"Source: Amazon listing - Rhodia Webnotebook - A5 |
| Fittings | Leatherette cover, inner pocket, ribbon page marker, elastic closureSource: Amazon listing - Rhodia Webnotebook, A5 |
| Page numbers | Not publishedNot numbered. Rhodia does not target the indexed-journal use case. |
What it does well
- 90 gsm Clairefontaine paper, the heaviest here, and the safe choice for fountain-pen ink.
- Ivory stock is comfortable under artificial light.
- Soft leatherette cover, pocket, ribbon and elastic as standard.
What it does not
- 160 pages, roughly two thirds of the Leuchtturm1917's count.
- No page numbers or contents page.
- Less recognizable as a brand than the other two, which matters in a gift.
Skip this: if the recipient keeps an indexed bullet journal. No page numbers means hand-numbering, and at 160 pages they will run out sooner than they expect.
3. A rustic-looking journal with real hide
Moonster Refillable Leather Journal with Pen
Full-grain buffalo leather, 320 pages and a pen holder, for the recipient who wants a journal that looks handmade.
#ad No live price right now. How this is funded
Real hide is the difference here, and it behaves differently from the polyurethane covers elsewhere on this site: it marks, it darkens, and after a year it looks like it belongs to somebody.
320 pages is a lot of journal. Combined with a full-grain cover that will outlive the paper, this is a book somebody keeps rather than fills and files.
The unpublished paper weight is the caveat and it is a real one. Rustic journals in this class are typically lighter stock; a fountain-pen user should assume show-through until proven otherwise.
| Cover material | Hand-cut full grain buffalo leatherSource: Amazon listing - moonster Refillable Leather Journal |
|---|---|
| Pages | 160 sheets, 320 pagesSource: Amazon listing - moonster Refillable Leather Journal |
| Ruling | A5 linedSource: Amazon listing - moonster Refillable Leather Journal |
| Included | Interior pen holder and a silver ballpoint penSource: Amazon listing - moonster Refillable Leather Journal |
| Paper weight | Not publishedNot stated, which is the norm for this style of journal and a real limitation for pen users. |
What it does well
- Genuine full-grain leather that ages rather than wears.
- 320 pages, more than double the Rhodia.
- Pen holder built in, with a pen supplied.
What it does not
- No published paper weight.
- Lined only, so no dot grid for bullet journaling.
- The rustic look is a strong style choice that not every desk suits.
Skip this: if the recipient writes with a fountain pen and cares about it. Unpublished paper weight plus a lined-only ruling is two guesses in one gift; the Rhodia removes both.
Why dotted became the default
A dot grid gives you the position information a line or a square gives, without giving you the ink. The eye reads a row of dots as a baseline when you are writing along it and stops seeing them entirely when you are not.
That is genuinely different from a faint gray grid, which is still a printed surface behind whatever goes on top of it. It is why a diagram drawn on dot grid looks like a diagram and the same drawing on graph paper looks like it is on graph paper.
When lined is the right answer
Do not overthink this. Somebody who writes continuous prose and nothing else is faster and neater on lines, and a dot grid gives them nothing they need. If the recipient keeps a written diary, buy lined.
Lined is also the more available ruling on leather journal sets - one of the picks above is lined only, and that is a real limitation if the recipient bullet journals rather than writes.
Dot spacing, and why it is never published
Dot grids vary in spacing, typically around 5 mm, and the makers do not usually state it. Closer spacing gives finer control and a busier page; wider spacing gives a cleaner page and coarser guidance.
Since it is not published, it is not something you can check before buying, and it is a small enough difference that we would not let it change a decision. Mentioning it here mainly so that a page looking denser or sparser than expected does not read as a defect.
Buying for a specific use
- Bullet journaling: dotted, with printed page numbers. The whole method depends on both - see Leuchtturm1917 versus Moleskine.
- A written diary: lined.
- Meeting notes with the occasional table: dotted.
- Sketching, with occasional captions: dotted, or blank if the drawing dominates.
- Anything with numbers in columns: grid.
Questions people actually ask
Is dotted or lined better?
Dotted for mixed use and for gifts, because it guides handwriting while still allowing tables and diagrams. Lined for continuous prose, where it is faster and neater.
What is dot grid paper for?
It gives the position information a line or grid gives without the visual weight. The eye reads it as a baseline when writing and stops seeing it when drawing.
Which ruling is best for bullet journaling?
Dotted, with printed page numbers. The method needs both - the dots for layout and the numbers for the index.
How far apart are the dots?
Typically around 5 mm, though most makers do not publish it. It is a small enough difference that it should not change a purchase.
Which ruling should I buy as a gift?
Dotted. It is the only ruling that is not actively wrong for any common use, which is exactly what you want when you are guessing.