How to choose the "right" notepad?

You can independently choose and buy a notebook in the appropriate catalog at the link provided. And below we will talk about what is important to pay attention to when choosing a product.

Paper books are quickly being replaced by electronic ones. But their closest relative - a notebook - continues the marathon, improving its forms and acquiring additional functions and quality characteristics.

The reason is that until now there has not been a more convenient way to write down an interesting idea, sketch a sketch or draw up a daily routine than fixing the listed information on a simple paper page. Each of us has a laptop, smartphone or tablet, but using them instead of a notepad is not very convenient, and not as pleasant as feeling the smooth movements of a pen on “live” paper.

When choosing a notebook, you need to determine what purposes it will serve. By function, the following types of notebooks can be distinguished:

- for records
- for sketching/drawing
- for planning
– specialized
– multifunctional

Line vs Cell: who wins?!

According to our observations, which do not particularly claim to be scientifically reliable, people with a humanitarian mindset prefer lined notebooks, while checkered notebooks are more popular with technical ones. Creative people who are accustomed to expressing their attitude to the world in visual images often choose unlined paper, or combined options, for example, notebooks made of lined (for text) and unlined (for drawings) pages.

Notebooks in a line are offered by all brands without exception, since writing on lined paper is the most familiar and traditional way of expressing thoughts in writing.

Checkered notebooks are very convenient for those whose activities are somehow connected with numbers: whether they are an analyst in various fields, an accountant, a mathematician, a student, a salesman or a successful housewife leading a family budget ... Also, "cells" are convenient for sketching diagrams and graphs. For some, it is simply more psychologically comfortable to write in squared notebooks, because a cage (and a square as a whole) is a symbol of stability, stability, and solidity.

Some find it convenient to combine notes with sketches and use notepads with paper without lines. Particularly attentive manufacturers have thought about such options! For example, Ciak Duo double-sided notepads have half lined, the second half consists of unlined paper, and between them there is a nice pocket made of thick paper, designed for small notes and other trifles.

In addition, from non-standard - point-to-point notebooks from the manufacturer Leuchtturm1917. As you know, any geometric figure consists of points, so this type of notebook will be very helpful for people of technical specialties, developers, mathematicians, designers, people of creative professions, whose life is somehow connected with geometry and operating with geometric shapes. This notebook can be used for fun - lovers of variety. With the help of such a tool, it is very easy to develop an alternative game "to the point" or arrange a new "Sea battle". As a basic element of geometry, topology and related sections of mathematics, such a variant of paper drawing will be useful to people of technical specialties who draw and sketch their ideas using geometric shapes.

For those who draw

People who reflect the world in visual images cannot live without drawing. By and large, they can draw anywhere, with anything and on anything. However, everyone understands that it is better to convey the images born in the head and heart with the help of high-quality materials - so that no unpleasant roughness and technical shortcomings distract from the inspired creative process.

As a rule, notebooks with unlined pages are used for drawing, often made of thicker paper. Depending on the density and structure of the paper, these can be notebooks for sketching in pencil, ink, watercolors, etc. Moleskine has recently become a fairly popular brand in the creative environment thanks to a wide range of notebooks with unlined pages for various drawing techniques. This brand offers both simple unlined notebooks (inside - tinted yellowish paper with a density of 70 g / sq. M), and sketchbooks - sketchbooks (paper weight 160 g / sq. M), and notebooks for watercolor.

Especially for professionals, Moleskine has developed a series of large-format Folio notebooks. Albums in A4 (21 x 30 cm) and A3 formats are suitable in cases where the scope of imagination requires much more space than classic moleskins offer. Moleskine Folio professional albums are available as a sketchbook (A4 or A3) and a watercolor album.

And in order to protect your masterpieces from natural influences (often negative), a Moleskine archive folder was created with 6 pockets: pocket, medium, large and extra large formats.

For desperate non-conformists, Moleskine releases notebooks with black paper. On such paper, even the simplest drawings look impressive and extraordinary. For drawing on dark paper, a white pen or special coloured pens and pencils are used, although if desired, ordinary pastels, felt-tip pens or spray paints can be used. These Moleskine albums are available in pocket, medium, desktop, and Japanese-style paper folds into an "accordion" that allows you to draw and write on a large area. Moleskine has a whole series of Japanese style notebooks.

There are also albums for calligraphy. The paper in such notebooks is very dense (sheet density can be 250 g/m), bleached as much as possible and has a smooth texture. Such paper allows you to draw the smallest details of letters and ornamental elements. To draw on such paper, you can use any tools - pen, brush, sponge. Thin paper is suitable for ink technique, but at the same time it is strong enough, with a light rough texture.

Specialized: for specialists in their field

Specialized notebooks focus on a specific topic. Such notebooks are often provided with an appropriate selection of illustrations, information on the topic, and a pre-planned note-taking plan.

A large number of specialized notebooks are in the assortment of everyone's favorite Moleskine. After recognition in the artistic environment, the Italian brand began to win the hearts of musicians and music lovers. Among the brand's products you can find pocket and medium format Moleskine musical scores. On each page of such a notebook there are eleven lines of a stave.

Moleskine City guidebooks come in a separate series, each of which is equipped with a map of a particular city. With such a notebook, it is difficult to get lost in an unfamiliar city - Paris, London, Athens, St. Petersburg, Moscow and dozens of other cities around the world.

All the same popular are alphabet books, on the sides of which letters are placed in alphabetical order. This type of notebook is very convenient if you make entries according to the scheme - last name, first name or country, city.

Hobby notebooks are themed notebooks designed specifically for people who are passionate about a particular topic. Manufacturers of "notebook business" try not to deprive anyone of his preferences, thereby expanding their thematic palette. The Moleskine Passion Journals series presents a wide field for selection, including a beer lover's notebook, a dog breeder's notebook, a cat lover's notebook, a restaurateur's notebook, a chocolate sweet tooth notebook, etc. This series is very popular and unparalleled in coverage of topics and performance among other stationery brands.

Although individual manufacturers can also find interesting offers: the Italian brand Ciak pleased with its desktop diary, travel notepad and golf note.

Multifunctional

A multifunctional notepad (organizer) is more than a notepad, as it can hold a calendar, address book, internal pockets for discount and credit cards, compartments for valuable documents, dates of major holidays and weekends around the world, a map of time zones, international telephone codes, data on the ratio of various measurement systems. If the Internet was not at hand, all these functions, to a greater or lesser extent, will help its owner find basic information as quickly as possible.

The main task of the organizer is to organize information about personal contacts and plan events.

The Filofax organizer is considered the bestseller in the business accessories market. For those who need to plan their time for work and leisure, it is important that all the necessary information is conveniently structured and always at hand - in this case, the Filofax Cuban Personal organizer will help. In the same format, there are more budget options - the Filofax Domino organizer in A5 format. To have such a notebook always with you, it is important that it be compact and lightweight, so you should opt for a pocket size. In this case, the Filofax Metropol organizer is suitable. In addition, Filofax stocks a classic organizer with a compartment for iPads.

A convenient and high-quality organizer with all the functions for daily time planning is offered by the Italian brands Ciak and Cartesio. These notebooks are made from eco-friendly materials in accordance with the requirements of the European Forest Stewardship Council FSC certification.