Lined, blank, graph, dot grid–these are the Big Four when choosing a notebook based on paper type.
Dot grid paper became especially popular when bullet journaling grew in popularity over the years. Big brands like Leuchtturm1917 and Moleskine responded to the demand with dot grid notebooks aimed at bullet journaling enthusiasts who wanted a good quality notebook for all of their bujo needs.
Dot grid is also the paper type of choice for a lot of creatives in the Philippines. In fact, the pagerie brand request shows that out of 14 collected responses, 71.4% preferred dot grid.
Our very own Sunday Paper Co released their version of the dot grid notebook called the Essential Dotted Journal. Compared to the Simple Notebook, the Essential Dotted Journal comes in one color (black) and uses two-staple stitching to bind the pages to the cover.
The Dotted Journal was released as part of Sunday Paper’s 5-piece Embrace Structure collection designed for creative and professional work. The all-black cardstock cover is bound with black book cloth to give it a simple yet impressive look.
The words “Essential Dotted Journal” as well as the Sunday Paper Co logo are embossed in gold. Its lined sister, the Lined Journal, uses the same cover design. You’ll also see the embossed ’01’ on the top-right side of the notebook, which indicates the product sequence within the collection.
There are 50 dot grid pages in this notebook, all of which are acid-free, 75 GSM in weight, and cream-colored. The dots are a light gray and the spacing between each dot is about 5-6 cm, which is enough to write without shortening or elongating the words.
I used my usual #1 Mongol pencil, my Pentel Energel retractable pen, and even my set of Bic highlighters to see how it looks and feels on the paper. Nothing bleeds through the pages, though a bit of show-through if you write with a bit more force than most.
The only thing that stood out was how the notebook wouldn’t stay flat on the surface while writing. You’ll need to flatten the notebook with your hand to keep it from bending over your hand.
If you leave the notebook on the surface, the front cover tends to flap open too, but you can remedy this by placing something heavy on top for a period of time. This presses the cover down so it stays in place.
Those who are looking for a good dot grid notebook to start bullet journaling with can definitely use the Essential Dotted Journal as practice or as one’s official notebook for bujo spreads. It’s attractive and affordable, so you feel completely free to try different styles or ideas to beautify your bullet journal.
For those who haven’t joined the bujo bandwagon (cough ?♀️ cough), a dot grid notebook can be a breath of fresh air from strict lined pages, or a form of structure/guidance compared to a blank notebook.
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