Choosing paper for printed notebooks

The paper in your printer tray decides how your notebook feels to write in, how much ink shows through, and how easily the booklet folds. You do not need special paper to start, but a better sheet makes a noticeable difference.

Paper weight

Paper weight is given in grams per square metre (g/m², gsm) in most of the world and in pounds (lb bond) in North America.

Weight	US equivalent	Good for
75–80 g/m²	20 lb	Everyday notes in pencil and ballpoint, thick booklets
90–100 g/m²	24–27 lb	Gel pens, fineliners, most fountain pens
110–120 g/m²	28–32 lb	Markers, brush pens, bullet journals with lots of colour
160–250 g/m²	60–90 lb cover	Covers printed on a separate sheet

Heavier paper is more opaque and less prone to ghosting, but each folded sheet is thicker, so a booklet holds fewer sheets. As a rule of thumb, a saddle-stitched booklet folds cleanly up to about 12 sheets of 80 g/m² paper or 8 to 10 sheets of 120 g/m² paper.

Finish and ink

• Uncoated office paper works with every printer and pen. Smooth “premium” or “laser” office paper reduces feathering from fountain pens.
• Coated or glossy paper is for photos. Pens smear on it and many inkjet printers need a special setting.
• Inkjet printers soak the paper slightly. Use paper labelled for inkjet, and let pages dry before folding.
• Laser printers fuse toner with heat. Fine lines stay crisp, and toner never bleeds when you write over it.

Colour and brightness

Bright white paper makes thin grey lines look lighter. Cream or ivory paper is easier on the eyes and gives notebooks a warmer look. If your lines look too faint on cream paper, choose a darker line colour or a thicker line in the template settings.

Paper size

Booklets need a sheet twice as wide as one page: A4 for A5 notebooks, US Letter for Half Letter notebooks. Smaller notebooks such as A6 or Passport print two copies per sheet. The paper and margins guide has a full table.

Grain direction

Paper folds more easily and lies flatter along its grain. Most office paper is long-grain, which is right for booklets where you fold the sheet in half across its long side. If a heavy sheet cracks when you fold it, score the fold line first with a blunt knife and a ruler.

Testing a new paper

1. Print a single page of the template you plan to use.
2. Write on it with the pens you actually use and look at the back.
3. Fold it in half and check that the fold is clean.
4. If everything looks good, print the whole booklet.