How to make your own planner and print it at home

To make your own planner, first decide on the size and layout (A5 or Half Letter with a week on one page is the most common), then choose the sections you will actually use: a year overview, monthly calendars, weekly or daily pages, trackers and notes. Build the pages in order, print them double-sided at 100% scale and bind them with staples, thread, rings or discs. The result is a planner with exactly the pages you need and none you skip.

Step 1: Decide the format

Decision	Options	Good to know
Size	A5 or Half Letter (most popular), B6, Personal Ring Planner, Traveler’s Notebook, A4 or Letter for a desk	A5 prints two pages per A4 sheet, Half Letter two per Letter sheet
Dated or undated	Dated pages have the dates printed; undated pages you fill in yourself	Undated planners let you start any time and skip weeks without wasting pages
Weekly or daily	A week on one page, or one page per day with an hourly schedule	A daily planner for a whole year is 365 pages, so most people print one month or one quarter at a time
Start of the week	Monday or Sunday	Set it once for the whole planner

If you are unsure, start with a three-month A5 weekly planner. It is quick to print and shows you what you really use before you commit to a full year.

Step 2: Choose your sections

• Year overview: the Yearly Overview shows twelve mini calendars or a list with room for birthdays and deadlines.
• Monthly calendar: the Monthly Planner has large day boxes and a notes column.
• Weekly pages: the Weekly Planner fits seven days on one page in boxes, columns or rows, with the week number.
• Daily pages: the Daily Planner has an hourly schedule, top priorities, a to-do list and notes.
• Goals: the Goal Planner turns a goal into action steps and milestones.
• Trackers: a Habit Tracker per month, plus mood, sleep or expense trackers if you want them.
• Notes: dot grid or lined pages at the back, or after each week.

Step 3: Count your pages

Planner	Pages	How to bind it
3-month A5 weekly planner	1 year overview + 1 goal page + 3 months + 13 weeks + 3 habit trackers + 3 notes = 24	One stapled booklet of 6 sheets
12-month A5 weekly planner	1 year overview + 12 months + 52 weeks + 12 habit trackers + 8 notes = 85, rounded up to 88	Sewn signatures, rings or discs
One month of daily pages	1 month + 31 days = 32	One stapled booklet of 8 sheets
Undated weekly Traveler’s Notebook insert	26 weeks + 6 notes = 32	One booklet of 8 sheets

Two things to keep in mind:

• A booklet always has a multiple of four pages, because every folded sheet carries four pages. The export adds blank pages if needed, or you can fill the gap with notes pages yourself.
• A single stapled booklet works up to about 12 to 15 sheets (48 to 60 pages). A full-year planner is too thick for that: print it as several sewn signatures, as one booklet per quarter, or as single pages for a ring or disc binder. The binding styles guide compares the options.

Step 4: Build it in the maker

1. Open 52 dated weekly pages in A5. The weeks start from the current week.
2. Under Notebook, check the Page size, choose a Theme and set First day of the week and Date format under Language and dates.
3. Click Add pages, choose the Monthly Planner, enter 12 pages and set Insert to At the beginning. Dated pages move forward one month at a time. Then add the Yearly Overview at the beginning in the same way, so it comes first.
4. Add a habit tracker for each month, a goal page and some notes pages, then drag pages into the order you want.
5. Turn on Include covers and choose one of the Ready-made designs (browse the cover designs), or add borders and stickers on the Decorate tab.
6. Use the Spreads or 3D book preview to check the result.

Want a notes page after every week? When you add weekly pages with Add pages, choose Dot Grid under After each page, also add.

For a faster start, open My notebooks, then the Collection wizard, and choose Planner. You pick the start month, a duration of 1, 3, 6 or 12 months and weekly or daily pages, and it builds the year overview, goals, monthly calendars, habit trackers and a monthly reflection for you. More setups are collected on the planner ideas page.

Step 5: Print and bind

1. Open Download PDF. For a bound planner, choose Print-ready booklet and under Binding pick One booklet (staple) or Signatures (sew). For a ring or disc binder, choose Single pages.
2. Print double-sided at Actual size / 100% with the flip edge the dialog tells you. The booklet printing guide explains every setting.
3. Fold the sheets in order and staple them, or sew the signatures together (how to sew signatures). For rings or discs, punch the single pages.
4. Add a cover on card, trim if needed, and your planner is ready. The DIY binding guide compares five home binding methods.

For Traveler’s Notebook covers, see the ready-made Traveler’s Notebook inserts and passport-size inserts.

FAQ

What is the best size for a homemade planner?

A5 (148 × 210 mm) or Half Letter (5.5 × 8.5 in) suits most people: large enough for a week on one page, small enough for a bag. Use A4 or Letter if the planner stays on your desk.

Can I make an undated planner?

Yes. Use the Undated Planner template, or leave the date empty on any dated page so you can fill it in by hand.

How do I bind a thick planner at home?

Print it as several signatures and sew them together, or print single pages and use a ring binder or discs. One stapled booklet is best kept under about 15 sheets.

Is it cheaper to make my own planner?

If you already have a printer, the cost is mainly paper, ink and a binding method you can reuse. The bigger advantage is that every page is one you will actually use.