I get asked about my opinion of various bullet journal notebooks and their ghosting or bleeding. For this reason, I decided to collect various popular and cheaper notebooks to make a comparison. Below you will find 9 different bullet journal notebooks, their specs, images of their ghosting and bleeding, pros, and cons.
Leuchtturm1917
Notebook Specs
- 249 Numbered pages
- Blank table of contents
- 8 Perforated and detachable sheets
- Expandable pocket
- 2 Page markers
- Elastic closure band
- Thread bound book opens flat
- Sticker for labeling and archiving
- Dimensions: 145 x 210 mm
- Ink proof paper
- Acid-free paper
Bleeding & Ghosting
Pros
- Hardcover is durable
- Elastic band keeps the notebook from getting damaged and bent
- Pocket in the back is a great place to store loose notes
- 2 ribbons make page marking more convenient
- Pages are numbered, and the notebook comes with a built-in index
- There are so many color options, it’s impossible to be bored
- Pages respond well to watercolor paint (still a little wrinkle, but really not bad)
- The dots are in the same place on every page
Cons
- Pages aren’t a crisp white (while I do not mind, this can be a turn off for some)
- The built-in index is a con for those who wish to design their own or does not want an index
- There is some ghosting and bleeding, but this depends on the pen or ink that is used
Shop Leuchtturm1917
Northbook Dots Notebook
Notebook Specs
- 5 x 8 inch
- Vegan leather cover is textured and durable
- 192 pages/96 sheets
- 60-lb/90 gsm paper
- Dots spaced 5mm apart
- Small us-based company
- 1 ribbon page marker
Bleeding & Ghosting
Pros
- Mild ghosting and bleeding
- Ribbon marker
- US-based company for customers who prefer to buy the US only, this doesn’t matter much to me.
- White pages
- Hardcover can be a pro for those who like really hardcovers
Cons
- Paper rips fairly easy
- Cover is rough to the touch
- No page numbers
- No pouch
- Only comes in black
- Some bleeding
Shop Northbooks Dot
Rhodia Goalbook
Notebook Specs
- 8 x 8.3 inches
- 90gsm ivory brushed vellum paper made in Étival-Clairefontaine, France
- 6-page index or table of contents
- 4-pages for annual planning
- 4-pages for monthly planning
- 240 pages (224 dot grit numbered sheets)
- Pocket inside the back cover
- Elastic closure band
- 2 ribbon markers
- Flexible binding
- Softcover (16 available colors!)
Bleeding & Ghosting
Pros
- The flexible soft faux leather cover is excellent; making using the notebook pleasant
- Elastic band keeps the notebook from getting damaged and bent
- The pocket in the back is a great place to store loose notes
- Beautiful colors to choose from
- Thick, smooth pages make ink look vibrant and write smooth
- Pages are numbered
Cons
- There is a Logo on the cover. This one isn’t a big deal; I just like sleek plan covers.
- Off-white pages make it difficult to fix mistakes. I generally use white-out to cover my mistakes, but the whiteout makes an error look worse on the off-white pages
- Orange inside cover and ribbons (but I fixed this DIY style)
- Some bleeding
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Lemome Eco-Friendly Natural Cork Dot Notebook
Notebook Specs
- 8.4 x 5.7
- Cork fabric as the cover
- 100% cruelty-free
- Thread-bound lay-flat design
- Micro-perforated
- 180 Pages
- 120g high-quality, acid-free writing paper
- Sturdy Sewn Elastic Pen Holder
- Expandable Pocket
- Elastic Closure Strap
- 1 Ribbon Bookmark
- Satisfaction Guaranteed
Bleeding & Ghosting
Pros
- Perforation is a pro for those who wish to remove their pages easily.
- Almost no ghosting and bleeding
- Includes ribbon, pouch, and pen loop
- Cruelty-free
- Renewable resources create the cover
- Comes in various colors
- Little bleeding/ghosting
Cons
- Perforation may make pages rip more for those who do not remove pages.
- No page numbers
Shop Lemome Natural Cork Dot Notebook
Minimalism Art Classic Dotted Notebook
Notebook Specs
- Size: 5″X8.3″; A5
- 192 Pages (96 Sheets)
- Dotted Grid
100 gsm
- PU Leather Hard Cover
- Elastic closure
- Bookmark ribbon
- Internal Accordion Pocket
- Designed in San Francisco
Bleeding & Ghosting
Pros
- Leather soft to touch cover
- Comes in many colors
- Includes ribbon, elastic closure, and pouch
Cons
- Some ghosting and bleeding
- Pages are not numbered
Shop Minimalism Art Classic Dotted Notebook
Tacuin Large Plain Notebook
Notebook Specs
- A5 | 14.8 x 21 cm | 5.8″ x 8.3″
- FSC® certified
- Manufactured in Germany
- Hardcover
- 100% biodegradable
- 192 plain pages, made from eco-friendly paper
- Thread bound
- Marker ribbon
Bleeding & Ghosting
Pros
- Hardcover is soft to touch
- Comes in various colors
- Includes ribbon marker
- Pages are smooth to write on
Cons
- Soft to touch cover gets dirty easy
- It comes in only blank and lined pages
- No page numbers
- No elastic band or pouch
- A lot of ghosting and some bleeding
Shop Tacuin Notebooks
Essentials Dot Matrix Notebook
Notebook Specs
- 100-gsm acid-free/archival paper preserves your work
- Inside back cover, pocket holds notes, business cards, etc
- Elastic band attached to back cover keeps journal closed
- Ribbon bookmark keeps your place
- Durable hardcover binding
- Classic A5 size (5-3/4 inches by 8-1/4 inches)
- 192 dot-grid pages
Bleeding & Ghosting
Pros
- Hardcover is durable
- Elastic band keeps the notebook from getting damaged and bent
- The pocket in the back is a great place to store loose notes
- Thick, smooth pages make ink look vibrant and write smooth
- White pages (this could be a con if you prefer off-white)
- Great price for the quality (generally around $9-$12)
Cons
- Only one color choice – black
- Pages are not numbered (this can be a pain if you like to have an index)
- Only one ribbon; some people prefer two (you can easily add a second ribbon DIY style)
Shop Essentials Dot Matrix Notebook
Scribbles That Matter Iconic Version
Notebook Specs
- 160gsm acid-free paper
- 150+ numbered pages
- White-colored paper with grey dots spaced 5mm apart
- 3 index pages
- A page for your key (including space for color-coding)
- Pen Test page
- Expandable back pocket
- 2 different colored bookmarks
- Elastic closure
- Pen loop
Ethically sourced vegan leather cover
Bleeding & Ghosting
Pros
- Incredibly softcover
- Fun cover designs
- Minimal bleeding/ghosting
- Multiple color options
- Includes ribbon, elastic closure, and pouch
- Index, Key, and Pen Test Page included & Pre-designed
- The brand has many similar options with varying aesthetics and colors
- Numbered Pages
Cons
- Cover designs are not for everyone
- Pre-made pages are not for everyone
Shop Scribbles That Matter Iconic Version
Wordsworth Planner
Notebook Specs
- Six free ebooks
- Hardcover
- 5.25 x 8.25 inches
- 256 pages
- 62 note pages
- 100g of paperweight
- Expandable inner pocket
- 3 ribbons
- Eco-friendly resource
Bleeding & Ghosting
Pros
- 3 ribbon markers make the notebook easy to maneuver
- Beautiful hardcover, durable
- Focuses on goal-making and goal-achieving, very helpful in goal organization
- Very detailed
- Includes black and dot pages in the back
- Pouch includes stickers
Cons
- Organized in a way that separates monthly and weekly layouts into different parts of the notebook (ribbons help make this easier to use)
- Not a blank notebook, has pre-created layouts
- Monthly and Weekly layouts start on different days of the week
- Pages are not numbered
Shop Wordsworth Planner
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