Lined vs Dot Grid vs Graph Notebook
US/UK/Canada as the main focus—with quick notes on Europe
Notebooks aren’t just blank pages—they shape how you think and organize. In North America and the UK, formats like College Ruled, Wide Ruled, Engineering Pads, and Bullet Journals are part of the study and work culture. Below is a deeper look at how each layout works, plus lesser-known details that help you pick the right tool.
✏️ Lined Notebooks
The classic choice for text-heavy work. Lines keep handwriting straight and paragraphs tidy—great for lectures, diaries, meeting notes, and essays.
- US/Canada: College Ruled (≈7 mm) is the default for teens and adults; Wide Ruled (≈8.7 mm) is common in elementary grades.
- UK: Legal Ruled (≈9.3 mm) with a top margin is used for meeting minutes and legal notes; portable A5 lined notebooks are very popular.
- Did you know? Many premium notebooks use ivory paper to reduce glare during long reading/writing sessions.
Creative twist: Some writers color-code lines or insert small symbols in the line gaps to structure ideas without breaking flow.
🔲 Dot Grid Notebooks
Balanced freedom: dots give structure without visually dominating the page. Ideal for bullet journaling, habit trackers, lettering practice, sketches, and even quick UI wireframes.
- Origin: Bullet Journal (by Ryder Carroll in the US) popularized the format globally.
- US/UK/Canada: 5 mm dot spacing is the de-facto standard among premium brands (e.g., Moleskine, Leuchtturm1917).
- Less known: Some high-end books print light gray or light blue dots so they vanish on scans, keeping your page clean.
📐 Graph Notebooks
Precision first: great for math, physics, diagrams, charts, quilting patterns, and tabletop RPG map planning.
- US hallmark: The Engineering Pad (often yellow/green) has a faint grid that almost disappears when copied or scanned—perfect for formal submissions.
- UK: Often called “squared paper,” commonly 5 mm squares; used across secondary/uni math and science.
- Canada: Widely required in middle/high-school math and chemistry labs.
- Pro tip: For ultra-precise drawings, 1 mm grids exist (less common but fantastic for detailed work).
🗒️ Quick Comparison
| Type | Common in US/UK/CA | Best For | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lined | College/Wide/Legal ruled | Writing, lectures, minutes | Tidy text, easy to read | Poor for diagrams |
| Dot Grid | 5 mm dots (popular) | BuJo, sketches, planners | Flexible, modern, clean | Dots may distract some |
| Graph | 5 mm grid; Eng. Pads | Math, engineering, charts | Accurate, ruler-friendly | Not ideal for long text |
Europe: A4 lined/graph is common; some brands offer 4 mm dots for finer work.
📏 Size Cheat Sheet
- US Letter: 8.5×11 in (common in US/Canada)
- A4: 210×297 mm (common across Europe)
- A5: 148×210 mm (UK favorite for portable notes)
📐 Line & Dot Spacing
- Lined: College ≈7 mm, Wide ≈8.7 mm, Legal ≈9.3 mm
- Dot Grid: 5 mm (US/UK/CA), 4 mm (some EU brands)
- Graph: 5 mm standard; 1 mm for ultra-precision
🧪 Paper & Binding That Actually Matter
- GSM: Typical 70–80 gsm; choose 100 gsm+ for markers or fountain pens to reduce bleed-through.
- Acid-free: Pick acid-free (pH neutral) for journals or archival notes—regular acidic paper yellows over time.
- Binding: Spiral opens flat but can tear pages over months; perfect-bound looks sleek but doesn’t always lie flat.
✅ Quick Pick Checklist
- Mostly writing? Lined (College in US/CA; A5 lined popular in UK).
- Creative + planning? Dot grid (5 mm; consider 4 mm for tiny handwriting).
- Math/engineering? Graph; in North America, try an Engineering Pad for clean scans.
- Long-term keepsake? Acid-free paper, 100 gsm+, binding that opens flat.
Lined delivers stability, dot grid supports creativity, and graph guarantees precision. Mix them if needed—your notebook is a productivity tool, not a one-size-fits-all rule.
Written with care by Catzy Queens