Plotter Review - By Eve

Recently I became aware of the Japanese planning system called Plotter.

Plotter is a relatively new analog method that sets out to make daily work streamlined and easily accessible. The system can be a planner, a diary, a notebook, or anything you want it to be really.

The company defines a ‘Plotter’ as “someone who uses their creativity to clear the way to a new future”. So, the product is referred to as Plotter, but so are its users.

Originally released in September 2017 in Japan, Plotter is now available in the United States. Plotter aims to bring about an analog renaissance with their system, which encourages the pen on paper experience. Gotta love that!

Unlike other ring-bound system inserts, Plotter refills are pads which are bound on one edge so you can use them as a notebook. You can start creating continuously without worrying about pages scattering all over the place. The point of doing it this way is that you can always start writing on a fresh page for new ideas, knowing you can remove the pages and organize them later.

A key step to Plotter’s Analog Method involves removing pages from your ring binders when not immediately in use. Some pages could be discarded when the task is complete and no longer needed in your current system. However, some may be ideas or writings that were created on the fly or relating to some future project.

The Plotter Analog System

For this Plotter has accessories such as Project Management Folders designed to organize refills by themes, or you can use them as an index. The set consists of six assorted colored folders to group your refills by different topics. You can label each folder with the project name and utilize the to-do list on the back to manage project tasks. A Gantt chart is included to document the progress of each themed project.

 

When you are done with your project or your individual pages, you can archive old pages or store your ideas for later with Refill Storage. Each Refill Storage holds about 300 Plotter paper refills.

Plotter refills come in a variety of options, such as plain paper, 2mm squared grid, 5mm dot grid, ruled, sketch paper and To Do Lists. They also have dated Monthly and Weekly diary inserts if you choose to use your Plotter as a planner (the Diary pages are loose leaf pages and not bound on one side in notebook fashion like the other inserts).

Plotter paper is very nice and fountain pen friendly. The refills are made with DP Paper, an abbreviation for “Designphil Pocketbook” paper. The weight and thickness of each page are reduced specifically to match the slim profile of Plotter binders. The paper holds all kinds of ink with minimal ghosting and almost zero bleed-through. I have used Plotter refills with my fountain pens (typically in EF or F) with great success.

The leather binders are where Plotter really shines. Each binder is made from a single piece of high-quality leather anchored by Plotter’s own original backplates. The result is a minimalistic, portable, and functional leather binder. As opposed to chunky rings where there is the tendency to overstuff or hold things that may not be necessary to the task at hand, Plotter binders all have slim 11mm (0.4”) Krause rings. It is recommended that the binder hold no more than 80 pages of their original DP paper inserts. The binders are extremely flexible and lay flat at more than 180 degrees, making them easy to use in any environment.

Plotter’s slim profile is not only designed for portability, but also designed to optimize the space you can utilize. The company’s philosophy is simple…if you can only put so many pages in your binder, wouldn’t you put more thought into what you really need?

 

The sizes available for Plotter binders:

•  A5 H8.7" × W6.7" × D.6" 
• Bible (same as Personal) H7" × W4.5" × D.6"
• Narrow H7" × W3.9" × D.6"
• Mini (6 ring) H5.5" × W3.9" × D.6"
• Mini 5 (5 ring) H4.7" × W3.1" × D.6"

Various types of leather are also offered. I have taken one for the team (wink) and tried out several:

 

Liscio Leather is tanned, oil-smooth authentic Italian leather paired with rose gold copper backplate. Liscio leather that allows you to fully enjoy the beauty of leather aging. The leather is prepared using a faithful recreation of a traditional Italian method, called the Vachetta process, to get the most out of the natural aging that occurs. The leather is slowly and carefully infused with oil so that the leather becomes more lustrous with use. The more you use it, the more shiny, buttery smooth, and comfortable it becomes. Liscio leather smells absolutely DIVINE as well.

Bible size Liscio leather in Brown

Pueblo Leather is authentic Italian leather with a brushed finish and dynamic aging that changes and patinas with use. The surface of this leather is deliberately buffed by craftsmen using a special gold scraper. As you handle the leather more frequently, the texture lies flat for a much more distinct luster and glossy appearance. The more you use it, the darker the color becomes. It is paired with gold backplate to complement the rustic look. I'm told that this is the leather that changes the most with use and patina.

Bible size Pueblo leather in Beige

Shrink Leather features pebbled embossing on genuine leather finished with special stone polishing and dyed with vibrant colors. An antique gold backplate anchors the modern colors. It is also light, portable, and more scratch and stain-resistant than other leathers. Over time, the natural characteristic of the leather will be uncovered gradually. This is the thinnest of the Plotter leathers so it is very lightweight.

Bible size Shrink leather in Orange

Bridle Leather is Japanese waxed leather that is as good as traditional British Bridle leather.

It boasts of Japanese tannery technology that creates a beautiful white “bloom” wax glaze which gradually recedes with use. This leather will transform from a sophisticated misty look to a shiny luster over time. The matte silver backplate is a solid, mature color that complements the beautiful unevenness of the bridle leather. I haven't tried this leather out yet but hope to soon!

 

Horse Hair Leather is a Plotter original leather that was revived from its first generation when the brand launched in 2017. Inspired by the texture of horsehair, the vegetable-tanned leather went through a manual process of Japanese craftsmen to create a scratched and raised striped texture to finish the surface of the leather. A generous amount of oil is added to the tanning process. The more you use the leather, the more it will gain an elegant luster. What I love about the Horsehair leather is that each piece is truly unique.

Bible size in Horsehair II leather in Gray

Getting a Plotter system set up was not an inexpensive endeavor. The leather binders themselves are spendy, and they don’t come with any inserts (the idea being that you can customize your system exactly how you want it by getting only what you need). That being said, the quality is very, very nice and I don’t consider anything I purchased a waste of money.

My Bible sized haul!

 

I recently decided to try the diary inserts for 2025 (they sell out FAST!) and intend to set up one of the binders as an EDC to test out the Plotter minimalist method of thinking about planning for. next year. I will keep you posted on how that works out with a follow up post.

What about you? Have you heard of the Plotter brand? What are your thoughts on such a minimalist approach to planning?