Insert Exchange

Back in the eighties, well before we had easy access to the internet and social media, Filofax users would exchange inserts. It wasn't a weekly occurrence, but I can remember exchanging one or two inserts whenever I came across a fellow Filofax user.  

There's no reason why we shouldn't do insert exchange in this modern era. Keep it simple, just a simple exchange. Pop the inserts in an envelope and post them as a 'letter'. Keeping the envelope thin keeps the cost of posting down and you won't have to do a customs declaration, because it is classed as letter. 

You might want to just 'exchange' coloured lined paper, there might be some colour(s) that you might never use and you want some pages in a colour that you use more than others. 

Or you might be changing size, so you have some A5 inserts that you are willing to 'exchange' for say personal size. 

It can apply to diary inserts as well and we aren't just covering Filofax inserts, any brand can be exchanged as long as the person 'receiving' knows what they are getting that will be fine. 

If this is a popular idea I will add a section to the Ad-Spot page for 'Insert Exchange' 

Please comment below if you like this idea. 

Paper Sizes

With the announcement by Gillio that they are bringing out an Organiser in 'HBxA5' size, which isn't a totally new size, it has existed for some time but mainly in Japan. I thought it was time to revise and update my paper sizes chart!

I often refer to my chart of Popular Paper and Page Sizes, I've updated it and you will find links to it further down this post. 

It wouldn't be so bad if you used this information every week, it might become second nature, but for most of us it is information we only use once or twice a year. 

So let us start with a picture. 

The three different sizes shown A5, B5 and A4 are common sizes. I've added the dimensions to show their actual sizes.

A4 is twice the area of A5, A5 is twice the area of A6 etc. Similarly B4 is twice the area of B5, B5 is twice the area of B6 etc.

These three sizes are all ISO216 paper sizes, ISO216:2007 specifies three different series of paper sizes, A, B and C. One thing in common is that the ratio of height against width is the square root of two. So if you multiple the width by 1.4142 (the square root of 2) you will magically get the height to within 1 mm. Alternatively multiple the height by 0.7071 and you will get the width of the page.

Because they follow this pattern we can easily scale from one size to another when printing. So for instance if you have a Word file that is set to A4 size to print it on A5 paper you scale the page by 0.7071, or more conveniently 70.7% or 71% if you can't input a decimal number.

Note that the reduction between each size is not 50% even though the smaller size has half the area. The scale factor for reduction is calculated by dividing the longer edge of the smaller size by the longer edge of the larger size (or the shorter edge of the smaller size by the shorter edge of the larger size).

Using that rule we can devise how to go from A4 to B5, so we take 250mm and divide it by 297mm to get 0.841 or just 84% should be close enough. 

What is the significance of B5 size you might ask.... B5 is Deskfax size, whilst Filofax have discontinued this size years ago, it still remains a popular size, although printed inserts for this size are difficult to come across. With the knowledge of the scaling factor of 84% you can take any of the Philofaxy diary inserts intended for A5 size and print them at 84% and you will have Deskfax pages.

All the Philofaxy diary inserts for A5 are in fact sized to A4 this is so if you use the 'Booklet' print facility available on some printers they will be printed the correct size on A4 paper (two pages per side) If you are printing the files directly on to A5 paper you have to scale the print to 71%. 

To help you remember this information I have created an 'aide memoire' which you can either put on your notice board or print out and put in your organiser. 

• Popular Paper and Page Sizes (notice board version) - .docx  or  .pdf
• Popular Paper and Page Sizes A4/A5 version - .docx  or  .pdf

If you have any questions pop them in the comments below.

Paper..

Last Sunday we had another excellent discussion on the Philofaxy 'Round Table' Skype call. It included this topic.

One of the essential ingredients for successfully using any size or type of organiser is your choice of paper combined with what writing instrument you use. When it comes to those there are various types that we will cover in their own post one day. 

Without paper your pen or pencil isn't of much use and vice-versa!!

You can take the easy route and buy pre-printed inserts, but you are going to be confined to what ever paper is supplied married together with the design of the layout in the size of your choice. If you can find the perfect layout on the best paper for your pens/ink you are on to a winner. Stick with it and hope that the company supplying it stays in business and continues to supply that paper in that layout. 

Printing your own inserts does give you more of a choice of what paper you use. Yes you will have the hassle of printing them, cutting and punching too. But diary insert printing is just an annual task for me so it is not too much of a task to do. 

Sourcing the right paper is critical, a ream of paper (500 sheets) can last a few years if you are only using it for your diary inserts. It therefore pays to spend some time testing and researching different paper types/brands to find the right one for you. 

If you have an office supply store in your local town/city then you might be in luck. They might be able to supply a 'sample pack' of different paper types/weights etc. This will save you from the expense of buying several packs of paper that you might not end up using. 

Alternatively buy a small pack of paper of the same brand/type you are considering if they sell them. Use your samples to test the papers suitability in your printer, and more importantly with a variety of pens and fountain pens to check for feathering and bleed through of the ink. 

If you use a Personal Size or A5/A6 size organiser, buying A4 size paper is often easier and then have the pack cut down to the correct size. You can get three Personal Size sheets from one A4 sheet for instance with some small amount of waste. Talk to your office supplier to see if they offer a cutting service behind the scenes or may be a local printer might be able to cut the paper for you for a small fee. 

Cutting services are possibly services they don't usually advertise, but if you ask they might do it for a small 'per cut' fee. 

I'm still using a stack of A6 paper I had cut from some good quality A5 paper a few years ago! 

It is difficult to recommend specific brands because with a world wide audience anything I mention might not be available in your area. I prefer to try and buy from my local office supply store rather than on-line. 

Paper costs quite a lot to ship, the price per pack is often quite low, but it can weigh more than your usual letter post rates so often the shipping cost will be more than the pack of paper itself. 

Naturally you will fine a lot of shops selling the usual weight copier/printer paper, but other weights are often available. They might not keep them in stock but ask if they can source lower or higher weight papers depending on your needs. 

During our discussion on Sunday we were looking at Raymay Davinci this is 52 gsm but to prove the point the paper would have cost 3-4 times as much to buy in Europe due to shipping taxes and other fees! As a straight comparison Clairefontaine a French paper maker can also supply similar light weight paper. from as low as 50 gsm upwards. 

Whilst thin paper is very desirable, check that your printer can handle it, unless you are only using it as blank paper to write on. 

Do you have a favourite brand of paper?  

Page Sizes - Revision!

We seem to find a new page size each year. I see questions like 'Does Pocket Plus fit a Van der Spek Junior' and my first reaction is 'What size is Pocket Plus.... what is wrong with Pocket' Or people referring to Pocket as being A7, no Mini is closer to A7!! Grrrrr!!!

I refer to my chart of Popular Paper and Page Sizes, I've updated it and you will find links to it further down this post. 

It wouldn't be so bad if you used this information every week, it might become second nature, but for most of us it is information we only use once or twice a year. 

So let us start with a picture. 

The three different sizes shown A5, B5 and A4 are common sizes. I've added the dimensions to show their actual sizes.

A4 is twice the area of A5, A5 is twice the area of A6 etc. Similarly B4 is twice the area of B5, B5 is twice the area of B6 etc.

These three sizes are all ISO216 paper sizes, ISO216:2007 specifies three different series of paper sizes, A, B and C. One thing in common is that the ratio of height against width is the square root of two. So if you multiple the width by 1.4142 (the square root of 2) you will magically get the height to within 1 mm. Alternatively multiple the height by 0.7071 and you will get the width of the page.

Because they follow this pattern we can easily scale from one size to another when printing. So for instance if you have a Word file that is set to A4 size to print it on A5 paper you scale the page by 0.7071, or more conveniently 70.7% or 71% if you can't input a decimal number.

Note that the reduction between each size is not 50% even though the smaller size has half the area. The scale factor for reduction is calculated by dividing the longer edge of the smaller size by the longer edge of the larger size (or the shorter edge of the smaller size by the shorter edge of the larger size).

Using that rule we can devise how to go from A4 to B5, so we take 250mm and divide it by 297mm to get 0.841 or just 84% should be close enough. 

What is the significance of B5 size you might ask.... B5 is Deskfax size, whilst Filofax have discontinued this size years ago, it still remains a popular size, although printed inserts for this size are difficult to come across. With the knowledge of the scaling factor of 84% you can take any of the Philofaxy diary inserts intended for A5 size and print them at 84% and you will have Deskfax pages.

All the Philofaxy diary inserts for A5 are in fact sized to A4 this is so if you use the 'Booklet' print facility available on some printers they will be printed the correct size on A4 paper (two pages per side) If you are printing the files directly on to A5 paper you have to scale the print to 71%. 

To help you remember this information I have created an 'aide memoire' which you can either put on your notice board or print out and put in your organiser. 

• Popular Paper and Page Sizes (notice board version) - .docx  or  .pdf
• Popular Paper and Page Sizes A4/A5 version - .docx  or  .pdf

If you have any questions pop them in the comments below.

B6 size ring bound organisers.

We are all familiar with Personal size organisers with their page size of 171mm x 95mm, it doesn't really match any of the ISO page sizes. It is a size of its own that has existed for about 100 years, so it is a standard in its own right really.

Deskfax organisers use paper that is B5 in size (250mm x 176mm) The B series of page sizes are a geometric mean of the A series page sizes, so for example B5 is between A4 and A5 in size. The page proportions are the same 1:1.4142 or the 1:√2.

As A5 is twice the size of A6, so B5 is twice the size of B6. Therefore B6 size paper is 176mm by 125mm.

It is a similar height to Personal size, but 30mm wider. This photograph shows the difference between A5, B6, A6, Personal size and Pocket size.

The B6 size has become very popular in the Travellers Notebook community. There are many covers made for the B6 size inserts and booklets. A few people have taken their personal size ring bound organisers, removed the rings and they will then take B6 size inserts.

What about B6 size ring bound organisers? So far I've not come across any from any of the 'regular' suppliers, but I would love you to prove me wrong!

However, there is the Van der Spek Custom range. Standard (personal size) can be specified with 13mm, 25mm or 30mm rings. All of these sizes can optionally be 'widened' in 1mm steps up to 30mm as an optional extra. 30 mm is the difference between Personal (95mm width) and B6 (125mm width).

So there is at least one supplier, are there others, please let us know in the comments please.

What about inserts? Well you will find plenty of downloads being sold on ETSY for Travellers Notebooks, but given that B6 is an ISO size, then the Philofaxy Diary Inserts can easily be scaled to print on B6 size paper.

When using the our A4 size inserts to print they need to be scaled using the following scaling factors:

• Printing on A5 paper you need to scale the print to 71%
• Printing on B5 size (Deskfax) paper the scale factor is 84% 
• Printing on B6 size paper the scale factor is 59%

Before closing this post I should also mention some other variations of Personal size that you will come across.

• The original version of the six ring Deskfax - 171mm tall by 180mm wide.
• Franklin Covey Compact - 171.5mm x 108mm (6.75 x 4.25 inches)
• Personal 'Wide' - 171mm x 121mm (6.75 x 4.75 inches) 
• HBxWA5 - 171mm x 148mm wide - Personal size high, by A5 width. 

The Personal Wide an 'invention' of some of the new ring bound organiser makers such as Foxy Fix and others, it is very close to B6 size, but not exactly B6.

Naturally you should observe the usual caution when buying organisers or inserts that are labelled as A6, B6 etc they are often regular Personal size and not A6 or B6 at all! 

Would you try out a B6 organiser if one was available at an affordable price?

I would like to thank the members of the Traveler's Notebook Forum group for their help in researching this post.

Which Paper?

We all use a variety of paper in our planners and notebooks, no matter if they are bound or ring bound organisers.

The quality of the paper is important to us, this might be because you want to archive your notes, or if you are fountain pen user you want to ensure that what you write in your preferred brand and colour of ink looks sharp and not blurred, that the paper isn't like blotting paper and the ink soaks through the pages to the other side.

The choice of paper and ink is sometimes a difficult one, if the paper doesn't absorb the ink another problem can occur, the ink can be smudged if it doesn't dry quickly enough and it just sits on the surface of the paper rather than adhering to the paper.

However, let us think for a moment that you have found the perfect paper, the perfect ink in a colour of your choice, a pen that is a delight to use, it is. The perfect weight in your fingers and it is a delight to use. It allows you to transfer those thoughts and ideas to paper and after a writing session you can sit back and relax as you review you page of writing.

Going back to your choice of paper, one thing I want to discuss is do you choose plain paper, lined paper, quadrille (squared), or dot grid paper?

Each one has its merits, it's good and bad points. Some types seem to be more popular than others. For instance here in France or at least in my local stores most notepads are nearly always quadrille format, it is quite difficult to buy lined or plain paper pads or notebooks, they do exist, but not available in the same sort of quantities as the quadrille ones! I will be adding lined and plain paper varieties to my 'Bring back from UK' list!!

I was quite pleased when Helen Fennel one of our readers sent me the Writing Guide page to try out. I printed it out and put it behind my Filofax plain page and instantly I have visible lines to guide me across the page. I remember these sort of lined sheets from old letter writing pads, I am not sure if they still sell these or not, but they are very useful.

So me being me, I have adapted the idea and produced some similar writing guide pages in A4, A5 as well as the Personal size.

• Writing Guide A4 - Word file, PDF file
• Writing Guide A5 - Word file, PDF file
• Writing Guide Personal - Word file, PDF file 

Filofax of course sell plain paper and lined paper in all sizes. But if you want some dot grid pages you can print your own fairly easily.

Dot-grid format is very useful for doing drawings and sketches, but. You can easily use the dots to help you keep your writing from deviating from a straight line. Another advantage I have found, if you need to scan or copy your pages the dots are often ignored by the scanner, so the copy appears with just your writing and drawing and no dots.

Ray has come to our assistance with some dot-grid formatted files which we can use. Look here for Personal size and here for A4/A5 size

So what is your preferred format?

Paper sizing and scaling - Update

It is the season of printing inserts ready for the new year. A season of confusion may be, trying to remember all those things about sizes and printing and print settings.

You are nodding your head I know! It is ok even I have to think hard about this stuff annually.

It wouldn't be so bad if you used this information every week, it might become second nature, but for most of us it is information we only use once or twice a year. 

So let us start with a picture. 

The three different sizes shown A5, B5 and A4 are common sizes. I've added the dimensions to show their actual sizes.

A4 is twice the area of A5, A5 is twice the area of A6 etc. Similarly B4 is twice the area of B5, B5 is twice the area of B6 etc.

These three sizes are all ISO216 paper sizes, ISO216:2007 specifies three different series of paper sizes, A, B and C. One thing in common is that the ratio of height against width is the square root of two. So if you multiple the width by 1.4142 (the square root of 2) you will magically get the height to within 1 mm. Alternatively multiple the height by 0.7071 and you will get the width of the page.

Because they follow this pattern we can easily scale from one size to another when printing. So for instance if you have a Word file that is set to A4 size to print it on A5 paper you scale the page by 0.7071, or more conveniently 70.7% or 71% if you can't input a decimal number.

Note that the reduction between each size is not 50% even though the smaller size has half the area. The scale factor for reduction is calculated by dividing the longer edge of the smaller size by the longer edge of the larger size (or the shorter edge of the smaller size by the shorter edge of the larger size).

Using that rule we can devise how to go from A4 to B5, so we take 250mm and divide it by 297mm to get 0.841 or just 84% should be close enough. 

What is the significance of B5 size you might ask.... B5 is Deskfax size, whilst Filofax have discontinued this size years ago, it still remains a popular size, although printed inserts for this size are difficult to come across. With the knowledge of the scaling factor of 84% you can take any of the Philofaxy diary inserts intended for A5 size and print them at 84% and you will have Deskfax pages.

All the Philofaxy diary inserts for A5 are in fact sized to A4 this is so if you use the 'Booklet' print facility available on some printers they will be printed the correct size on A4 paper (two pages per side) If you are printing the files directly on to A5 paper you have to scale the print to 71%. 

To help you remember this information I have created an 'aide memoire' which you can either put on your notice board or print out and put in your organiser. 

• Popular Paper and Page Sizes (notice board version) - .docx  or  .pdf
• Popular Paper and Page Sizes A4/A5 version - .docx  or  .pdf

Of course if you have any questions pop them in the comments below.

What will we do?

Thank you to Karine for spotting this 'gem'

From a principal's publication 1815: students today depend on paper too much, they don't know how to write on a slate without getting chalk dust all over themselves, they can't clean a slate properly, what will they do when they run out of paper

What!!

DodoPad considering launching a new range of paper.

I'm sure you are familiar with the range of Dodopad calendars and diary inserts. They are available in a variety of sizes as mid-year and full year formats. They are printed on excellent quality paper.

In discussion with Rebecca at Dodopad last week, she mentioned that she was considering making a range of packs of paper available on their on-line store for organisers in the following sizes:

• A5
• Personal/Medium/Standard
• A6/Senior
• Pocket

The packs would most probably be available in multiples of 25 sheets of paper, one side would feature a feint square pattern with a small logo in the lower right hand corner, with the reverse side being left plain.  The paper is 100gsm paper so it will also be fountain pen friendly too. They will be punched for the respective organisers too. 

They already produce similar packs for their own folders as shown below:

At this point, Rebecca would like to know how many of you would be interested in purchasing these packs of paper and in what sizes. Please drop her a quick email (info ['at'] dodopad.com), or drop a message on their website.

Thank you Rebecca, it will be good to have another source for these popular paper sizes ready cut and punched. 

Renaissance of Paper Planning?

After talking with people at the meet up last weekend and listening to their comments, a radical thought slipped in to my mind on the journey home.

Did we start a renaissance in paper planning?

Think back about 5 or even 10 years and there wasn't the same level of social media usage, the same amount of activity on blogs or You Tube.

In the last 5 years I think you will agree that we have certainly seen a massive interest in paper planning, or an increased awareness of it. Not just in ring bound organisers but in paper planners in general terms.

Now if you look at how the commercial companies have reacted to this increase in levels of activity.

Filofax have just about managed to keep things ticking over they are still seen as the big seller in the organiser market. Their market share though has reduced in the last couple of years.

However, their dominance is being attacked at all price levels with companies coming in to the market such as Kikki K, Websters, Paperchase  all producing colourful organisers at the lower price range.

The discovery of Gillio and Van der Spek at the luxury end of the market has also made people think about spending money with Filofax in the hundreds of Dollars, Pounds, Euros price brackets.

Did we start a revolution? Have we saved a few companies from going out of business, or at least saved them from stopping organiser production/sales. And with the increased activity in the world of social media have we encouraged new companies to come in to the market?

I wouldn't claim to have done this singled handed... no it has come out of a lot of mutual co-operation and a lot of networking and bringing people together to share their love and passion for paper planning.

I looked around the restaurant on Saturday evening and thought. Who would have thought that all these people would have come together to share so much laughter and so much shared values more than 5 years ago?

More than 5 years ago you would never have thought that your organiser was the key to the growth of  your circle of friends! It just makes me smile and happy to think what a wonderful community we have created.

Paper for my A6 organiser

I'm enjoying using my A6 organisers, the size feels more natural to me.

I have been able to get an ample supply of plain A6 from our friends 'The Stationery Emporium' in Scotland at a very reasonable price. I have used this plain paper for printing various inserts such as my diary inserts and other 'essentials'

However, I'm always on the look out for other things that will work with A6 size that is available locally, ideally in my local stationery shop or supermarket. I think the staff have got used to me going around with a small ruler measuring various notebooks and other paper items for size!

Rhodia pads are very commonly available here in France, they come in a variety of size and formats (plain, lined, quadrille). The paper is excellent quality too (80gsm - 21.3 lb) Their 'Bloc' note pads are simple and inexpensive. They have a stapled header and a stiff card backing, the pages are perforated for easy removal.

Looking at the on-line catalogue I noticed that the Bloc Rhodia No. 13 is A6 sized, but unfortunately when you tear out a page the resultant page is shorter than A6, but the correct width.

So back to the catalogue... the Rhodia No. 14 is labelled as 'A6+' so I purchased one for the princely sum of €1.09 for an 80 sheet pad. It is labelled as 11,0 x 17,0 cm (110x170mm) and A6 is 105 x148 mm.

As you can see when a page is torn out the resulting 'page' is in fact the same height as A6 and only fractionally wider than A6, if the extra 5mm bothered you it wouldn't be difficult to trim the page or the pad down in width.

However, given that my notes on this sort of pad/paper would likely be not in my organiser for very long, I would most probably use it as it is and not go to the trouble of trimming it.

The lined pads aren't available locally, and on-line stores in France seem to only want to sell them in packs of 10 pads! So I want to try this quadrille one out first before I order a stack of 10 pads.

Our detailed summary post on all things A6 is here: A6 in summary

Guest Post - Metric Paper Sizes - Alan

The typical North American has very little appreciation of the wonders and logic of metric paper sizes.  Rather, when confronted with something produced on A4, the metric equivalent to Letter sized, they are likely to grumble about the extra 7/10ths of an inch of length that inevitably results in some sticking out of binders, file folders, etc.

In fact, it is this extra 7/10ths of an inch, and the fact that it doesn’t fit into standard North American filing systems that have been a major impediment to metrification of paper in North America.

So, what is the logic of metric paper sizing?

First, when metric sizing was being devised, it was decided that scalability among the various sizes would be part of the implementation.  This means that ASPECT RATIO, the ratio of the length to the width, would always be the same.  (Aspect ratio can be either Length over Width or Width over Length; I’ll use Length over Width in this post.) North Americans trying to scale something formatted for letter (11x8.5”) up tabloid (17x11”) or down the opposite way, have been vexed by the fact that there will either be some wasted white space or elongation or compression in one dimension due to the different aspect ratios.  Letter sized has an aspect ratio of 11/8.5 = 1.294 whereas tabloid has an aspect ratio of 17/11 = 1.545.  

A few years before the French Revolution, over 200 years ago, Georg Christoph Lichtenberg, a German scientist, noted that paper with an aspect ratio of √2 (=1.4142…) would allow any page to be folded in half and the resulting folded sheet would have the same aspect ratio of 1.4142.  (In fact, √2 is sometimes referred to as the Lichtenberg Ratio.)  

Shortly after the First War, another German scientist, Dr. Walter Porstmann, developed a formal system of metric based paper sizes.  The starting point was a sheet of paper with an area of one square meter with an aspect ratio of √2 or 1189x841mm, rounded to the nearest millimetre.  This was designated A0, read as “A-zero”.  Folding this in half once results in a sheet half the size but retaining the same aspect ratio of √2, called A1.  Folding an A1 in half once results in a sheet half the size (1/4 m2) but retaining the same aspect ratio of √2, called A2.  Here is a table of the A-series paper sizes:

So where does B5, used in the Deskfax, fit in?  Every B-sized page has an area that is √2 times larger than the A-sized bearing the same number.  Thus, Area(B5) = Area(A5) x √2 and Area(A4) = Area(B5) x √2.  This puts the B-series papers half-way between adjacent A-sized paper sizes.

In the “Files” section of the blog, there is a new file called “Paper Size Diagrams” that illustrates the various paper sizes, including the different planner page sizes. Download the docx version or the pdf version

Thank you Alan for your excellent explanations. 

Which Paper?

We all use a variety of paper in our planners and notebooks, no matter if they are bound or ring bound organisers.

The quality of the paper is important to us, this might be because you want to archive your notes, or if you are fountain pen user you want to ensure that what you write in your preferred brand and colour of ink looks sharp and not blurred, that the paper isn't like blotting paper and the ink soaks through the pages to the other side.

The choice of paper and ink is sometimes a difficult one, if the paper doesn't absorb the ink another problem can occur, the ink can be smudged if it doesn't dry quickly enough and it just sits on the surface of the paper rather than adhering to the paper.

However, let us think for a moment that you have found the perfect paper, the perfect ink in a colour of your choice, a pen that is a delight to use, it is. The perfect weight in your fingers and it is a delight to use. It allows you to transfer those thoughts and ideas to paper and after a writing session you can sit back and relax as you review you page of writing.

Going back to your choice of paper, one thing I want to discuss is do you choose plain paper, lined paper, quadrille (squared), or dot grid paper?

Each one has its merits, it's good and bad points. Some types seem to be more popular than others. For instance here in France or at least in my local stores most notepads are nearly always quadrille format, it is quite difficult to buy lined or plain paper pads or notebooks, they do exist, but not available in the same sort of quantities as the quadrille ones! I will be adding lined and plain paper varieties to my 'Bring back from UK' list!!

I was quite pleased when Helen Fennel one of our readers sent me the Writing Guide page to try out. I printed it out and put it behind my Filofax plain page and instantly I have visible lines to guide me across the page. I remember these sort of lined sheets from old letter writing pads, I am not sure if they still sell these or not, but they are very useful.

So me being me, I have adapted the idea and produced some similar writing guide pages in A4, A5 as well as the Personal size.

• Writing Guide A4 - Word file, PDF file
• Writing Guide A5 - Word file, PDF file
• Writing Guide Personal - Word file, PDF file 

Filofax of course sell plain paper and lined paper in all sizes. But if you want some dot grid pages you can print your own fairly easily.

Dot-grid format is very useful for doing drawings and sketches, but. You can easily use the dots to help you keep your writing from deviating from a straight line. Another advantage I have found, if you need to scan or copy your pages the dots are often ignored by the scanner, so the copy appears with just your writing and drawing and no dots.

Ray has come to our assistance with some dot-grid formatted files which we can use. Look here for Personal size and here for A4/A5 size

So what is your preferred format?

No notepad pocket, no problem

When I previously owned a personal Malden, I really liked being able to keep a notepad at the back to write on. It's quick and easy, and I really like not having the rings in the way. However, my Ascot doesn't have a notepad pocket and has a full length gusseted one instead.

Even when using my Malden, I found that sometimes a whole notepad could be too bulky if my binder was quite full. So, I sat down to figure out the easiest way to keep some paper at the back without it being on the rings.

Here's what I came up with:

As the pocket is gusseted it doesn't lie flat, so it's possible to attach a clip at the top to some paper. I've also used an old divider to create a better surface to write on. This little smiley paperclip (it's an OHTO smile slide clip) works great as it won't move around and is nice and flat. And I love his smile :)

I started to use this little trick whilst still in my Malden, as I own more lined paper and wanted to use it up rather than buying more notepads. It's working really well in my Ascot and I really prefer writing with the rings out of the way.

Calendar and To Do Electronic Applications!

We love paper planners there is no doubting that. I've said it so many times before.... paper and a pen is just simple, quick, no need for instructions etc.

I was looking at the user reviews of some fairly well known iPad calendar/to-do apps. Generally they seem to get 5 star reviews. But some of the none 5 star reviews make interesting reading.

Comments such as 'So slow to start up I could have got my paper diary out, entered the appointment and put it back in my bag by the time it had started' made me smile.

With the power of modern phones with multiple processors, more memory and processor power than a desktop computer of say 10 years ago, there's no real excuse is there for lacking performance.

But when they get that right it seems that they make them so complicated to use that they become a pain to use. Take this comment

It looks nice and seems to have some great reviews - but my own experience is that it's over complex. You can spend more time setting the dam thing up and trying to understand what all the settings mean than actually getting anything meaningful done with your life! I'm left wondering if any people who buy this actually lead very effective live or just like pressing buttons and pretending they are 'organised' ? 

Hmm, there are some parallels there with having expensive planners but not using them effectively... just having one isn't going to make you organised is it... ok moving on...

I still have two of my earliest electronic PDA's on my desk more for ornamental value than for practical purposes. A Casio Digital Diary with all of 64kb of memory! was the first... I needed the manual to work out how to enter an appointment on it after not using it for so long. The other which I've mentioned before my Psion 5mx is elegant in its simplicity, but in todays world of connected to the internet type devices the Psion has been left behind.

Electronic calendars by now should have wiped the paper diary off the face of the earth... but they haven't thank goodness. Too complicated to use, or too slow, electronic calendars should be able to have customisable views, complete flexibility to the users requirements but I've not found one yet.

They still base their views on Month, Week or Day views in very familiar layouts that you and I see every day in our Filofax organisers! Hardly a move forward is it.

Oh but they can share their electronic calendars.  Well I can 'share' Alison's calendar... I just ask her are you busy next week and she tells me what she is doing and I write it in the right hand margin of my Filofax.

Not that complicated is it... and the speed of communication is at the speed of sound... from her mouth to my ear and from there to my pen.

And I share mine when she asks 'and what are you doing?' "Oh you know, the usual" ! And she will roll her eyes as I'm sat here typing away and surfing the internet looking for Filofax things!

I know we grumble about certain diary formats not being available on the Filofax website, so please Filofax listen to what your customers want. And I know some of you grumble about not being able to print out Ray and my wonderful diary inserts, but again that's only technology getting in the way... Don't let it stop you from using them.

Printing your own inserts is a once a year task, so take some time to learn that skill and that perfect diary insert is possible... paper of your choosing, in weight and size and quality, in a layout you might have designed or customised your self using your own preferred font, style and colours.

It will be a joy to use and you too can chuckle at your colleagues as they mutter and fluster on their smart pad doodad phanletbooks or what ever they are calling them this week, whilst you simply flick the popper on the clasp, grip the Today marker ease the pages over the polished rings and let the paper settle at the week in question as you reach for your pen, you click it, grip it between your thumb, index finger and middle finger placing the tip at the correct date and time, you are poised waiting as you look around the room waiting for someone to suggest at date.... you are ready and you can dictate the date of that next meeting.

Your leather briefcase will be making that precise clicking noise as you close the locks and you will be out of the door whilst your colleagues will still be packing away their toys... you glance at your analogue watch and realise you will be home on time.

Every time you will be the leader!

Pens Poll - Result

Thank you to everyone that took part in our 'Pen' poll, as you can see from the results the ballpoint pen remains a popular writing instrument for most people. Not far behind is the fountain pen.

Obviously the ballpoint will write on any paper without any bleed-through issues, they are very portable, the refills last months sometimes longer.

The fountain pen is a little more tricky, I've certainly had them leak in the past. But of more concern to Filofax users is their performance with the currently available paper.

At the weekend I tried out a couple of fountain pens on some of the different paper I have here:

• Filofax 'white' 70 gsm - As we know there was some bleed-through, not major but potentially annoying
• Filofax 'coloured' 70 gsm - No bleed through, it performed even better than the white paper and I was quite surprised at this, but I will come back to this paper in a moment.
• Filofax Cotton Cream - Excellent with my sample fountain pens, although the ink did take longer to dry on this paper. 
• Rohdia 80 gsm jotter pad - no bleed-through and it takes the ink well no feathering
• Datacopy 80 gsm copier paper - No bleed-through issues, but the ink did feather a little.
• 'Bristol' paper, although this is in excess of 100 gsm, no bleed through and no feathering, it even performs well with solvent heavy CD marker pen without bleeding through! But you won't get many pages of this weight in to a Filofax. 

So only a small sample, but then I remembered back to the meeting in November with Filofax, the coloured Filofax paper isn't dyed, but printed, so the colouring might be acting as a further barrier to the wet fountain pen ink?

I jotted this down then promptly forgot about it until I saw a You Tube video at the weekend and the person on the video made a similar comment that the coloured paper performs better than the thin white Filofax paper, it jogged my memory. 

The realm of 'Fountain Pen Friendly' paper is quite a difficult problem to solve. The paper has to not absorb the ink too much, yet it has to be receptive to it so that the ink dries quickly on the paper, this is particularly important for left handed users if they are going to avoid smudging what they have just written with their own hand.

My tests weren't exactly scientifically performed or conclusive but having seen others make similar observations I don't think they are too far wrong. The performance of the thin paper might vary with the type of ink used? But the coloured Filofax paper was the surprise of this test. 

Have you tried different ink on different papers to see if it makes a difference?

Reader Question - Paper Recommendations

Thank you to Helen for her question, I too will be interested in all of your responses. 

I love the diary pages you and Ray have produced and was thinking about getting some nicer paper to print them on. The trouble is I am not sure what to buy.

So some recommendations on weight, fountain pen friendliness etc would be really helpful.

Pen and Paper Test

I've just swapped over from using the Filofax Time Management Week View insert to the Ray and Steve Enhanced TM Week View insert (must come up with a new name!)

In fact I created a version 2 of the insert with a little bit more room between the lines and some other tweaks to the format. You will see the links to the new version on the post and in the Diary Inserts page.

Having got unused pages of both formats I decided to do a very quick and simple pen test on both pages. I had printed the Enhanced TM insert on some A5 paper I bought in UK from my local Ryman stationery store. It is made by Mondi, 80 gsm and it says for Laser, inkjet printers and copiers, so nothing very special.  I bought a 500 sheet pack, so enough to keep me going quite a while!

So here are the two pages side by side Filofax on the left, 'Steve and Ray' on the right:

and the reverse side:

And here's the stack of pens I used:

It might not be so obvious from the pictures... but here are my findings.

On both pages the CD markers bleed through quite obviously, they are a spirit based felt pen designed for writing on the shiny surface of a CD/DVD, so they will leak through paper easily.  But the Filofax paper seems worse than the Mondi.

Next worst is the Pilot V5 Hi Techpoint this shows bleed through on the Filofax paper, but not on the Mondi paper.

There is some very very faint bleed through on the Filofax paper on the Pilot G1 Grip rollerball.

On the Filofax paper the first four pens are very very faintly showing through the paper, I wouldn't class it as bleed through, it is just the paper thickness really. The 0.5 Frixion is very hard to see through the paper on both samples.

So if anything if you are considering printing your own inserts, try to get a sample of the paper first and try as many different pens as you are likely to use before buying a large pack of the paper.

Filofax Sizes

I've been doing some research this morning in to the paper sizes for the different formats of Filofax Organisers. I think we are all familiar with the current ranges available. They are detailed on the Filofax sites. But there were a few exceptions that I wasn't certain about mainly the Deskfax and the M2. I also came across the Pocket Slimline, same size as the Pocket, but I presume it has smaller rings. Likewise how does the Compact differ to the Slimline? Same paper size but I guess slightly different ring size. 

I can only assume that some of these lesser known sizes are no longer sold because of the lack of sales. Although inserts are still available for them.

So here is a comprehensive list of all sizes:

Size	H x W (mm)	Rings
A4	297 x 210	4
DeskFax	250 x 176	3 x 3
A5	210 x 148	2 x 3
Slimline	171 x 95	2 x 3
Personal	171 x 95	2 x 3
Compact	171 x 95	2 x 3
Pocket	120 x 81	2 x 3
Pocket Slimline	120 x 81	2 x 3
Mini	105 x 67	5
M2	64 x 103	3

They are all 'portrait' format with the exception of the M2 which is 'landscape' format.

To see inserts for all of the formats, the best site I found was City Organiser here in London.

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Notebookism

A beautiful new blog, Notebookism, recently used a Philophoto of mine to illustrate an article by someone else. Hey, I'll take it any way I can get it! What's cool is that the article was about writing, and the benefits of using paper for same.

I suggest reading the full text of the story, here, which goes into more detail about the author's rediscovery of pen and paper.