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?

Reader Under the Spotlight - Luciana

Hi !! My name is Luciana, I'm a student of engineering-architecture. I spend my free time with papercraft, scrapbooking, photography and bento. But every time I felt that I had no time for all my passions and my studies, I thought that the problem was that I hadn't organised my time so well. So…I started to use a planner. I love use planner to organize my life. Some time ago I discover the Filofax….it was love at first at first sight!! But I’ve to confess that since when I was young, I always envied the planner of my father, that was a "6 rings planner" without brand but that looks like a Filofax, but I never found it on any local shop. So I can say that I always love Filofax, but I never knew it!

    Blog: http://lucy-wonderland.blogspot.it/

    Instagram: http://instagram.com/lulumj_wonderland

    Etsy:  www.etsy.com/shop/lucyWONDERLAND

1. When did you buy your first Filofax and what was it?

I bought my first filofax last summer. It's a Filofax domino Italia pocket size.

2. What other brands have you used or considered using?

Since 1999, every year my father gives me a small square planner without a brand: it was made to raise awareness of the problems of women in the workplace. I'd like to try the kikki.k planners or the Midori travelnote.

3. Out of the organisers you own which is your current favourite (Style and Size)?

I love the pocket size: it works so good and I carry it with me so easily.  I like the apex style, because of their colours combo.

4. How many Filofax organisers do you own?

Actually,  I only have one filofax, and other 3 planners that look like Filofax. 

5. What is the oldest Filofax in your collection?

The oldest original Filofax is the last one: I discovered this brand recently 

6. What do you use your Filofax for?

I use my Filofax for everything, my life, my  studies, travels, blog posts and much more: to collect ideas, small notes, important info...and so on

7. What was the feature about Filofax you like most?

I love the rings, because they allow you to personalised the planner completely. You can add all things you like and  need, there are no limits to your imagination

8. If you could design your own Filofax what would it feature?

I'd like rings to be bigger, more fantasy, colours and graphics design.  I'd like also  more kind of inserts, but I solve this problem designing them by myself ;)

9. How do you carry your Filofax?

I carry it with my small bag, but  I’m going to buy one more large. because there isn't space for any other thing!

10. Which Filofax in the current range do you like the most? Are you going to buy it?

I like the red purse organaiser. if it had a strap bag, so I can use it as a clutch, I'd have already bought it.

11. What is the most you have ever spent on a Filofax? Which model?

I spent only 5€ for my domino.

12. What's your favourite Filofax tip or hack?

Every morning keep time to plan your day, make your filofax a part of your daily routine, and carry it always with you!

13. Turning to Philofaxy, what do you like the most?

I see Philofaxy as a great box of creativity and information, you can find here almost everything you need. 

14. And what do you not like about Philofaxy?

Probably the only thing that I'd change is the graphics,  I'd make one more actually. 

15. What was the last music track you downloaded or bought?

WOODS OF YPRES - "Shards of Love" 

16.  Mark Darcy or Daniel Cleaver?

Mark Darcy

Thank you Luciana for taking part in our Reader Under the Spotlight. 

Web Finds - 19 October 2013

Welcome to the Saturday edition of Webfinds....

Don't forget the Charity Auction we are running, a great package of an exclusive Faber Castell Pocket Organiser and two signed copies of Alison Morton's books including the latest one only just released this week.

Go over to the Charity Auction page to find out how to bid on this great prize.

So here are the latest Filofax blog posts from around the Internet:

1. Das 4. Meet up in München - Filomaniac
2. Filofax Changes in the Kel Kamp - Kel & Filofax
3. Mulling Over My 2014 Setup Options - Pretty Little Pocket
4. Meet up in Wiesbaden? - Filomaniac
5. Your Expense Tracker - Lime Tree
6. Arrival of the Mulberry; Pocket Book, Agenda Oak Croco & Agenda Natural in dark brown - My Filo World
7. Why Use a Paper Planner? (If you already use your smart phone calendar) - Quo Vadis Blog
8. Random Problems Solved: Coupons, Page Markers, And Meeting Notes - Giftie Etcetra
9. Post No. 2 for The University Project - This Bugs Life
10. 8 Ways to Cope With an Out-of-Control Schedule - Homemakers Daily
11. Post No. 2 for The Diet Project - This Bugs Life
12. Filomaniac asks ... Christel  - Filomaniac
13. 3 Steps to Knock-Off Those Pesky Lingering Tasks - Day Timer Blog
14. Muji erasables and pilot frixions: over a year on - Paper Lovestory 
15. Wrote a Guest Post About My Dividers For Ryman! - Filofax Love
16. Thrifty Filofaxing- To-Do with Scrapbook Paper - Incarnations of Organization
17. Snappy Sundays: 13/10/2013 - Day to Day Concepts
18. Filofax Finsbury Personal in Pink - Kel and Filofax
19. Sizes: Tracking For Shopping In Your Notes Section... - Giftie Etcetra
20. The Life is Crafted Inserts, after a few months - Zuri means beautiful
21. Using Pocket Gillio Mia Cara as a wallet – Part 2 - This Bugs Life
22. Video: Daily Review Of Your Planner - Giftie Etcetra
23. The Filofax Project [Part 4] - Planning with Printed Portal
24. Filofax Malden Sighting - Goldspot Pens
25. Post No. 2 for The Travel Project - This Bugs Life
26. 2014 Diary Pages and Set Up - LJ's Blog of Stuff
27. Notebooks and letting go - Thinking versus doing
28. Life Mapping with DIYfish - Carie Harling
29. Plan to Planner: Simplify Your Life & Mind Part 12 - The Contemplative Belle
30. Section by Section - Tackling the To Do List - Pretty Little Pocket
31. Brainstorming: Bullet Journal + Life Mapping - According to Andrea
32. Meal Planning Printable for your Planner - Renew Your Space
33. My Filofax: Colour Code System - Skinny Budget
34. Gillio - die Zweite: "Brownie" - Filo-Manie
35. Post No. 3 for The Crafty Project - This Bugs Life

• Your blog post could appear here next week if we missed you this time around. Email us the details and we will include it if we can. 
• We can not guarantee people will read your posts, but we know there is a higher chance of people reading your posts and returning to read other posts if you make them interesting with pictures and good hints and tips. Do not forget to give your posts a title... 
• For some general tips on Filofax Blogging, please see this post

And here are a selection of the latest Filofax videos for your enjoyment.

1. Filofax Week 42 Decoration - SamLuvely
2. Flipping through my September 2013 2pp - maryannemoll
3. DIY Side Loading Pocket for your Filofax or Planner - mits t
4. My new setup in the FC with giant rings - maryannemoll
5. Thanks Sarah Pings for your Filofax / Microsoft word help :) - Tracy Reinhardt
6. DIYfish Planners - Carie Harling
7. Life is Crafted Review - zurimeansbeautiful
8. Filofax Pocket Holborn - keenenid
9. How I Organise My Life (Part One: Personal & Home) - Anna Brim
10. Christmas Planner for Midori Passport or Filofax Pocket - Alyluvsminialbums
11. Shabby Chic Holborn Filofax set up and peek at Fairy dividers - shabbybeautiful

• For tips on how to improve your videos, please see this post. 

Enjoy

Free for All Friday No. 257

Filofaxes are known for their rings, but almost every model has one or more pockets inside the covers. Most of the time, I like an organizer with a zippered pocket in the back and credit card slots in the front. Some pockets can hold a slim pad or notebook, giving you more notetaking options, which can be a wonderful thing.

What do you keep in your pockets? What kind of pockets make or break an organizer for you?

Of course, since it's Friday, feel free to talk about coat pockets, hip pockets, jacket pockets...Hot Pockets...whatever you like!

Guest Post - Digital Vs Paper Planning - Carie

We live in a time of amazing technological advances. It is feasible that I could go through an entire day of consuming information without ever touching a piece of paper.

Feasible, yes. Likely? No.

I love my devices, I really do. So much, in fact, that I switched to digital planning after using paper planners for more than 20 years.

And then I switched back.

After a year of trying everything I could to get my digital planner to do what I could do with my paper planner with little to no effort, I acquiesced.

My perspective on the whole Digital Vs. Paper Thing is partially formed by the time I spent working in a bookstore. When we started selling e-readers, I was given the dubious task of 'Being In Charge'. I spent a lot of my time listening to people tell me that e-readers would be the downfall of Western Civilization.

Seriously.

The advent of e-readers and PDAs meant that there would be no more books or planners. Anywhere. Ever again.

My response to this was simple: I reached into my drawer and pulled out my paper planner. These customers knew that I was very well-informed regarding the uses of digital products; most were shocked to discover what a lover of paper I am.

I tell you all of that to tell you this...

You should plan in a way that works for you. There is no Right or Wrong Way. I personally, honestly, don't believe that technology will be the death of The Written Word. However, if you're looking for some insight into why some of us love our paper while others love their devices, here's a little (ok, let's be honest... it's long-winded because I'm fascinated with this topic) list I compiled of the benefits and drawbacks of both.

Portability.

Tablet Pro: A tablet makes it terrifically easy to take all sorts of things with you anywhere on just one device. Making room in a messenger bag or purse for a tablet can be far easier than finding room for a stuffed planner. That's just a fact.

Paper Pro: If you prefer planning on paper, you probably just adjust what you carry in your bag or change bags entirely to accommodate your planner because it works for you.

Aesthetics.

Tablet Pro: If you juggle a lot of calendar appointments, multiple calendars, or put your tasks right on your calendar, the right app can truly make your calendar end up looking quite organized and pretty, what with the color-coding and all.

Paper Pro: One of my biggest issues with digital planning was that I simply didn't like how my calendar & tasks looked digitally. I missed tabs. I missed post-its. I could never make my digital calendar pages look like this:

Recurring appointments & tasks.

Tablet Pro: Again, the right app can make or break a digital calendar. The ability to drag & drop or copy & paste your appointments or tasks is an incredible timesaver. Additionally, setting a recurring appointment or task and having the app automatically repeat it for you saves a lot of writing. This is, however, where my troubles with digital planning began. Those recurring tasks and appointments were suddenly multiplying like bunnies. Of course, I assumed that the tribble-like characteristics of my multitude of repeating tasks was simply due to an "ID10T" error; yes, I thought I was somehow screwing it up. After tons of research and using many different apps, I found that this is simply a ghost in the machine, so to speak. A bug. And a very annoying one at that.

Paper Pro: First of all, if I'm writing things down by hand my tasks won't multiply all by themselves. Enough said. I can also cut down on repeatedly writing repeating tasks by using sticky notes and just moving them when and where it is appropriate.

While we're talking about writing things down, let's look a little closer at the issue here. We write these things down because we want to remember to do them. Simple enough. But the physical act of writing down all of the Important Things does something to your brain that typing just doesn't do. The act of writing stimulates an area of your brain called the Reticular Activating System (RAS). This lovely little bunch of cells nestled at the base of your brain is a kind of filter for everything your brain needs to focus on at any given moment. As Henriette Anne Klauser puts it in her book Write It Down, Make It Happen, triggering the RAS "sends a signal to the cerebral cortex: 'Wake up! Pay attention! Don't miss this detail!'"

And that is where my digital dreams fell apart. I was typing all of these tasks and goals and appointments into my iPad, and that was unfortunately where they tended to stay.

Especially the Goals.

Writing my goals on paper made them more tangible, more attainable, than typing them onto any screen ever could. The whole point in making the effort to set goals and then pursue them is to complete them. Typing my goals into even the most sophisticated project planning app still left me with a hazy perspective on what I was striving for.

That, right there, is why I don't think Digital will ever kill Paper. Our brains harbor an innate yearning for the physical act of writing. Putting pen to paper and letting your ideas and goals spring forth brings focus to what would otherwise seem blurry or unattainable.

Thank you Carie for an excellent guest post and insight in to your thoughts on the differences in planners