The unexpected comfort of ruled lines
Between the Lines #2
I miss my ruled notebook.
It feels almost unfashionable to admit. In a world where everyone seems to prefer dot grid or blank pages for their creative freedom, I'm here championing the classic ruled notebook.
Read on Rediscover Analog: How to choose the perfect notebook ruling (and why it matters)
Last month, I switched from my Tomoe River ruled journal to a Cosmo Air Light dot grid. I needed to review the paper for the website (which I haven't done), and dot grid was the only option available.
I didn't think it would be a big deal – my first morning pages notebooks were 5mm dot grid (like Leuchtturm). The only complaint I had then was the faint dots.
My hand knew the difference
When I started writing in the new notebook, my hand recognized the change immediately. The 5mm grid threw off my cursive writing completely.
The dots in this notebook are predictably faint. I'm constantly tilting pages to see them. Even when visible, my writing drifts between dots, lacking the consistency I had with ruled lines.
I don't hate Cosmo Air
The Cosmo Air Light paper itself is solid for fountain pens – excellent quality, minimal ghosting, takes ink well. It has its merits and plenty of fountain pen enthusiasts swear by it.
Read: Cosmo Air Light - A Complete Guide (via Galen Leather)
But I've realized how much I prefer Tomoe River paper because of how my fountain pen glides across the surface in a way Cosmo Air doesn't quite match. The writing experience just feels more natural and fluid.
Here's my unpopular opinion: I actually like the ghosting (it’s 52gsm) on Tomoe River paper. The ghosting doesn't bother me at all – in fact, it makes the notebook feel more "lived in" and personal. When I flip through pages filled with different colored inks I've used over days and weeks, those faint impressions create this beautiful layered effect that tells the story of the notebook's journey.
Structure I didn't know I needed
I never thought line format would matter this much. What seemed like a simple paper feature turned out to be deeply integrated with my writing process. Those ruled guidelines weren't just organizational – my handwriting and thinking process actually depend on them.
The switch has made me question how many other writing habits I've built without noticing. Do I hold my pen differently with ruled lines? Does my thought process change with the format?
I'll power through this Cosmo Air notebook, probably burning through it quickly since I'm challenging myself to journal daily. The experience has been valuable, if uncomfortable – sometimes you need to break routines to understand them.
But my next Tomoe River ruled notebook has already been ordered.
Would I enjoy a Cosmo Air Light notebook with ruled lines?
Maybe, but mostly because of the ruling itself. I'd give it a shot.
The ruled lines would solve my main frustration with the current notebook. My handwriting might stop drifting and find its rhythm again. But would it feel the same as my beloved Tomoe River? That's the real question.
It would be an interesting experiment – isolating whether it's the paper or the format that's causing my adjustment issues. Perhaps there's a sweet spot to be found in combining Cosmo's ink-handling properties with the structure my writing craves.
Anyone else discovered unexpected attachments to specific notebook features?
Me too! Those faint dots! I usually write in the evenings. I have three - THREE - lamps on over my desk. Actually, all over the right side of my desk. And with dot grid, I’m STILL leaning over the journal, trying to locate the damn dots.
So I just finished a line-ruled journal. My new journal is line/graph-grid. I’m not sure I’ll do it again. It’s a little challenging for me. Even though my ordinary writing is small, and some of my medium nibs (which is mostly what I have) still write with a thin enough line to write on every line. But not all of my medium nibs write so thinly. I don’t love writing with a really thin-lined nib because it doesn’t show off the inks’ shading very well, which is what I love and crave when writing with fountain pens. So I’ve learned to write bigger to accommodate the medium nibs. I want a lined journal with slightly narrower spaces between lines or a grid/graph journal with slightly more spaces between lines. And on Tomoe River paper, please. Like you, I like the ghosting on the page. It’s a very Japanese thing, apparently, to appreciate the ghosting, that lived in, historical feel of having put one’s thoughts in a book over time. Darker dots, or line spaces that are more accommodating is what I need.