We will develop a design for notebooks of any subject; our professional designers will make three options for you and make prompt changes if necessary.
The topic of our article is the design of notebooks, their types, features of creation. From the review you will learn a lot of interesting things about this type of printing product.
Do you think that developing an idea is simple, as is its implementation? In reality, the situation largely depends on the model, number of pages, size, shape. Beautiful and high-quality design of a notebook is no easier than when working with brochures and books. It is necessary to develop a unique concept, while maintaining the convenience and practicality of a familiar thing.
Even the most beautiful notebooks do not always suit the future owner. Unfortunately, no manufacturer is able to please everyone.
The main types of these printed products:
- Notebook – planner, diary;
- Planner for pregnant women;
- Notebook for saving phone numbers;
- Sketchbook for quick sketches. There are even models with drawing lessons for different skill levels;
- Anti-stress with coloring pages and blank writing pages;
- For calligraphy;
- A convenient notepad with pen for those who often need to write something down;
- Notebook – a diary for personal notes;
- Travel Book - a traveler's notebook;
- Notepad for recording recipes;
- Children's notebooks for stickers.
This is only a small part of what is being produced. In addition, they constantly come up with something new and original. There are also differences in the types of page binding. There are many of them, but the five most common are:
- Glued block is a cheap option. Plus, you can easily tear out a leaf without disturbing the overall “harmony” with scraps. The strength of the structure depends on how good the glue is used.
- Stitched notebooks are another great option. Allows you to fully open the notebook without fear that it will come unglued or fall apart.
- Staple, paperclip, wire are options that are used to connect the block. Their use depends on the number of pages. Wire fastening allows you to connect more sheets than others.
- A notebook on a spring made of metal or plastic is very popular. Plus - the ability to open completely, fold in half, with the front and back sides of the cover touching. The spring can be on top or on the side.
- Rings threaded through eyelets.
Of course, the sewn version is stronger and more convenient, but it also costs more than the glued version with a spring. Some unusual notebooks may have non-standard shapes, up to round, triangular, star-shaped, in the form of some object, human or animal figure. There are no standards limiting the size of such products.
It is interesting that initially the word “notebook” could only refer to variants with tear-off sheets, hence the names “block” and “notes”. Now the term is used in a much broader sense. Although the narrower concepts of “diary”, “notebook”, etc. remain.
It is believed that the main difference between a notebook and a notebook is that in the latter the sheets are fastened along the vertical side, while in the notebook it is held together along the horizontal side. But in the vocabulary of ordinary people this line has long been erased.
Cardboard is not the only material used for the cover. It could be plastic, wood. Faux leather (eco-leather) and natural leather are often used to cover the binding. Using various technologies, you can create original drawings on their surface, incl. volumetric.
Eco-leather Gift and collectible notebooks
Nowadays, designer notebooks are enjoying considerable success. Now we are not talking about numerous handmade products, but about those that are developed in printing centers and design studios.
We create original notebooks and notebooks of any size, shape, and dimensions. One of the hits of recent years is black paper for the indoor unit. Colored sheets are also used.
Cutting, cutting out a sheet of paper/cardboard, applying backgrounds and design elements allow you to create unique things:
- For fans of various books, films, TV series, games;
- Original creative notebooks for artists, writers, representatives of other areas;
- Souvenirs for various holidays, anniversaries, for participants of exhibitions and various events.
Each option has certain features. For example, drawing pads and sketchbooks can be made on special paper. It differs in type, composition, density and a number of other parameters.
A writer's notebook is another interesting solution. For example, it may contain separate pages for characters and places in the upcoming “imperishable”. You will be able to create a “personal file” for everyone. This makes it much more difficult to get confused or forget who looks like and what they can do. Pages are lined, squared, dotted, or without such markings. No less important is
Notebook for a businessman
Almost every entrepreneur has a business notebook in which he writes down phone numbers, important things to do, times of meetings with different people, just important thoughts that he doesn’t want to forget.
Tell me, why in the era of smartphones, tablets and laptops do we need such an anachronism as a business notebook? For the same reason that in the era of smartphones and Apple watches, people wear mechanical and quartz watches. This is a familiar attribute, an indicator of taste and status in certain circles. Of course, not everyone agrees with this statement, but this is everyone’s personal matter.
Plus a couple of small details. Let's take some branded notepad and a flagship smartphone. Let's conduct two simple experiments:
- Raise both objects to a height of about two meters and drop them.
- Use a notepad and phone for two days in a room where there is no outlet. What will you have to part with faster? Sometimes access to important information is required when the battery is low. You can call from anyone’s phone, but you can’t find the necessary data.
In addition, you can order a notepad with your own design and brand it. Moreover, not only in terms of the print on the cover. Let's imagine that you want to give a gift from the company to your employees. It is logical to design notebooks in a corporate style. If you have a logo, slogan, motto, they are used when developing a concept.
The sheets of such a notebook do not have to be white. Decorative design, dates, months, and letters of the alphabet can be used to distribute records in the required order.
Creating a notepad design
Do you have interesting ideas for a notebook that you would like to implement on paper? You can create it from scratch or use templates for notepad sheets that are not difficult to find on the Internet.
If the pages are not clean, you can choose fonts for the notebook that would fit well with the design and have a normal level of readability.
When designing, the cover for a notebook is often rounded at the edges, a bookmark is installed, and an elastic band is glued in - a holder to protect it from arbitrary opening. Sometimes dust jackets may be created, as for some books. They are often decorated with original prints and funny inscriptions, in the spirit of “A detailed guide to taking over the world” or “creating black holes using yeast dough.” In general, how original the notebook layout will be depends solely on your imagination and sense of humor.
Do you want to come up with a truly beautiful notebook design? Then avoid plagiarism. As they say, only hardcore! Create everything from scratch:
- What will the form of the notebook be? In fact, you can even cut a pear out of paper and cardboard. The only difference is the amount of waste during cutting.
- If you're not comfortable with pure white sheets, choose a background for your notebook that is consistent across the pages. The main thing is not to darken it too much if you plan to write with a regular pen. Otherwise, the records will be merged. Determine its color and transparency. You can make the sheets just white.
- Next are the design elements. When creating a notebook, you can use drawings on the pages, in addition to the main markup.
- If you want to create a vintage notebook, you can even artificially age it. You've probably seen the beautiful pages of a notebook, looking as if they were taken out of a chest where it had lain for about three hundred years. There are many different options for obtaining this effect, including soaking in tea leaves, decoctions of various plants, etc.
- You can decorate the notebook cover with metal corners and a lock. Attach some kind of decoration to the front side. For example, a decorative item made of metal, wood, polymer clay, a mineral in a frame, etc.
If you realize that designing notebooks is a little more complicated than you expected, contact a design studio. If you already have ideas for the cover and pages, discuss them with potential artists. If they are not there, then they will help you choose pictures for the cover and background options. Once the layout is created, all that remains is to send it to print.
Sign the notebook. Be sure to leave contact information (phone or email) next to your name. If your notebook gets lost, this will greatly increase your chances of getting it back.
- If the notebook is intended for work, you can paste or tape your business card on the cover. This can be done on the outside or inside of the cover, whichever you prefer.
Title your notebook, and also indicate the start date and serial number, if this is another notebook in a series of several notebooks of the same type. This information should be written down inside a notepad at the very beginning. It is necessary to ensure that each notebook is individual and easily distinguishable from others.
The most important information is placed on the inside cover. It can be printed and glued with glue or tape. Think about what information should always be at hand - important phone numbers, account numbers, contact information for employees or classmates, as well as any information related to the subject of the notebook. For a class log, you should add the class number, class times, and room number.
- Do not write down your passwords, combination lock numbers, bank accounts, or other personal information that could compromise your security if your notebook is lost.
Reserve one or more pages first for recording the most needed information or for later writing the contents of the notebook.
Strengthen the binding and/or spring. For a regular notepad, it is quite enough to use packaging film or tape.
Use the outer cover. This will protect the main cover, and at the same time hide its design, because many notebooks are printed with flashy or inappropriate designs.
Glue on a small piece of ribbon or string to use as a bookmark. For spring notebooks, it can be tied to a spiral. There are several other ways to make finding information easier. For example, you can use paper corners or colored cardboard clips to mark important pages. If you are using pages in a row, you can cut off the corner of each completed sheet to quickly find the current position.
Add a pocket. It can be in the form of a cut corner or a full pocket. The size can be any, depending on what you plan to store there - business cards, note paper, received notes or strips for sending such notes, etc. The pocket can be cut from plain paper or a transparent file. To secure it, use a glue stick or tape.
Add a loop under the handle. Roll a strip of paper around your favorite pen and glue it together, then tape it to the back of the cover. Alternatively, you can use a rubber band to secure the handle. It can be glued to the cover, tied to a spring or even the spine by punching a hole in it.
Add handles or a carrying strap. They can be made from ready-made durable ribbon or sewn yourself if you know how to handle fabric and a needle. Attach the handles to the front and back covers close to the spine/spring so that when carrying the notebook, the notebook does not open accidentally and the enclosed items do not fall out of it.
Many people have notepad mania. For example, mine :)
A blank notebook is full of promise. You can think, create, express yourself. When you look at a blank notebook, you can't help but be tempted to grab a pen and start filling out its pages.
Despite the fact that there are a great many notebooks, a large number of people literally pray for Moleskine notebooks from the Milanese company Modo & Modo. Moleskine notebooks are of high quality, they are portable, you can take them with you everywhere, and they have a pocket for storing notes. In addition, the pages have an excellent texture: it is pleasant to touch, and the pen does not leave a mark on the back side.
1. Journal of nutrition and exercise. Many people dream of having an excellent figure and excellent health. To achieve this, you must first watch what you eat and what exercises you do. Use a notepad to keep a journal of your diet and exercise routine.
Create a template to track what you eat. You can, for example, keep records according to the following principle: Date - Time - Item - Serving Size - Nutrients - Calories.
Additionally, create another template to track how much you exercise and how many calories you burn. To do this, you can keep records in the following sequence: Date - Time - Action - Duration - Calories burned.
2. Tracker of your time. A blank notepad can be used to write down how you spend your time. Determine once and for all where your time goes. Additionally, keep track of the following:
How much time do you spend on procrastination (putting things off until later)?
How often do you take breaks?
Do you work on one project or do you tend to multitask?
How much time do you spend working on your main life goals?
How much time do you waste on unnecessary work and unimportant things?
3. Expense tracker. A good use for a blank notepad is to use it to track expenses. Determine the following:
Do you spend money on unnecessary things?
What expenses can be cut?
Are you investing money in your education, income-producing assets, creating lifelong memories, or are you wasting it?
4. Start a “One Sentence Journal.” If you're short on time or writing isn't your thing, try keeping a "one-sentence journal." Every evening, write one sentence about your day. It could be the following:
"Today was a good day".
"A man talking on the phone while driving almost hit me with his car. My whole life flashed before my eyes."
"Today I finally finished my story."
If you do this for 5 years, you will have a 5-year summary of your life.
5. Start a Gratitude Journal. You've probably heard it many times: the key to happiness is to focus on the positive aspects of your life. And one way to make sure you do this is to keep a Gratitude Journal.
Scientific research has confirmed the enormous benefits of regularly writing down what you are grateful for in life. The easiest way to keep a journal is to take a few minutes every night before bed to write down 5 things you are grateful for.
6. Write “morning pages.”"Morning Pages" is a kind of "test of the pen." They became famous thanks to Julia Cameron's book "The Artist's Way". The idea is to take time every morning to write three pages of your thoughts. Write everything that comes to mind. Describe the things that bother you, make a plan for the day, get in touch with your true desires (what you really want, not what society imposes on you).
7. Create Your Life Story. Make a list of prompt questions that will inspire you and start writing down your memories in a blank notebook.
Prompt questions could be: What is the meaning of your last name? What stories did your grandfather tell you as a child? What are your favorite summer memories?
8. Conduct an audit of various areas of your life. It is very important to periodically evaluate different areas of your life in order to improve them and move forward. Such records can be kept in your notebook.
For example, if you track your energy, you can record your activity levels throughout the day in a notepad. Do you feel exhausted after interacting with certain people? Do you experience a burst of energy if you eat an apple during the day? How will you feel if you take a short nap?
9. Adopt Leonardo da Vinci's habit. Leonardo da Vinci had a habit of always taking a notebook with him wherever he went. He used a notebook to draw people, birds, objects that he could observe during his walks, to record thoughts and observations. The simple habit of writing down ideas allowed Leonardo to examine them more closely and improve them over time.
You can use a notepad to, say, write down the names of characters in your future story, the name of a color you just discovered, an interesting dialogue you heard, ideas for new blogs, poems you came up with, recipes you want to try, and any other thoughts.
10. Write down quotes that you like. It's so great to just sit down with a notepad of smart thoughts and immerse yourself completely in their wisdom. Start writing down quotes that you like, and soon you will have a whole notebook filled with motivational sayings that can boost your morale at any time.
11. Start keeping a diary. A diary is a description of your day. It also contains your feelings and thoughts about the events that happened to you during the day. Many people use special templates to help them keep their diary. You can make these templates yourself. This template can be used as an example:
- This made me smile today;
- This got me thinking;
- This should have been done differently today;
- This is what I learned today;
- This is something good I did today;
12. Keep an art journal. An art journal is similar to the journal discussed above, but you can include drawings, sketches, and embellishments. You can also cut out pictures from magazines and paste them into your art journal, add photos and other visual elements.
13. Write down ideas from books you read. When you read a book to learn something new, it will be great if you write a summary of the book. by writing down the main ideas that you find interesting. This can be done in the form of regular notes or in the form of brain maps. Essentially, you turn your notebook into a repository of knowledge.
14. Keep a goal journal. A goal journal is a powerful tool for achieving these very goals. The benefit of writing down goals is that
- This forces you to write down your aspirations, that is, take the first step towards their fulfillment;
- Writing down your goals is a great way to make a plan to achieve them. This will help you overcome circumstances and difficulties that may come your way;
- You will be able to track your progress;
- This will force you to become more responsible.
15. Analyze your life. Socrates once said that life without analysis is incomplete. We cannot achieve personal and spiritual growth unless we take time to reflect on our lives.
One of the best ways to analyze your life is to ask yourself the right questions that will lead you to the right thoughts.
16. Make your Wish List. Take a blank notebook and make a list of what you would like to do in your life. Write things down like this:
- Visit Paris in spring;
- Go to the carnival in Rio de Janeiro;
- Go to the Super Cup;
- Take the family to Disneyland;
- To write a novel.
You can also use a Moleskine or any other notebook to write your Book of Possibilities - a kind of “Guide to Dreams”.
17. Use it for writing exercises. If you want to become a writer or improve your writing talent, you should write as often as you can. To keep your writing muscles toned, find a collection of interesting essay topics and use it for writing exercises.
18. Start keeping a Language Journal. When you're learning a new language, it's incredibly important to write down everything you learn. You can use a journal for this. Here are some things you can include in it:
- Write down every new word for yourself;
- Write grammar rules;
- Write down the study method you follow, note how effective it is;
- Write down common mistakes you make so you can work through them later.
A simple notepad can help you improve your life. What will you do with your notebook?
Here's my video for those who like to listen more
Translation of the article http://daringtolivefully.com/things-to-do-with-a-notebook
Electronic notebooks have practically replaced such a previously necessary thing as a notepad from our lives.
However, you must admit that it is much more pleasant to flip through slightly rustling pages with your records of phone numbers, addresses of friends and acquaintances, their dates of birth or recipes for your favorite dishes, than to simply drag your finger across a soulless screen in search of the necessary information.
And if this notebook was received as a gift from a person dear to the heart, and on the spread there is a memorable inscription written by a beloved hand, then these several pieces of paper collected together acquire enormous value and are sometimes kept by the owners for many years. And you definitely can’t go wrong if you complement your gift with an engraved pen. Here are some good options:
That’s why giving a notebook would be the right decision, especially if you figure out how to sign it beautifully.
What you definitely shouldn’t write
It’s worth clarifying right away that there are phrases that should not be used when making a gift. Some of them are too banal and hackneyed, while others may have a dual meaning:
Possible options
You can’t go wrong if you write a quote from classical literature, a wise phrase, a short parable or a short commandment like “Feel happiness within yourself and give it to others”, “Dream, create, love...” on the spread of your notebook.
But if you want something original, then you should use your imagination or the Internet. You can give this option:
But even here you should be careful, because other friends can turn it on and, according to an inexplicable law, write the same thing. In this case, it is better to change it a little or add something of your own.
How to give
Having decided what to write on the gift, you need to decide how to decorate it. There are no strict rules that dictate that a notebook must be wrapped. A cardboard case will do for this.
Not knowing how to pack an original gift for a loved one, you can discreetly put it under a pillow, in a bag, in the refrigerator, near the coffee maker, etc.
The main thing is to evoke positive emotions in a person, cheer up and enjoy the process of preparing a surprise and the effect produced.
The need to keep a diary may arise for any person who has to carry out a lot of errands every day. The journaling techniques presented in the article will help you plan your day correctly and complete all tasks.
Modern people do not always have an eight-hour working day. Most often the work schedule is flexible. In such conditions, it is difficult to accomplish everything you want on time and keep all the information in your head. The diary is intended precisely for these purposes.
Why you need to keep a diary:
- Regularly reviewing your to-do list significantly saves energy and time;
- writing down important things helps the brain clear itself of unnecessary information;
- with its help you can plan time for any period;
- Over time, using the records, it will be possible to analyze the effectiveness of your work.
A person who has never used this attribute before will probably have a question about what exactly to write down. Do an experiment. On the eve of a holiday (birthday or New Year), make a list of all the things that need to be done: from buying bread to calling a friend. Believe me, all questions will disappear after this list is formed.
Types of diaries
To work effectively, you need not only to keep a diary, but also to use it correctly. This in turn depends on who is keeping the records.
Diary for girls and teenagers
Teenagers and children keep diaries more often if they wish. Some design a notebook beautifully, while others work with a spreadsheet. For many people, appearance doesn’t matter; what matters is the content. There are no universal rules for keeping diaries for children at this age.
Diary for girls
The appearance of a diary on a girl or guy indicates that secrets have appeared in their lives. This can be either first love or conflicts. In this case we are not talking about systematicity. The information is rather filled out according to desire and mood.
Student diary
Student note-taking is a useful learning skill. With their help, it is easier to assimilate material, draw up diagrams, etc. You can use the Cornell method to keep a diary. Divide the sheet into two parts. Allocate the larger half for writing theses, and the smaller half for your own thoughts. Students may also be interested in group notes using the Evernote app.
Diary for business people
What and how to enter into the notebook is up to everyone to decide for themselves.
There are also a number of general filling rules:
- Information must be entered every day, even if it seems that all tasks have been completed. This will help you develop a sense of organization.
- You will have to carry a diary with you so that all tasks that appear during the day are immediately written down.
- New goals need to be written down for the next days. Either immediately allocate time to complete the work, or fix the task and then allocate time for it.
- Tasks not completed today are automatically transferred to the next day.
- At the end of the day, it is necessary to analyze the implementation of the plan.
- To learn how to use time rationally, you need to write down absolutely all information, including trips to the store and meetings with friends.
Diary of a housewife or mother
New mothers also have to keep a lot of information in their heads. To avoid forgetting anything, it is better to write down all the details. Why do this every day? The most important events should be marked with letters or numbers. As you fill out the diary, you need to number the pages so that you can later create a table of contents. New mothers already have to carry a lot of things with them. In order not to forget about the notepad, it is better to format it electronically and keep it in your smartphone or other gadget.
You want to look at a beautifully designed notebook again and again.
You need to keep a diary like this:
- Fill out the diary with beautiful handwriting using one color of ink.
- Use decorative tape and cutouts with quotes, and in the run-up to the holidays, use themed designs.
- A black diary filled with a white pen looks very unusual.
- Come up with symbols for regular tasks, and highlight the most important ones with a marker.
How to choose a notepad for your diary
In order for the diary to serve for at least a year without losing its appearance, you should choose a notebook with a hard cover. The diary should please its owner. Notebooks with beautiful covers and unique designs can even be found in hardcover. If you plan to constantly carry a diary with you, then it should be of standard sizes. To avoid confusion with dates, it is better to immediately purchase a dated diary. It also includes various reference signs and a notebook for addresses and telephone numbers. The latter may be useful for students and business people.
Interior design ideas
A personal diary is a whirlwind of emotions. Therefore, it is better to keep a diary in the form of an ordinary white notebook and fill it out at your own discretion. When describing your impressions of sitting in a cafe or going to the doctor, attach physical evidence in the form of a photograph or a receipt to the page. Or draw a small diagram, drawing.
Sometimes pages can be designed in the form of postcards, cards of various shapes, sheets of colored paper or parts of packages. Here you can write down thoughts, aphorisms, quotes, excerpts from songs...
Watercolor paints should be used carefully. If the sheets of paper are very thin, then before the experiment you should fasten two sheets of paper together so that the illustration turns out neat.
We design the first page beautifully
The first page is the most revealing. It contains the main moments from the life of the owner of the diary. This could be a drawing of a blooming rose, which characterizes the formation of a personality. Or the inscription STOP, indicating that the person is not ready to share thoughts with the outside world.
Daily and monthly planning
The main task of a diary is to effectively manage time. To do this, you need to plan your day, but not schedule every minute. If the morning meeting drags on for half an hour, your meeting with your partners may be disrupted. You can clearly control your daily routine. However, you should not forget about unscheduled tasks. The stricter the schedule, the higher the likelihood of deviation from it. This in turn is fraught with stress, bad mood and drains energy. Therefore, between hard tasks you should set 50% of the total amount of free time. It is better to experience the pleasure of exceeding the plan than the depression of its failure.
For quick orientation in your notes, you should highlight the most important things in bright colors, and the unpleasant ones (“frogs”) with special symbols. People will pay attention to bright recordings first of all. Doing something very important gives you a feeling of satisfaction. If the “frogs” are divided into several stages, then the pleasure will increase several times. The more energy spent, the stronger the emotions.
Keeping a diary - examples
A personal diary can be used to concentrate on a specific activity and progress towards a goal. Every day, identify 5 successfully completed tasks from different areas of life.
Draw a table with 4 columns in your diary:
- “Success” is an achievement.
- “Reason” - what became the incentive.
- “Further progress” - ways to further advance in the chosen field.
- “Actions” - what needs to be done to achieve the goal.
Regularly completing this form helps you move forward in all areas.
How to keep a diary correctly so that it is useful
Cases should be divided according to importance:
- Tough tasks must be completed on time.
- Flexible tasks are not time-bound and can be postponed in some cases.
From the general to-do list, you should highlight the main items in order to concentrate attention on them. Even better is to divide the sheet of paper into two parts. Write down the most important tasks in the first, and flexible tasks in the second.
How to fill out a notebook and what you can write there
The first rule of time management is proper prioritization. It will also be useful for you to keep your diary correctly. It doesn't matter when a new task appeared. All that matters is the degree of its importance.
Therefore, in the flexible tasks column you should prioritize:
- “Important matters” are tasks, failure to complete them on time can lead to serious consequences.
- missing “not very important things” can cause minor troubles.
- “can be postponed” are auxiliary instructions.
You should not record goals on the page that have not yet been scheduled for completion. Filling out files chaotically will lead to all important information being lost. It is better to fix it separately. This rule can be neglected if the amount of reference information on the sheet does not exceed 50%.
How to use a diary
Experts recommend learning to keep a diary correctly and starting the day with the most unpleasant task, which wastes the most energy. It is in the first half of the day that a person feels a surge of strength. This time should be devoted to eating “frogs”. If the volume of tasks is large, there is a possibility of disruption to future plans, you should divide the “frogs” into several steps.
Due to the large amount of information, some important matters are lost. Therefore, in addition to prioritizing, you also need to motivate yourself to achieve your goal. To do this, it is necessary to set deadlines and constantly prioritize the most important tasks.
