Materials
Paper you can actually write on.
The paper decides whether a notebook is a pleasure or a chore. Ours is 80gsm, lightly calendered and ruled in a soft grey that guides the hand without fighting the ink.
The specification
What is actually in the book
The paper decides whether a notebook is a pleasure or a chore.
80gsm smooth stock
We use 80gsm paper with a smooth, lightly calendered finish. It takes ballpoint, gel and fineliner ink cleanly, without the drag you get from cheap rough stock.
200gsm stock
The 200gsm paper is used for the calligraphy books, suitable for cartridge pens.
Ruling and registration
Lines are printed in a soft grey that guides without dominating the page, and registration is checked so ruling stays square from the first page to the last.
Binding
Our hardcover books are section-sewn so they open flat at any page. The softback uses a durable perfect binding that survives daily carrying.
The ruling
Grey lines that guide, not shout
Black ruling competes with your handwriting and shows through the back of the sheet. Ours is printed in a soft grey at a weight chosen to stay visible under Arabic script without becoming part of it. Registration is checked so the ruling sits square from the first page to the last.
Why 16 lines
How it is made
Four decisions behind the page
The stock
80gsm is the balance point. Lighter stock shows ink through the sheet; heavier stock makes a 200-page book too thick to carry comfortably.
The finish
Lightly calendered, so the surface is smooth without being slick. Ballpoint, gel and fineliner all move cleanly instead of dragging the way they do on cheap rough stock.
The ruling
Printed in soft grey and checked for registration, so the lines stay square to the page edge through the whole book rather than drifting.
The binding
Hardcovers are section-sewn so they open flat at any page. Softbacks use a durable perfect binding that survives daily carrying.
Compare formatsIn the hand
Paper, ruling and binding up close
Photographed as delivered — no retouching of the page or the print.
Paper questions
Will ink bleed through?
Not with ballpoint, gel or fineliner. Heavy fountain pen ink and alcohol markers can show through, as they would on any 80gsm paper.
View detailsCan I see the ruling from the other side?
Barely. The grey is deliberately light, which keeps the reverse of each sheet clean enough to write on.
View detailsDoes it open flat?
The hardcover does, at any page, because it is section-sewn. The softback needs holding open near the ends.
Compare formatsWant a sample first?
Ask us about the paper and we will tell you exactly how it behaves with your pen.
Contact supportGood paper disappears. You notice the writing, not the page.