Dot grid paper is the favourite page for planners and journals because it gives you structure without lines getting in the way. Here is how to choose the right settings.
Spacing
5 mm is the most common spacing and the default in many dotted notebooks. It makes it easy to draw boxes in whole centimetres and to centre headings. If you prefer imperial units, 1/4 inch gives a similar feel. For small handwriting or tight layouts, try 4 mm. Go wider if you write large or want plenty of room for doodles.
Dot size
A diameter around 1 pt is subtle and works well with ink pens. If you scan or photocopy pages, or you use bold markers, raise it to 1.5 pt. You can also switch to small crosses, which are easier to see on screen.
Emphasising every fifth dot
Using a larger dot at every fifth position gives you landmarks. You can count out equal columns or rows quickly, which speeds up drawing habit trackers, calendars and weekly spreads.
Layout ideas
- Weekly spread: divide the page into seven blocks, five dots wide, with a title row.
- Habit tracker: draw a row of squares for each habit and a column for each day.
- Monthly calendar: a grid of 7 columns by 5 or 6 rows, each cell 5 dots square.
- Mind map: keep the centre empty and use the dots to space branches.
Printing for A5 notebooks
Choose A5 as the paper size and print on thicker paper if you use ink or markers. Print two A5 pages per sheet of A4 and cut them along the middle to make a stack of inserts for a ring-bound journal. Add the hole-punch guide if you use a ring binder.
Keeping the page tidy
- Use a ruler for long lines and rely on the dots for short ones.
- Leave one dot of space between boxes and their labels.
- Choose a pale tint such as cream or pale blue if you want a softer page.
Try the 5 mm preset or the accent dots preset in the dot grid generator.