If you’re a fellow Aussie, you know how hard it is to find dot grid notebooks. Fortunately, Officeworks’ Otto range have a dot grid notebook that’s also affordable.
Quick facts
- Size: 15.5cm wide x 21.5cm high (about 6 x 8.5″ high)
- Numbered pages
- Symbol key
- 192 Dot grid pages
- 20 Graph paper pages
- 20 Lined pages
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The Cover
The usual plain and boring cover that most dot grid journals have.
Approx 1.8cm thick
Tip Sheet
The Otto journal has a slightly different take to bullet journaling:
Symbol Key
Index
Normally I like structured pages but this index page is perhaps a bit too structured. There’s also limited space to write the theme / page topic.
Dot grid pages
Unlike most bullet journal notebooks, this one has 3 page types: dot grid, graph and lined
Line spacing is 0.7cm
Pen Testing
There’s a reason this notebook is cheap – the paper quality isn’t very good.
Almost every pen, highlighter and stamp bled through the page:
Pros of the Otto Dot Grid Journal
- Dot grid, graph and lined pages
- Numbered pages
- Symbol key
- Lightweight
- Ribbon page marker
- Pages lay flat without having to hold them open
- Bright white paper
- Affordable
Cons of the Otto Dot Grid Journal
- Bad pen bleed through on the pages
- No cover personalisation
- Boring cover
Would I use this notebook?
If I was just getting started with bullet journaling and wasn’t sure it was something I was going to stick to long term then yes. Otherwise I could only use this notebook for drafting bullet journal spread layout ideas – the ghosting / bleed through is one of the worst out of all the dot grid notebooks I’ve reviewed.
It was cheap though so the cost would probably work out the same if you skipped writing on the back pages as opposed to buying a more expensive dot grid notebook and writing on both sides of the page.
More bullet journal
- Bullet Journal Ideas: 26 Weekly Spread Layouts to Try
- 7 Reasons why I don’t use stitched notebooks for bullet journaling
- How to choose the right bullet journal notebook for you (10 things to check)
Planning tips
- 7 Planner supplies I don’t regret splurging on
- 10 Quick planner hacks you need to try (planning tips & inspiration)
- Guide to Discbound Planners & Frequently Asked Questions
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Jen in Qld says
My opinion of the Otto was the same. It was a great place to start my bullet journal journey but I have changed to a Rhodia Webbie A5 grid. I keep my Otto for playing with layouts although I notice the grid is a slightly different size to the Rhodia. I am not liking how close to the edge of the page the dots go on the Rhodia so will likely change for my next bujo.
Love your reviews although I am #teamvertical. ?