Paper Source A5 dotted journal refill notebook review (including pen test)
One of the last notebooks from my USA stationery haul I have left to review is the Paper Source dotted journal refill. I almost didn’t buy this one as the packaging said ‘refill’ and the lady in the shop thought it was odd I was buying the notebook but not the cover that pairs with it.
But after testing out the notebook I don’t think it needs the cover (was bulky and expensive), the notebook was just fine on it’s own!
Quick facts
- A5 page size (5.83″ wide x 8.27″ high / 15 cm wide x 21 cm high)
- Softcover
- Compatible with our Paper Source refillable covers (or use it on it’s own)
- 5mm dot grid
- 192 Acid free pages
- Lay flat format binding
- Smooth paper
- Ivory pages
Price: $13.99 USD
Let’s take a closer look!
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The Cover
I purchased the ‘pool’ cover color version. I’m not sure how long it sat on the shelf as the part of the cover with the label is discolored / faded differently to the rest of the cover.
Otherwise I really like the gold foil detail.
Approx. 0.5″ thick
As this a refill notebook, there are no pocket folders fixed to the inside covers. That’s really the only difference to a ‘standard’ dot grid notebook.
The paper is so smooth (reminds me of the Dingbats notebook‘s paper).
Related post: 7 Dot grid notebooks with smooth paper
Pages lay completely flat on their own.
And are an off white with 5mm dot grid spacing.
Pros of the notebook
- Portable size
- Lightweight
- Pages lay completely flat on their own
- 5mm dot grid is standard size so should work with bullet journal stencils and checklist washi tape from other brands
- The dots are light grey
Cons of the notebook
- No page numbers
- No preprinted pages such as contents / index pages
- No pocket folder
Pen Testing
I couldn’t find anywhere on the packaging or online that said what the paper thickness was before purchasing, only that the paper was ‘premium quality.’ Since there’s no real definition for ‘premium’ I wasn’t sure how this pen test would go.
I tried various ballpoint, gel, fine tip and marker tip pens, as well as the Frixion pens, Frixion stamps, highlighters and dot markers.
The premium might be referring to the smoothness of the paper because it’s certainly not referring to the paper thickness. There was a lot of ghosting on the back side of both of the swatch pages. The MAMBI stamps and dot markers bled through the page.
Would I use this notebook?
I like the smooth paper and it’s more off-white than the creamy yellow of Dingbats which has comparably smooth paper. But since I use dot markers and highlighters often, I value paper thickness over smoothness. No page numbers is also annoying. I wouldn’t rush out and buy this one.
But if you’re new to bullet journaling, the price point is quite affordable. $13.99 USD is a lot cheaper than $35 USD for an Archer and Olive notebook.
Still trying to decide? Download my comparison of 70+ dot grid notebooks here. Existing subscribers can login to the resource library here.
If you prefer thicker paper, see my comparison of dot grid notebooks with 160GSM paper here.
Planning tips
- 12 Planner Layout Ideas for Monthly Habit Tracking in Your Bullet Journal
- 10 Things I don’t put in my planner (and why)
- My favorite cheap stationery for planning
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