Dot markers are very useful for quickly making checklists, but what about using them for highlighters? I’d been tempted to try using them as highlighters for a while but was worried it would damage the marker, so when I found a pack of the Zig pastel dot markers on sale on Amazon for only $5, I decided it was time to try it out.

This week I used the Martha Stewart discbound inserts. They’re a very functional minimalist layout in my favorite type of weekly spread, a dashboard layout.

Read more: My all time favorite weekly planner layout (plus my favorite planners in this layout)

Before the Pen

After the Pen

I used white out to change the ‘a look ahead’ text to ‘rate this week.’ Otherwise I didn’t do any other changes to the layout, I thought the proportions of each section were quite good. The page size is 5.5″ wide x 8.5″ high so US half letter page size.

If you need more space to plan the weekend you could use whiteout to remove the divider line between the existing Saturday and Sunday boxes, and use the reminders box for Sunday instead.

I chose to use the 5 pack of pastel zig dot markers as I found them for only $5 on Amazon (cheap price for dot markers!) But I wanted to use a different colored dot marker for each day of the week.

There is a larger pack of the Zig dot markers (not pastel but unlike the pastel pack, they’re dual tip). I decided not to use it this time as I wanted to show you why I typically don’t merge different brands of pens or highlighters in my weekly spreads. Instead, I mixed them with the Mont Marte which really stand out against the Zig dot markers – the dot is much larger and the colors are far more bold.

This week was a lot of life admin I need to do but had been putting off for a while, being present for the building and pest inspection as I sold my parent’s investment property without a real estate agent (more on how I did that in this post), and planning my upcoming trip to Europe. If you have any recommendations for stationery shops in Sweden, Norway and Scotland – please let me know! I liked having all the separate boxes on this weekly spread to keep everything organized.

It’s probably quite obvious that the orange and teal are Mont Marte. I like the colors but they didn’t blend well with the pastel. It’s easier to do different size dots with the Mont Marte versus the Zig.

Related post: Pastel Planner supplies (pens, highlighters, washi tape, planner stickers, dot markers etc.)

Do I recommend using dot markers as highlighters? Not if you can avoid it. I wonder if it will blunt the tip over time and affect the dot, but then I suppose it’s not like they would be useless, they would just become highlighters which you would’ve already been using them for anyway.

Related post: Best pastel highlighters for planning and bullet journaling

The only other thing to be aware of if you do this, is that some black ink from the pen went onto the ink of the dot marker. I just did some streaks on a scrap piece of paper until the black disappeared (just like I do with highlighters).

As for the paper quality, it was surprisingly not too bad. Dot markers usually have heavy ghosting or bleed through on everything except 140 – 160 GSM paper. I’m not sure what the paper weight is of these inserts, but they don’t feel that thick (probably around 120 GSM).

Definitely more ghosting for the Mont Marte dot markers than the Zig dot markers.

Supplies Used

This list contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking one of these links I’ll receive a small commission in exchange for referring you (at no extra cost to you).

• Martha Stewart inserts (5.5″ wide x 8.5″ high) from Staples in the USA
• Martha Stewart for Staples discbound notebook
• Officeworks keji brand of whiteout tape
• Zig dot markers (6 pack, mild colors)
• Mont Marte dot markers

Related post: Planner Shopping in the USA (Michaels, Staples, Target, Walmart and Paper Source)

Would I use this layout again?

The layout is close to my favorite horizontal weekly + notes Plum Paper Planner (which is the planner I’ve used the most over the years), with a box for highlighting goals, appointments or reminders, plus days of the week and checklists. The biggest difference would be the combined weekends in the Martha Stewart inserts which made things a little tight.

These inserts are nice, very practical and I’ll definitely use them again. But if you want a weekly spread to decorate, there are limited ways to customise the layout. I thought about coloring the boxes, similar to this approach when I used the Whistle and Birch planner. I was going to cover up the existing divider lines with some thin washi tape, but otherwise there’s not a lot of white space to decorate in.

More weekly spreads

• Rainbow Color Coded Weekly Spread Using the Passion Planner
• Using my custom Agendio Planner (would I order from this company again?)
• Trying out the Happy Planner Dashboard Layout

Browse all 200+ past weekly spreads here.

Planning tips

• 10 Planner supplies that will help you plan your week faster
• 7 Color coding mistakes to avoid in your planner or bullet journal
• Planner Newbies: The 7 Planner Stickers you need to stock up on

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