How to Write on Dotted Paper
If you are used to traditional notebook paper, writing on dotted paper might be confusing at first. The common notebook papers are usually unruled, narrow-ruled, or wide-ruled. So, working with just dots on the pages can be a little unclear yet amusing.
So, if you recently got a dot-grid journal and do not know how to use it yet, we’ve got just the info you need. In this article, we talk about how to write on dotted paper. We also go over various ways to use dotted notebooks and more. Read below and connect the dots.
How to Write on Dotted Paper
While dotted papers might seem unusual, writing on them is pretty straightforward. In fact, writing on dotted paper is not that different from writing on ruled paper.
If you take a close look, you will notice that the dots on a dotted paper align vertically and horizontally. So, all you have to do is write on a row of dots the same way you would write on the horizontal line of ruled paper.
When done with one row of dots, you can move to another row. Or, if you like, you may skip a row, then continue on the next row.
At first, your writings on dotted paper may not be as aligned as you want them. But with time, you will get better.
8 Ways to Use Dotted Notebooks
Indexing
You can create an index of the other contents of your dotted notebook using the first page. This page will contain the title of the content of each notebook page and their corresponding page numbers. Of course, when you have an index, you can easily find whatever you are looking for.
Planning
You can use a dotted notebook as your daily, weekly, or monthly planner. Drawing the lines and creating boxes is easy with the dots in place. So, you don’t have to sweat creating a daily calendar, weekly planner, or monthly calendar.
Also, you can design and customize the layout and structure as you want – a feature you don’t get with a readymade planner.
Doodling
Sometimes you want to channel your inner Picasso. Sometimes, you want your pencil or pen to freely dance as you de-stress; you just want to make doodles.
If doodling helps relieve you of stress, then having a dedicated dotted notebook for doodling might be helpful. In a way, the dots on dotted paper are a framework for doodling. So, if you have a dotted notebook for doodling, you can create doodles with much ease.
Calligraphy
Working with dotted paper can improve your calligraphy skills significantly. As we hinted earlier, the dots align to keep letters horizontal on the pages.
Beyond keeping your letters horizontal, the even spacing between the dots can reflect in your calligraphy, making all you write uniform and beautiful.
Unlike ruled paper, lines do not run through the downstrokes of calligraphy on dotted paper. So, you don’t have to worry about having an unsightly interruption in your work.
Daily Journal
You can use your dotted notebook as your daily journal. As we described earlier, all you need do is write on a row of dots as you’d write on ruled paper.
As a daily journal, you get to record your thoughts, ideas, memories, and much more in your dotted paper. Then if you want, you can add sketches or doodles to your journal entries if this appeals to you.
Organized Checklist
If you have a list of things to do, you can write them out in your dotted notebook. As we said before, the dots on the pages make it easy to draw boxes. So, you can make your to-do list then create a checkbox beside each item. Then as you complete each item on the list, you can place a checkmark in the box beside it.
Expenses Tracking
Your dotted notebook can also be your expenses tracker. You can make your tracker straightforward; write down each expenditure and their cost, then total all at the end.
Alternatively, you could create a group for each expenditure, then draw bars before each group. So, as you spend, you color the corresponding bar.
When using the bar method, equate the space between two horizontal dots to a specific amount. This way, you can keep track of how much you spend better.
For instance, if you make the gap between two dots equal $2, color 5 spaces within the bar when you spend $10.
Dot Grid Sketchbook
Dotted notebooks might just be the perfect canvas for practicing your sketches. The dots can make it easier for you to compare the proportions of the different elements of your drawings. They can also help with perspective drawing and when mapping out geometric structures.
With the dots on the page, you can better apportion different parts of the page for the elements of your sketches.
Using your dotted notebook as a dot grid sketchbook is even more fun when the paper is high-quality because you won’t have to worry about ink bleeding through with quality paper. You’ll also be able to use an eraser without fretting.
Benefits of Using Dotted Paper
- Unlike plain paper, you can keep your writing tidy with dotted paper.
- While grid paper keeps things tidy, its interface is too busy for illustrations and decorations. But with dotted paper, you get an interface that works well for drawings and decorations. At the same time, your writing can remain tidy.
- Ruled paper might just remind you of school or something scholarly. But if you do not want such vibes while using your dot-grid journal, dotted paper is a perfect alternative.
- You can fade the dots on dotted paper with ease. So, if you ever have to post your penmanship online while making it seem like you write flawlessly on plain paper, use dotted paper.
