Lined, Or Plain?

[Lymnour]

I use blank/unlined for everything. The main reason is because I do a lot of sketching with my writing, but also because I prefer the look of writing without lines.

[HDoug]

I see lined paper as the training wheels of stationery.

Haha! I kind of think this way too although I've used blank and lined. Many medieval manuscripts are lightly lined. I've learned to write in reasonably straight lines by practicing...

 

Doug

[cattar]

... trip down memory lane. Who would have thought that dung

and fountain pens would go together?

 

Alex

Memories can be surprising.

Fountain pens go with everything.

[Jeff_H]

I must have lined. I use a guide sheet for writing on unlined paper. I am unable to maintain my own straight line and admire those who can. Perhaps someday. I've only returned to handwriting this past year.

[Bookman]

I must have lined. I use a guide sheet for writing on unlined paper. I am unable to maintain my own straight line and admire those who can. Perhaps someday. I've only returned to handwriting this past year.

 

I used to believe my written lines had to be perfectly straight across the page. I thought the spaces between all the writing lines had to be uniform. But I eventually got tired of having no choice but to buy ruled journals, only lined loose paper or else print lines on the blank loose paper I'd bought. And I thought tying myself to a guide sheet wasn't the solution to the basic problem. And so I decided to try and remove all the shackles with one exercise in one sitting.

 

I sat at my desk with a short stack of blank 24lb HP Laserjet paper and I started writing. I treated it like a long freewriting exercise and I just wrote whatever I could or needed to to fill page after page. I don't remember now how many pages I wrote. Whether six or eight, I know I filled both sides of every sheet I wrote on. I did make an effort to keep my lines straight without getting sidetracked and preoccupied. I minded my spacing between the lines. I minded all four margins. And when I finally stopped and put my pen down I felt liberated. I could feel it as I was going along from page to page. The more I wrote, the straighter my lines got, the better I was at maintaining my interlinear spacing and my margins. The first two pages were aesthetic disappointments. But the last four or six pages—while nowhere near perfect—looked pretty good.

 

Maybe this exercise won't work for everybody. It worked for me. In the course of six or eight pages of nonstop writing on unlined paper I had broken the spell. I didn't need lined paper because I no longer cared whether my written lines were perfectly straight. Straight-ish looked pretty good to me. And that was all it took.

Edited March 31, 2015 by Bookman

[Joe in Seattle]

I recall growing up in the 50's and being advised lines were for school only. Like others, I think the arrival of a handwritten letter would be cause for rejoicing.

[fountainpenlady]

Unlined. Lines are too confining. Also unlined just looks better.

Totally agree with you

[fireant]

I preferred unlined with a guide underneath.

[fountainpenlady]

I see lined paper as the training wheels of stationery.

True that and I agree.

Some people have expressed they don't trust plain paper. They are afraid they will slide down sloping in their writing. Yet, isn't that the fun? It is like flying for the very first time. One does not expect to gracefully make a maiden voyage perfectly. After a few times out, one eiher does two things, one either focuses on what is being written and how it is being written, i.e. favorite ink/fountain pen and flies straight in the journey or one finds the sloping as if having reached the top of a mountain and to be expected; after reaching a pinnacle you would not want to live up there permanently would you?

[fountainpenlady]

I preferred unlined with a guide underneath.

I have read it is how some people use the tomae paper with a guide underneath. I envision it being like tracing paper or something of that texture and it is why I continue to be on the fence about even testing it. Although Iove plain/unlined, I am unsure whether I would like having it be so thin. I have used Moleskine and it is sometimes a headache with the ghosting.

[DaveBj]

I have read it is how some people use the tomae paper with a guide underneath. I envision it being like tracing paper or something of that texture and it is why I continue to be on the fence about even testing it. Although Iove plain/unlined, I am unsure whether I would like having it be so thin. I have used Moleskine and it is sometimes a headache with the ghosting.

 

If you don't mind PMing me your address, I would be happy to send you a couple sheets to try out. I find that, yes, it is thin, but ghosting is minimal.

[mikeschu]

Lined, for the most part. If I have to use unlined paper, I put a sheet underneath for lines.

 

Being a lefty underwriter that has to tilt the paper downward a fair bit, my writing can get all sorts of weird and nearly unreadable if I don't have lines. I'm not quite good enough yet to "hold the line" on unlined paper without a guide.

[Roseofsharon]

For the most part my notebooks and journals have lines, and my correspondence stationary is unlined.

 

I stopped worrying whether I wrote in straight lines or not on plain paper as i figured if people accept e, then a few flaws in my writing shouldn't matter them. A letter is a gift of time as well as news and as with other gifts its the thought that counts.

[ac12]

I use a guide sheet under my blank paper to help control my writing.

I am not as good as many here, so I need the lines to keep me in bounds, and somewhat consistent in letter height. Training wheels sounds like a good comparison. And since I am using a dip pen, I want it neat.

 

The neat thing about using a guide sheet is that I can use ANY line spacing that I want to, and change it whenever I feel like it.

 

Yes taking out and setting up the light pad makes it more of a chore, but it is much easier to use the guide sheet with light coming from below.