One Side Or Both?

[Frozenoak]

When I was in school, and later in the Marine Corps, it was taught that one should only write on the front or top of a page in a notebook. Since that time I have worked for three companies. At each I was expected to maintain a lab notebook and I was expected to use both sides of the page. I assume this is for financial reasons. Lab notebook budget cut in half.

 

In my personal life I still use only one side of a page. I dont keep a journal but I do take notes, and someday I may write a book (If you believe in miracles, Ive started a few and rarely get past an outline and maybe a chapter).

 

So Im curious. Who uses both sides of a page and why?

[Olya]

Both sides. Always have and always will, even when there's bleedthrough (unless the bleedthrough is too extreme, in which case I either use other pens (eg ballpoints) or ditch the paper).

 

I was taught that in primary school. My teacher told us to use both sides and when one kid didn't, because their parents told them to use only one side, my teacher got a bit upset, gave us a lecture on waste and instructed us to use both sides, no exceptions. At home, when I told my parents, they agreed with that and also always used both sides, from their school days onwards as well.

 

Having used both sides all my life, it seems incredibly wasteful to use only one side and I just couldn't. It's not only wasteful, but somehow wrong and weird (going against a lifelong habit..).

 

That is one of the reasons why I rarely use "reporter style" notebooks, which you have to flip over. You can't use the back.

The other reason is they are awkward to flip through... I wonder more why some people prefer those as opposed to "traditional" style notebooks.... Even for reporters or anyone who writes on the go, surely a notebook tradiional style (flip side to side) which can be bent completely (eg like spiral bound notebooks) are just as handy? (actually more so, as you can use the back as well!!)

[PAKMAN]

In my journal I tend to write on both sides.

[dennis_f]

In my personal use note/sketchbooks, definitely both sides. I'm not a fan of showthrough, so I've spent a lot of time sourcing notebooks and paper that limit this.

 

However, if I'm in the field or working with a client, I will always use a fresh sheet of paper and only use one side (both for drawings and notes). If I only have a notebook at hand then I'll use this, but I only use one side of the page.

[inkstainedruth]

In my journal, both sides. When doing drawings, one side (I started by using both sides in a small sketchbook, but didn't lie. When working in my poetry journals, both sides; but I can't seem to do a good job with fiction in a composition book in general, so I'm going back to writing on loose sheets of paper (and then only on one side).

The advantage of the loose paper is that I can write as small as I want (so I guess it's back to F nibs for me.... )

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[BaronWulfraed]

I don't do enough notetaking (even when I had been employed) to make any firm statement.

 

My practice tended to be to start each day on right-hand side, and only use the left-hand (reverse) IF the notes for the day were significant.

 

As for "reporter-style"... I suspect my usage would be to go through using one side, then at the end, flip the entire book over and go through using the reverse side. Same practice as used when taking shorthand (back in 1975 class) -- of course, standard Gregg practice also uses the pad in two columns, first filling the left side of the page, then the right side (minimize side-to-side hand motion -- one could pretty much write in a column just using wrist motion).

[miwishi63]

It depends upon the pen/ink/paper combination. My journals are definitely both sides because they aren't for public consumption. Letters and noted depend upon the paper, but when I'm taking research notes I generally leave one side blank so I can go back and make comments as needed (usually in pencil).

[Rhincodon]

Journaling, both sides. Letters, both sides - except for a particular paper I have that has terrible showthrough and isn't easily readable with two sides.

 

Some of my penpals write on one side only, and I do think it looks really nice not to have to flip sheets... but also I tend to write looooong letters so if I had a new sheet all the time I'd need like $3 an envelope!

[BorisoftheStars]

I prefer to do my writing on both sides and have conducted tests with my fountain pens and inks on myapers to see if what I wrote was legible enough to be read, and so far, they have all passed! That is what I have always done, and will I change it up? Maybe, if I decide to illustrate on the other side something that is relevant to what I have written on the page next to it. I will only use one side if the pens I use have ink that bleeds through.

[Olya]

It depends upon the pen/ink/paper combination. My journals are definitely both sides because they aren't for public consumption. Letters and noted depend upon the paper, but when I'm taking research notes I generally leave one side blank so I can go back and make comments as needed (usually in pencil).

That's an idea I also had and wanted to do, but then didn't... I think I couldn't bring myself to do it after teachers ingrained the use of both sides at school...

Makes editing definitely easier though...

 

Unless one uses loose leaf, then one could insert simply new sheets with edits (in different ink colour for better organization).

[phonelady61]

I use both sides in my journal and in my personal letters . In catholic school sister Maria St. Claire used to say waist not , want not and yes after that it sort of stuck . and yes if there is something i want one of my pen pals to notice i use different color ink .

[MHBru]

for virtually everything I am recto only.. the one exception is correspondence.. I write on both sides of the page when writing letters...

[Karmachanic]

Verso (back) generally has lees favourable characteristics than Recto (front). Some papers more that others. I always use both. I grained from youth.

[A Smug Dill]

I plan on using one side only for notepads (unless there is some small amount of spill-over of content for a particular topic that does not make sense to write on a detachable second sheet), but both sides of most pages in a bound notebook or journal.

[Mr5x5]

Both sides unless it is personal correspondence and then it depends on paper, ink, and recipient.

[Erik Dalton]

In my Journal and notebooks I use fine and extra fine nibs and write on both sides. But i’ve Had to hunt around for inks, and notebooks with paper that could handle both fountain pen and writing on both sides. Once done, no worries. Right now i’m using Leuchtturm 1917 Ivory dot, hard cover notebooks for Journaling (249 numbered pages). Clairefontaine white lined soft cover notebooks for general note and record keeping (192 pages.)

 

Recently I’ve started writing letters agin. I prefer to use both sides, as long as the paper is tolerating my ink. For multiple page, longer letters I use A4 size Tomoe River paper from Jetpens. I don’t know the weight, but it’s pretty thin, and still allows me multi page letters, written on both sides.

I really like Rhodia Ivory 41 lb. unlined, high grade Vellum paper in A-4 and A-5 sizes. Tough to find. It’s heavy paper. Best for shorter letters.

Well that’s my two cents.. hope it helped...

[kealani]

Both sides unless there is bleed through, or it is hard to read because you can see the print on the opposite side such as with the thinner Clairefontaine tissue sheets.

For the thicker polished Rhodia paper, definitely 2 sides.

[From_His_Rib]

Notes - both sides

Personal letters - one side

[sansenri]

front side only at work on A4 notebooks, I leave the back for notes, which do come up...

both sides in good quality personal A5-A6 notebooks, Rhodia/Clairefontaine

one side only on bad quality paper notebooks... Moleskine

[Runnin_Ute]

Generally speaking both sides, although I have noticed lately in a Made in Brazil comp book I will occasionally if I finish on the right hand page start notes on the next right hand page and leave the left blank. But that is the exception not the rule.