Dottius Maximus - Helpus!

[Sui-Generis]

This year I decided to 'graduate' to a dot-grid journal, a Rhodia Goalbook, since I felt I was doing quite well in my writing practice but not up to the stage of being 'guide-less' yet.

 

Anyway, apparently? I'm not ready to graduate at all.

 

Writing in my new journal feels...awkward, forced...about as fluid as a cinderblock down a mountain.

 

So...

 

 

[Qoan]

I try to adapt the size of the letters to the tool I'm using regardless of the width of the dot grid (I generally just use a baseline as reference).

That said, my regular hand using a 0.3 or 0.4 (EF-F) pen fits about 3/4 of a normal Rhodia dot grid so I can use every line with no blank lines in between. But that's my tiny regular hand, when writing a cursive hand I tend to do bigger letters because with a flex nib downstrokes can easily be 0.8-1.0 thick. Even bigger if I'm using an italic/left oblique nib (for these there are usually recommended spacings according to the hand as you probably already know).

Hopefully this is helpful.

[NinthSphere]

That's part of why I love dot grid. If I need to compress a bunch of writing onto a pocket-sized page, I can use a smaller nib & use every "line". If I want to break out a larger stub/italic/flex, as I tend to when I write up labels or reminder notes, I can adjust height as needed without grid or ruling lines getting in the way of appearance. So, it depends on intended use & the dots are sufficient guide without being as intrusive as other options.

[txomsy]

That's part of why I love dot grid. If I need to compress a bunch of writing onto a pocket-sized page, I can use a smaller nib & use every "line". If I want to break out a larger stub/italic/flex, as I tend to when I write up labels or reminder notes, I can adjust height as needed without grid or ruling lines getting in the way of appearance. So, it depends on intended use & the dots are sufficient guide without being as intrusive as other options.

Isn't a square grid better for that? I've seen 4 and 5mm square grid paper that is unobtrusive but provides better visual feedback than dots.

[BDarchitect]

I use my Rhodia Goalbook with dot grid for my daily planner and only print my letters, which easily stay within a single row of dots. I find the same challenge you do with writing cursive in a 5mm dot grid, too wide for double spacing and too tight for single spacing text. For journaling, I prefer a 7 or 8mm line spacing. An interesting alternative is the Lamy notebook, which has alternate solid and dotted lines at 4mm spacing, with verticals dots. I love those for both printing, cursive, and field sketches.

[NinthSphere]

Isn't a square grid better for that? I've seen 4 and 5mm square grid paper that is unobtrusive but provides better visual feedback than dots.

Better if my primary concern was having precise height/width, I suppose, but I don't like grid lines unless I'm using it for accounting or drawing up a graph/chart/etc. I find them ugly & distracting for writing, rather than helpful. I just need something more than a blank page, so I don't have to use a guide sheet or worry about erasing guide lines.

[txomsy]

I see. I'll have to search up those Lamy notebooks and see how they look.

[AAAndrew]

I've never been able to use the dot grid paper very well. I either need lines, or even do better with blank than with dot grid. It's a personal preference thing.

 

I don't mind using lined paper. I print my own so I can get the lines as faint as I like, spaced like I like, and use the paper I like. I'm a bit particular.

 

I just wish I could write as neatly and evenly spaced as Ben Franklin. #lifegoals.