Do you Write on Both Sides of the Page?

[Titivillus]

I was just curious about how many people write on both sides of the page in their notebooks. If you do, what type of paper are you using?

 

Both sides of an Apica notebook. But sometimes I do single pages leaving the facing page to go back and add notes.

 

 

Kurt

 

[Lifesaver]

I have a no name journal that I have no idea where I obtained it. Yes, I write on both sides of the pages. I've written in it with my Waterman Phileas, my vintage Wasp and a Hero 328. So far, I have had no problems doing so.

[wvbeetlebug]

It depends on the paper. Here at work I use a spiral bound notebook for notes, numbers, things to do, etc. In that I only write on one side.

 

When I am using a writing tablet to correspond with penpals I use both sides.

[kiavonne]

It depends on the paper. Here at work I use a spiral bound notebook for notes, numbers, things to do, etc. In that I only write on one side.

 

When I am using a writing tablet to correspond with penpals I use both sides.

 

 

Now, that's a point. When journaling, taking notes, etc., I do use both sides if I don't have any bleed through. However, when I write notes and letters for others, I will only use one side of the paper.

[FrankB]

When I learned to use a dip FP in school, I was taught not to write on both sides of a page. Generally, I continue to write on one side of a page only. I use larger nibs and soemtimes the ink comes close to bleeding through. Most often, there is no bleed through though.

 

On some occasions, as I reread a letter, I find I have missed some information in a paragraph. In those cases, I will write the additional information on the back side of the respective page.

[Dave S]

Eh, my current paper of choice is cheap and I'm well stocked. Almost seems silly to write on both sides when I've got a whole ream of paper sitting at my desk.

[Ondina]

Yes, both sides. Mostly MiquelRius and Clairefontaine notebooks. Also plain white unruled A4 paper, mostly.

[richardandtracy]

For my journal I write on both sides. For holiday journals, only one side as it gives me a chance to add things later on the blank facing page. For everything else, only one side.

 

Regards

 

Richard

 

[sph33r]

I'm new to this journal thing.. but I was using a cheap composition book that had a bit too much bleed through to allow me to use both sides. I just picked up one of the Black & Red notebooks from staples and found that I could write on both sides without any problem reading what was on the page. So now I'm a both-side convert.

[Pen Nut]

No Never.

 

Lucky enough to get stationery as and when I require it so just dont see the point.

[DrPJM1]

I write on both sides only if the ink has not bled through. If the paper is of good quality I can usually write on both sides with my wet nibs.

[ardene]

Yes.

[Karmachanic]

I write on various fountain pen friendly papers. As my journal wriiting is for me alone, I write on both sides. Often I do this twice. Horizontally until full. Then vertically in a different ink. Then off to recycling

[bogiesan]

Zombie thread. Spooky.

I use Moleskine pockets for my journaling and anything else that needs paper and fountain. I stopped using both sides when I got an italic Sheaffer; too much ink! After a few notebooks I realized just using the recto pside of each leaf had two, no THREE major benefits: 1) data reduction (I could actually find stuff) and 2) filled the notebook quicker, and 3) this was just more fun.

[inkstainedruth]

For me, it depends. When I'm writing in my daily journal, I'm using both sides (the journals I use these days are from Miquelrius and the paper is pretty FP friendly). When I'm keeping track of expenses I use cheap mini-composition books, and with other small notebooks, I'm likewise using both sides. But last year, when I was doing a lot of research and taking copious notes, I was (mostly) using a large Rhodia pad (No. 19 size) and it was just more convenient to only write on one side (I think because it's top stapled). And when I'm writing fiction, or doing something I'm going to scan in (ink reviews or -- when I get around to it -- the ink challenges, I'm often doing it on blank printer paper -- and then I'm also using just one side. And a lot of times I'm writing notes or to do lists on the back side of something that has become scrap paper, and again, just one side (the blank side).

For me, I think it's less about the quality of paper and more about the convenience factor: side-bound notebooks and journals? Both sides. Loose sheets or top-bound? Just one side.

It's an interesting question, and I don't mind necro-posting on old topics if they're interesting.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Olya]

I always write on both sides. In primary school my teacher was quite adamant we write on both sides, to not waste paper and because if you write on both sides your notes are only half as thick; same with secondary school, teachers insisted we write on both sides to be less wasteful and because the amount of paper in our folders is halved.

 

It feels unnatural now to me to use only one side, and incredibly wasteful. And I still take notes etc and it halves the amount of paper (thickness) in folders!

 

This is the reason why I don't ever buy "reporter style/ legal pad" kind of notebooks, because you can really only write on one side and flipping the pages is weirdly unnatural like that.

 

If the paper I have is too terrible to be used with certain pens (bleedthrough, feathering) I switch to a pen the paper can handle (gel, biro... whatever works!).

[Bookman]

I do write on both sides. And I don’t. It depends on the purpose of the writing. In a way, the quality of the paper has nothing to do with whether I write on both sides. I’ve discovered that I won’t use any paper, in or out of a notebook, that exhibits feathering, bleed-through, or anything more than minor to minor-moderate show-through. In short, the kind of paper on which I could, theoretically, write on both sides is the only paper I can tolerate at all. The other kind of paper: it doesn’t make it past the first word I write unless I’m using BSB, some other hellacious penetrator, or a broad nib. For journaling, I write on both sides but only on the recto: Side One, flip, Side Two.

[rluka]

Both side.

Usually write a lot, so have to conserve on the paper.

My writing are small, and even with ghosting the writing on the other side are not too distracting.

 

The time when I only use one page would be when drawing (not with fountain pen). When inked, the line became more distracting. While when using pencil or colouring pencil it tend to rub onto the opposite side.

[MHBru]

Pretty much never... Recto only with one exception. I use both sides when letter writing. Paperwise? Notebooks...clairefontaine or rhodia. Letters...G Lalo

[XYZZY]

I almost always write double sided. Off the top of my head I can think of two exceptions: If I'm recording ink then one sided because I want to see show-through. And if I'm using a top-stapled pad then one-sided because the form factor discourages it, but I almost never use a top-stapled pad.