Ruled or blank, which do you prefer?

[johnr55]

Writing for myself, I write larger than I do for work, where I use wide-ruled legal pads (Ampad Gold Fibre). I find that I tend to 'double space' even on wide-ruled paper.

 

Some have trouble writing in a straight line without ruling, but I don't, and I don't know of any stationery I've ever seen with lines that I though didn't look like school paper.

[wmbrady]

I use unlined paper, often because I steal it from my computer. (Hammermill 30lb is a favorite).

 

I don't go without ruled lines though. I use a drawing program like Canvas or Corel Draw to make a page full of bold lines which I then print on the whitest paper I have, thus making a "guide".

 

If necessary, I trim to size and usually make several "widths" or line spacings, with 3/8 and 1/2 inch being the most often used.

 

'Tis Cheap too.

 

- Bill Brady

[Scribbles]

I voted for no preference. I write on whatever happens to be around and handy. That may change once I have more experience under my belt but for now I am still experimenting.

 

For writing practice I use both lined and unlined paper.

 

For note taking and letter writing I use lined paper or unlined note paper or even post it notes.

[bernardo]

Definitely blank. Ruled paper is like a dictatorship to me. I don't like to be told what to do.

[rachel_clare]

I voted blank because I enjoy the freedom of it in journals- i can sketch and write any way round on the paper then!! and i use blank w/ a guide sheet for letter writing. But I also use ruled a lot to- mostly for school-y stuff and handwriting practice. But on balance i prefer blank.

[penmanila]

ruled works just fine for me--the lines actually help me focus and organize my thoughts.

[Hélène]

I like french ruled but graph when I can not find it for graph I prefer 5 squares per inch but also like 4 squares per inch

[satrap]

I chose no preferance because I don't follow lines anyway. :ltcapd:

[Poetman]

I prefer blank pages. I feel uncomfortable with lined pages. There is an immense sense of freedom I feel with a blank page. This only applies to journals. However, if I'm finalizing poems, essays or other works, I prefer legal pads. But, for everyday journaling, reading reponses, ideas, etc, the pages HAVE to be blank. (I think in some way, a lined page has a certain expectation). I feel more intimate with a blank page.

[anniemac]

Would prefer blank - I think a journal looks much better on blank pages - however, as my penmanship is so poor at the moment I'm forcing myself to return to ruled, as I think this helps. I do most FP writing on ruled, but write my journal on blank as a reward for my efforts!

Being a leftie, I don't have to concentrate on BOTH better writing and staying in a straight line at the same time.

When I'm happy with my writing, I'll ditch the rules totally. They remind me of school. Blank feels more grown up. Obviously its OK if you have to use ruled for professional reasons.

[OldPott]

Blank for preference - lines remind me of school (although it's really long way back there) and I generally write fairly straight... but I really like the look of those Kyokuto notebooks with the dots on. Betcha we can't get those here.

[JRodriguez]

Definitely blank. Ruled paper is like a dictatorship to me. I don't like to be told what to do.

. Someone else who understands!

[Metric]

I don't mind if my little moleskine pocket pads are lined, but I certainly demand that my favorite leather bound journals are blank.

[Brerarnold]

Blank, most of the time. I write big, and lines are usually too small. But lines are good when I need to write small, such as on a note pad.

[George]

i love the finest grid paper.

 

OHHH! Kinokuniya ... I *hate* LOVE THAT STORE!!! I was in NY... about. oh yeah 1 day ago they have the nicest things on the top floor. I love their mechanical pencils.. erasers... and their notebooks. The one amazing thing is for all of you needlepoint lovers (like me) there is a pilot fountain pen( its in the case upstairs if any of you go) this pen comes in either clear demonstrator, or black, and the cap is really small, about 1/2-3/4 inch, just enough to cover the nib. It takes standard pilot cart/conv. A great pen, and its realy smooth.

[duanshuncn]

I prefer the ruled, because I like writing in good order.

[orpheus]

Blank.

 

(Somehow, that seems an entirely appropriate first word of my first post on these forums!)

 

Hello all. Been lurking for a while, and decided to plunge in.

 

Yes, blank for me. I like to carry only one book with me, and I never know what I'm going to put into it: journaling (text), a doodle, a more serious drawing, pasting something in, writing music...

 

I'm a composer, and the need for staff lines in addition everything else is tough. Moleskine does make a music notebook, I know, and I have one. Loved it at first, but I've come to fear and loathe it. It's ALL staff lines, and when I write something other than music on those pages, I feel the staves standing there in the background, arms crossed, shaking their heads disapprovingly. Plus, along with many others, I ain't crazy about Moleskine paper for FPs. One of the most useful things I ever found was a little plastic device, about an inch cubed, which when opened was a self-inking roller to make staff lines. I got it at the Yamaha music shop in Tokyo, used it in blank notebooks for the past five years, and just recently lost it here in NYC.

 

I love the paper in Clairefontaine notebooks, but there again, life isn't perfect: I want a small pocket-sized notebook, and for some reason, they only provide a blank paper option for their larger sizes. I think my ideal would be Moleskine construction and blank Clairefontaine paper. A Frankenjournal. Has anyone found anything like this?

 

By the way, two of my heroes come to mind when I think of paper, notebooks, and writing. One is Giacometti, who constantly wrote and drew in pocket notebooks. They were coffee-stained, cigarette-burned, creased and worn from being carried in his pocket, written on with no regard for neatness, page orientation, etc; they existed solely as a conduit for his thoughts. (There's a wonderful description of them in an essay by Jacques Dupin.)

 

I think that's the other thing for me about blank pages. My writing is much sloppier in them, but that matters much less than the good things the blankness does for the freedom of my mind and intuition. Legibility for reading what I've already written is occasionally important. Keeping things free and flowing during the process of writing is ALWAYS important. (For me. YMMV.)

 

But here's the second hero that comes to mind: the writer Russell Hoban (who I also quote in my signature). Russ always writes on blank, A4 sized yellow paper. He describes why in an essay on writer's block (which he calls "blighter's rock"):

 

"One of the earliest symptoms [of blighter's rock] is a growing dread of blank paper, and at this stage preventative action may still have some effect... I always use 80-gram yellow A4; it’s the kind of yellow the paper manufacturers call gold, and gold is what one is trying to refine the base metal of one’s thoughts into... I never use white paper – to intensify the blankness of a blank sheet by using white paper is to run to meet trouble considerably more than halfway."

 

(From 'The Moment Under The Moment' by Russell Hoban)

 

Sorry for the long post. But a good subject to be passionate about!

 

-Michael

Edited February 15, 2007 by orpheus

[sonia_simone]

Michael, I am coming in a little late to thank you for your post.

 

It was almost (almost) enough to romance me into writing on blank gold A4 paper, but that is not my way. I love white, bright unlined white Clairefontaine, with all the ink colors singing pure and true.

 

I am also becoming perversely addicted to Moleskine cahiers--yes the paper is rottenish, but there is something in that soft texture and resultant feathering line that has become weirdly appealing to me.

 

I am sad that you lost your little ink roller. NYC is a large and resourceful place, I hope someone there can find you another.

[Anne-Sophie]

QUOTE (tonyv @ Jun 1 2006, 08:16 PM)

I remember reading somehere what French ruled paper is (I think it was on a claire Fontaine or Rhodia website), but I can't remember the definition. I have a Rhodia notepad that I think is French ruled--considerably large left-side margin, a little more than 1/4 (0.25) width of the paper. Does anyone know off the top of his head why it's called French ruled and what the reason is for the wide margin?

French rules is called Seyes, the name of the man who invented the ruling.

 

It is comprised of 5 light lines between 2 thick lines. Like if you were tracing eigth of an inch lines between wide ruled lines.

 

The wide margin is there to be used by teachers, this is where they make their corrections, remarks and editing signs, this is also where the mark for the paper, essay, exam is affixed, typicaly on the left corner of the first page.

 

I have used this ruling all my life, being French born.

[Anne-Sophie]

QUOTE (Ringtop @ Aug 28 2006, 11:34 AM)

I prefer unlined paper, but it would probably help me to use a guide sheet. I'd like to get some Clairefontaine unlined letter sheets with matching envelopes, but I haven't run accross a place that has them in stock. (Or, I suppose I could just use up the 3 boxes of Cranes and whatnot that I have laying around) Ringtop

Pendemonium has them.