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Stationery Times

Dot Grid vs Lined vs Grid Notebooks: Spacing in mm

By · Published · 5 min read

Compiled from 8 sources; we haven't tested these products ourselves yet. How we research

Quick answer

Lined paper suits prose and fast notes, grid paper suits math, diagrams and tidy tables, and dot grid suits bullet journals and mixed pages, because the dots guide you but fade into the background. Common spacings are 5 mm for dots and grids, 6–8 mm for lines, and 7.1 mm for US college rule.

On this page10 sections
Three A5 notebooks open flat to one scale with dot grid, lined and grid rulings
Dots, lines and grid in three A5 notebooks (1 mm = 0.8 px).

Products compared

  1. Forest Green Leuchtturm1917 Medium A5 hardcover, closed and opened flat on dotted, numbered pagesNo. 1Leuchtturm1917 Notebook Medium$$$Read the guide →
  2. Midori MD Notebook A5 with its cream cover and cloth spine, closed and opened flat on 7 mm lined pagesNo. 2Midori MD Notebook A5, 176 pages$$Read the guide →
  3. Light blue LIFE Noble Note A5, closed and opened flat on cream ruled pages with thread stitchingNo. 3LIFE Noble Note A5, 100 sheets$$Read the guide →
  4. KOKUYO Campus Semi-B5 notebook in a blue cover, closed and opened flat on 6 mm dotted rulingNo. 4KOKUYO Campus Notebook, Semi-B5, 30 sheets$Read the guide →
  5. Hobonichi Techo Original A6, closed and opened flat on two daily pages with a 3.7 mm gridNo. 5Hobonichi Techo Original Book, A6, 2027$$$Read the guide →
  6. Black Rhodia No. 16 DotPad A5, closed and open with the cover folded back to a dotted sheetNo. 6Rhodia No. 16 DotPad, A5, top-stapled, black cover$$Read the guide →
ProductBrand originMade inPrice range
Leuchtturm1917 Notebook Medium (A5), Hardcover, 251 numbered pages (dotted, ruled, squared or plain)Leuchtturm1917GermanyVaries (Taiwan or Germany)*Price range: $$$$20–75 per notebook
Midori MD Notebook A5, 176 pages (blank, lined, grid, dot grid or frame)MidoriJapanJapan*Price range: $$$5–20 per notebook
LIFE Noble Note A5, 100 sheets (plain, 8 mm ruled or 5 mm grid)LIFEJapanJapan*Price range: $$$5–20 per notebook
KOKUYO Campus Notebook, Semi-B5, 30 sheets (NO-3BN 6 mm rule; NO-3BTN 6 mm dotted; NO-3ATN 7 mm dotted)KOKUYOJapanJapan*Price range: $under $5 per notebook
Hobonichi Techo Original Book, A6, 2027 (English or Japanese; January or April start)HobonichiJapanNot stated*Price range: $$$$20–75 per notebook
Rhodia No. 16 DotPad, A5, top-stapled, black cover (16559C)RhodiaFranceFrance*Price range: $$$5–20 per notebook
Notes on these facts
  • Leuchtturm1917 Notebook Medium (A5), Hardcover, 251 numbered pages (dotted, ruled, squared or plain): Made by Leuchtturm Gruppe (Geesthacht, Germany). Made in Varies (Taiwan or Germany): Retailer data conflicts. Galaxus has listed Germany for a forest-green Medium dotted hard cover; Digitec has listed Germany, Taiwan and United Kingdom for a red-violet one; several eBay listings for Medium A5 notebooks have given Taiwan (all three now block automated reading). Leuchtturm1917's German and US product pages name no country for the standard notebook; its US 120G page says that edition's paper is made in Germany. Check the label on your copy. Source. Price: example listing. Released: Unsharpen dates the Leuchtturm1917 notebook brand to 2005; we found no separate date for the A5 Medium. The company itself dates to 1917.
  • Midori MD Notebook A5, 176 pages (blank, lined, grid, dot grid or frame): Made by Designphil Inc. (Tokyo); the MD line is now sold as MD PRODUCT. Made in Japan: Midori's Japanese MD PRODUCT store gives 原産国 (country of origin) Made in Japan for the A5, as did the older Midori online store listing for the lined A5 (15294006). The Journal Shop, Galen Leather and Boston General Store agree. Source. Price: example listing. Released: Designphil's February 23, 2018 press release says Midori launched the MD Notebook in 2008 and marked its 10th anniversary in January 2018; Midori's store says the notebook reached 15 years in 2023, when it was renewed with MD Paper covers.
  • LIFE Noble Note A5, 100 sheets (plain, 8 mm ruled or 5 mm grid): Made by LIFE Co., Ltd. (Tokyo). Made in Japan: LIFE's own product page says craftsmen in Tokyo's shitamachi (old downtown) make each Noble Note by hand. Japanese Taste and Paper Whisper also list Japan as the origin. Source. Price: example listing.
  • KOKUYO Campus Notebook, Semi-B5, 30 sheets (NO-3BN 6 mm rule; NO-3BTN 6 mm dotted; NO-3ATN 7 mm dotted): Made by KOKUYO Co., Ltd.. Made in Japan: KOKUYO's own global online store gives Country of Origin: Japan for the NO-3BN 3-pack and 10-pack and for the NO-3BTN and NO-3ATN dotted books. KOKUYO's Japanese catalog pages don't list origin; other Campus lines and sizes may differ. Source. Price: example listing. Released: KOKUYO's Japanese chronicle: the Campus brand began with spiral notebooks in 1965; this perfect-bound Campus Note followed in 1975, and the current design is the fifth generation, from October 2011.
  • Hobonichi Techo Original Book, A6, 2027 (English or Japanese; January or April start): Made by Hobonichi Co., Ltd. (Tokyo). Country of manufacture not stated: Hobonichi's Japanese store listing for the 2027 English Original gives size, weight, pages and paper but no country of manufacture (it names one only for a free charm, made in China), and we found no retailer spec sheet that states it for the Original Book. Hunter Paper Co. says its Original Avec book is made in Japan by Hobonichi, but that is a different product. Check the back of the book. Price: example listing. Released: Hobonichi's history page gives October 5, 2001 as the release date of the first edition, the 2002 Techo.
  • Rhodia No. 16 DotPad, A5, top-stapled, black cover (16559C): Made by Clairefontaine Rhodia (Exacompta Clairefontaine group); sold in the US by Exaclair. Made in France: Rhodia says all its notepads are manufactured at its plant near Mulhouse, Alsace; its 2024 French press kit places the plant at Illzach, on the edge of Mulhouse, since 1997. Retailers The Journal Shop, Dromgooles, Bruneau and Wonderpens also list the No. 16 as made in France. Source. Price: example listing. Released: 1934 is when Rhodia launched its stapled pad (Rhodia press kit); the dot ruling came later, and the black cover in 2007.
  • Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026.

Key takeaways

  • Dot grid notebooks almost always use 5 mm spacing: Leuchtturm1917, Rhodia and Midori MD all print 5 mm dots.
  • US college rule is 9/32 in (7.1 mm) and wide rule 11/32 in (8.7 mm); narrow rule is 1/4 in (6.4 mm).
  • KOKUYO names its Japanese rulings by letter: A rule 7 mm, B rule 6 mm, C rule 5 mm, U rule 8 mm and UL rule 10 mm.
  • Grid paper is usually 5 mm squares, but the Hobonichi Techo uses a finer 3.7 mm grid to fit a day on one A6 page.
  • Closer lines fit more writing: KOKUYO's Semi-B5 Campus has 35 lines a page at 6 mm and 30 lines at 7 mm.

What is the difference between dot grid, lined and grid paper?

Lined paper prints horizontal rules for writing, grid paper prints squares for drawing and aligning, and dot grid prints only the corners of the squares, a light guide that works for both. The ruling is printed on top of the paper; the paper itself can be the same.

Most notebooks come in all three plus blank. The Leuchtturm1917 Medium is sold dotted, ruled, squared and plain, and the Midori MD Notebook A5 lined, grid, dot grid, blank or frame.

What spacing does each ruling use?

Dots and squares are almost always 5 mm apart; lines run from 5 to 10 mm, with 6, 7 and 8 mm most common.

Ruling Spacing Examples
Dot grid 5 mm Leuchtturm1917, Rhodia No. 16, Midori MD
Grid (squared) 5 mm Midori MD, LIFE Noble Note N33
Fine grid 3.7 mm Hobonichi Techo
Narrow lines 6 mm (KOKUYO B rule); 6.4 mm (US narrow, 1/4 in) Leuchtturm1917 ruled, KOKUYO Campus
Medium lines 7 mm (KOKUYO A rule); 7.1 mm (US college, 9/32 in) Midori MD, Maruman Mnemosyne
Wide lines 8 mm (KOKUYO U rule); 8.7 mm (US wide, 11/32 in) LIFE Noble Note N39
Dotted lines 6 or 7 mm lines with dots along them KOKUYO Campus dotted

Spacings come from each maker’s page or our notebook guides; US rules from Wikipedia’s ruled-paper article.

Eight ruling samples drawn to scale, from a 5 mm dot grid to 8.7 mm US wide rule
The same 40 × 30 mm patch in eight rulings (1 mm = 4 px).

Who should choose lined paper?

Anyone who mostly writes sentences: students, diarists and fast note-takers. Lines keep handwriting straight without thinking, and closer lines fit more words per page.

KOKUYO’s 6 mm Semi-B5 Campus fits 35 lines a page, against 30 for its 7 mm version. Pick 6 mm for small handwriting, 7 mm or US college rule for average, and 8 mm or wide rule for large writing.

Who should choose grid paper?

Engineers, students of math and science, and planners who draw tables and charts. Squares give vertical alignment as well as horizontal, so columns of numbers and diagrams stay tidy.

A 5 mm grid is the European and Japanese standard. The Hobonichi Techo’s 3.7 mm grid is finer, packing more rows into the single A6 page it gives each day.

Who should choose dot grid?

Bullet journalers and anyone whose pages mix writing, lists, boxes and sketches. Dots work as lines when you write and as a grid when you draw, yet disappear visually behind the content.

The 5 mm spacing is near-universal. It is why bullet journal notebooks such as the Leuchtturm1917 Bullet Journal Edition 2 are dotted. For heavier paper under markers, the Archer & Olive A5 also uses 5 mm dots.

To set up the pages themselves, see how to start a bullet journal.

What are dotted lines on Japanese notebooks?

KOKUYO’s dotted ruling (ドット入り罫線) adds small dots at even intervals along each line. KOKUYO says the dots help line up the start of each line and draw tables and figures, giving lined paper some of a grid’s structure.

The KOKUYO Campus sells it in 6 and 7 mm versions. It suits students who want lines for writing but neat diagrams too.

Which ruling should you choose?

Choose by what fills your pages, not by fashion.

  • Mostly writing: lined; 6 mm for small handwriting, 7 mm or college rule for average.
  • Numbers, sketches and diagrams: 5 mm grid.
  • A mix, or a bullet journal: 5 mm dot grid.
  • Unsure: dot grid is the safest all-rounder, and our best notebooks roundup covers each ruling.

Frequently asked questions

Is dot grid better than lined paper?

For mixed pages, yes: dots guide writing, boxes and sketches without getting in the way. For long prose, lined paper keeps lines straight with less effort, so the better choice depends on what fills your pages.

What is the standard dot grid spacing?

5 mm. Leuchtturm1917, Rhodia and Midori MD dot grid notebooks all use 5 mm between dots, which is close to a lined page of 5 or 6 mm if you write on every row.

What is college ruled spacing in mm?

9/32 inch, or about 7.1 mm between lines. Wide rule is 11/32 inch (8.7 mm) and narrow rule 1/4 inch (6.4 mm).

What do A rule and B rule mean on Japanese notebooks?

They are KOKUYO's names for line spacing: A rule is 7 mm, B rule 6 mm, C rule 5 mm, U rule 8 mm and UL rule 10 mm. B rule fits more lines for small handwriting.

Which ruling is best for bullet journaling?

Dot grid. The bullet journal method mixes lists, calendars and trackers, and 5 mm dots let you draw them neatly; Leuchtturm1917 sells a dotted Bullet Journal Edition for it.

Is graph paper the same as grid paper?

Yes, both mean squares. Notebook grids are usually 5 mm; US makers often use inch fractions, such as the 3/16 inch grid in Field Notes graph books.

Which line spacing should I choose for small handwriting?

6 mm or 7 mm. A 6 mm ruling (KOKUYO B rule or Leuchtturm1917 ruled) fits more lines; 8 mm and wide rule suit large handwriting and children.

Sources (8)

  1. KOKUYO (Japan): ベーシック罫 (A rule 7 mm, B rule 6 mm, C rule 5 mm, U rule 8 mm, UL rule 10 mm)
  2. KOKUYO (Japan): ドット入り罫線 (dotted ruled lines: dots at even intervals along each line)
  3. KOKUYO (Japan): Campus Notebook B5, B rule 6 mm, 35 lines
  4. Wikipedia: Ruled paper (college rule 9/32 in, wide rule 11/32 in, narrow rule 1/4 in; 5 mm squared paper)
  5. Leuchtturm1917 (Germany): Notizbuch Medium (A5), Dotted (layouts blank, dotted, ruled, squared)
  6. Spilhaus: Leuchtturm1917 Notebook Medium A5, ruled (6 mm lines)
  7. Rhodia: dotPad No. 16 (5 mm dots)
  8. Hobonichi (Japan): Original guide (3.7 mm grid)

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