Minimalism Art, Premium Hard Cover Notebook Journal, Classic 5" x 8.3", 122 Numbered Pages, Gusseted Pocket, Ribbon Bookmark, Extra Thick Ink-Proof Paper 120gsm, San Francisco (Dotted, Amber Yellow)

I chose this notebook, (after a *very* extensive, overwhelming search for the "right one"), for my first foray into bullet journaling. As per my usual process, I read through most of the reviews of this product before deciding to purchase it and I have to say, I agree with them after two weeks of using this notebook! I selected the yellow color so to hinder my tendency to lose things in plain sight and the bright, rare shade of yellow does, indeed, stand out in my home, which will hopefully make misplacing it more difficult. It's also made out of a strong and heavier duty material, which makes me feel more assured about the safety of the pages within. The squared pages are durable and smooth, so writing's a dream! Yes, darker shaded permanent markers do bleed through the pages a bit, so that it can interfere with writing on the reverse side, but I've found ways of working around this. (I'm currently using Papermate Felt tip pens, Bic Ultra Fine Point Markers, fine point Sharpies, Pilot Precise Fine Point Rolling Ball pens and various highlights and colored pencils.) When the notebook is open it's easy for the journal's pages to lay flat so that I can leave it out open for convenience sake, yet doesn't show signs of weakness where the binding is concerned. (My #1 concern with any notebook I ended up purchasing was, would the binding hold up and keep pages from falling out after a lot of flipping and usage, (probably the most common complaint I've read about in similar notebook reviews).) So far, so good! The elastic closure seems to be good quality and the bookmarking ribbon is definitely getting used! I haven't found a use for the pocket located in the back of the journal, but I'm sure that it will come in handy in the future. With the reasonable, competitive price, the quantity of high-quality pages and the quality and durability of the design, I'm very pleased with my purchase thus far. Perhaps in a month my opinion of this journal will change, but so far I am very happy with my purchasing decision and look forward to using every page in this notebook!

I was searching for a good notebook to start my first bullet journal in. I initially bought a cheap notebook but found the pages too thin. But then I stumbled across this 100 gsm thicck notebook, and it was the one! Things I like about this little notebook: -decently thick pages that my gel pens won't bleed through (some minor ghosting though) -good quality at a good price! -pages lay flat -soft faux leather cover that is nice to the touch -smooth, both inside and out -a little pocket in the back waiting to be filled -an attached ribbon bookmark! I ordered the yellow dotted hardcover notebook. I am very pleased with the warm golden orangey yellow shade, it's very beautiful and not too poppy. I was also debating between blank or dotted, being worried that the dots would be too noticeable. I went with the dots to make my life easier. And, to my pleasant surprise, the dots are a subtle light grey! Another disproved worry that I had was that the notebook would be too heavy. But, for a hardcover notebook, it's pretty light! It measures to be about 392 g. My only complaint is that the cover strap thing seems a bit unecessary with the hardcover, since the notebook already closes flat. The elastic strap also made some imprints on the faux leather cover. But other than that, this notebook is a real looker!

A long-time Moleskine loyalist, I have purchased a great deal of journals over the years. I probably should own stock in Moleskine. I have loved my red Moleskines, which is why it saddens me to write this review of my shameless affair with Unni... You see, Moleskin and I have been having some trouble, namely with the decline I've witnessed in quality over the years, thinner lower quality paper / pages being a big issue. Maybe Moleskine just doesn't love me anymore? Maybe it's lost that loving feeling. It's a shame really, after all we've been through together... Alas, everything has a reason and a season. Perhaps our love has run it's course? Either way, I recently strayed and had a innocent fling with Unni brand journals... It was not a commitment I told myself. Just seeing what else is out there I said... I received the Unni with it's sleek red leather cover and it's thicker sturdier pagers and I cannot deny, there was a strong attraction... Same size, same color, so easy transition - coordinates well with my hoards of shelved red Moleskines. Better quality and lesser price. I had to wonder why I was even feeling guilty? And then I put the pen to the page... *sigh* I'm sorry Moleskine. Really I am. We had a good thing, but you're no longer the journal I fell in love with; you've changed. Thanks for all the memories and I wish you well, but I'm gonna ride with Unni from now on...

I buy a different dotted A5 journal about twice a year. I was happy to find something stateside that’s affordable and comes in different colors, making it easier to find what I’m looking for. Pictured are 3 different A5 notebooks currently available on Amazon. They are all dotted and hardcover. Black- Essentials Dot Matrix (by Peter Pauper Press) Blue- Leuchtturm 1917 Red- Minimalism Art I hate to admit it but the Leuchtturm reigns, hands down. The better quality is just noticeable as the inking doesn’t show through the paper so much. It also has numbered pages, a prepared table of contents, and two bookmarks (which I was surprised to find that I put to use)— all features the others don’t have. BUT At around $20 it’s almost twice the price of the others, so I’ll let you decide if these perks are worth it to you. Not a whole lot of difference between the Minimalism Art and the Essentials— at nearly exactly the sameness price, too, (around $11). The upside of the Essentials journal is that it is exactly the same size as the Leuchtturm 1917, a true A5. I had to add my own table of contents and numbered my pages. The downside of the Essentials is that it only comes in black. I associate my journals with the years I was writing in them so that won’t work for me anymore. Pages seem the thinnest. Now the crazy thing about the Minimalism journal is the difference in size. It’s not a true A5. It’s slightly longer in length, and shorter in width (see pics). My other journals are A5 so it’s messing with my OCD a bit, but there are so many colors, I’m thinking I’m good with this brand for a few more years. I definitely recommend these. I was surprised by the thickness of the paper, the price is on point, and the colors are super adorable. It’s a wonky size and it’s lacking some fun stuff you get with the Leuchtturm but it’s also half the price.

22DEC2019 Was reminded to update this review as I tested some new layouts for the coming new year and new journal. Still going to use the Minimalism Art notebook since I purchased two last Dec. After some consideration, I really do think this is a great deal. It’s half the price of Leuchtuturm1917 (even cheaper if one is considering the Bujo special edition). Not everyone has $20 to drop on a notebook and it really boils down to whether or not you’re going to use it. For daily use, the jog in the page line-up didn’t bother me. I only really notice it when I’m making use of the edge for a full spread as I do while creating the Monthly Log. It might not be good for anyone who does more elaborate full spreads with drawing, or anyone who cannot have the pages not line up. I’m going back to the basics this year, so no drawings or designs for me, although I might occasionally use a colored triplus fineliner. Overall, the quality isn’t bad for the price. The cover is a nice solid, and though the ribbon did come off, I just stuck it back on where it has stayed since. Sharpie pens don’t bleed through per se, however the writing is faintly visible from the other side of the page. Not a deal breaker for me, but might be for others. For anyone who’s not sure the system will work out and isn’t ready to commit to more expensive notebooks, this is definitely a great alternative. I might try the Leuchtturm1917 next year to see what the fuss is about :) 01JAN2019 I bought this to start the New Year with a new bullet journal. I wasn’t sure how committed I’d be so I wasn’t willing to pay for an actual Bullet Journal. This one seemed nice and reasonably priced. The pages are thicker than normal copy paper and a creamier color. I used Staedtler triplus fineliner pens and, while the ink doesn’t bleed through, it’s still visible from the other side of the page. It’s something I can live with, but bears mentioning. I was disappointed the ribbon came off so quickly. I haven’t even gotten to start the journal. Another thing that bothered me personally was the grid count which differs from the Leuchtturm1917 and the Moleskine. Minimalism: 24 across; 39 down. L & M: 26 across; 38 down. I would’ve preferred more space across rather than down. Plus, the odd numbers bother me, but that’s purely personal. I was writing and saw the pages don’t line up properly which makes me drop my initial rating from 4 to 3 stars. I regret not going with a better option.

I am using this journal for one of my classes that I take a lot of notes for. I usually prefer taking notes in pencil but this notebook kinda called for using pen because I found that using pencil didn't stand out against this slightly manilla colored paper. But it wasn't too bad. I was scared that the pen might bleed through the paper because I use gel pens, but the paper is actually rather thick so it doesn't happen. But you can kinda see the ghost of the pen ink when reviewing a previous page or when writing on the back of another page but it doesn't interfere much when writing. This journal is much nicer than I anticipated it to be, especially for the price. The bullets line up perfectly and are just the right color and size to not obstruct my writing. I love the mustard yellow color. The texture of the journal is really nice too, almost soft but definitely sturdy. It's well-made and seems pretty durable. I love it and cannot recommend it enough. I look forward checking out what other products Minimalism Art has to offer. Really good, quality stuff from what I can tell so far.

Probably my favorite bullet journal I've had ....too bad I filled it all up :)

Love the Minimalism Art products! This is my 3rd journal/sketchbook that I've bought from them and I love the quality and also the feel of the paper is amazing! It's so smooth and will be perfect for ink or alcohol markers which is how I plan to use it. It also comes with 2 bookmarks, back pocket and elastic closure. There is also a table of contents section and the pages are numbered unobtrusively. You can't go wrong with this brand - at least I haven't so far.