The dot grid

This is the feature that separates Leuchtturm1917's dotted notebook from most of its competitors. The dots are small and light — printed in a grey that genuinely recedes when you write over them. On other dot grid notebooks, notably Rhodia, the dots are larger and darker, sitting prominently on the page and competing with your content. On the Leuchtturm1917, they guide without dominating.

The 5mm spacing is the standard for most dot grid notebooks. It's wide enough to write comfortably between dots, narrow enough to be useful for layouts and dividers. The grid also includes subtle markers at every 5th dot — a small cross — that make it easy to divide the page into sections without counting dots individually. For bullet journalers setting up spreads and trackers, this is genuinely useful.

The slightly off-white (chamois) paper colour is a deliberate choice. Pure white paper creates more eye fatigue over long writing sessions. The warm tint is subtle enough that most people don't notice it consciously, but it makes extended writing noticeably more comfortable.

Paper quality

The standard A5 uses 80gsm acid-free paper. For ballpoints, rollerballs, fineliners, and most gel pens — it performs cleanly. Ghosting (where writing shows faintly through to the next page) is minimal. Bleedthrough with standard inks is rare.

Where it has limits: fountain pens with wet inks, broad nibs, or highly saturated shading inks can cause light feathering on 80gsm paper. This is not unique to Leuchtturm1917 — it's a paper weight constraint. Pilot Iroshizuku and standard Diamine inks on fine to medium nibs perform well. Noodler's bulletproof, Robert Oster formulas, and wet Japanese pens at broad widths will show more feathering.

For heavier ink use — fountain pens, brush markers, light watercolour washes, or art journaling — the Edition 120g is the right choice. At 120gsm, it eliminates the feathering concern entirely.

In Singapore and Malaysia's humid climate, paper absorbs more ambient moisture, which can increase feathering with wet inks on any paper. This is another reason heavier paper has an advantage in the region — 80gsm is still reliable for most use cases, but the margin is slightly narrower than in a dry climate.

The hardcover advantage

The hardcover is not just an aesthetic choice. It means the notebook is its own writing surface — you can write on it without resting it against a desk, clipboard, or folder. In meetings, on commutes, at a café, standing at an event — the hardcover makes the notebook genuinely usable in every context. This is something customers consistently mention when explaining why they moved from softcover notebooks: the flexibility to write anywhere is something you don't appreciate until you have it.

The thread-sewn binding means the notebook lies completely flat when open. There's no resistance from the spine, no pages springing back closed. A notebook that doesn't lie flat is frustrating to use over time — this one doesn't have that problem.

Organisation features

251 numbered pages, a table of contents at the front, two ribbon bookmarks, an expandable back pocket, and a sticker set for labelling the spine and cover. These features exist because Leuchtturm1917 was designed for people who use their notebooks to find things later, not just write things down.

The numbered pages are what make the table of contents work. Most notebooks don't have numbered pages — which means you can't build a meaningful index, and you can't find a specific entry without flipping through. Once you've used a notebook with numbered pages, going back feels like losing a filing system.

The two ribbon bookmarks are more useful than they sound. One for your current page, one for a reference page you keep returning to — a monthly tracker, a project log, a reading list. Most notebooks have one ribbon at most.

Who it's for

Colours available

The A5 Medium Hardcover Dotted is available in over 20 colours — Black, Navy, Stone Blue, Indigo, Deep Sea, Mint, Cherry, Port Red, Lemon, Sunflower, Rising Sun, Pumpkin, Lilac, Powder, Dusty Rose, Sage, and more. There is no minimum order quantity per colour for corporate orders, which means you can order different colours for different teams or individuals within a single order.

Browse the full colour range with descriptions and foil pairing recommendations in our Leuchtturm1917 colour guide.

Available in Singapore and Malaysia

The Leuchtturm1917 A5 Medium Hardcover Dotted is available at lt1917.com — the official authorised distributor for Singapore and Malaysia. All products are genuine, authorised stock — not grey market imports. Direct delivery to Singapore and Peninsular Malaysia.

For retail locations in Singapore and Malaysia, see our store locator.