Midori MD Notebook - A5 Grid Paper

Product Information

For a long time, the Leuchtturm1917 was my favourite A5 notebook. I even wrote a blog post about how it was the best A5 notebook you could buy. Well, it turns out there is a new contender and it might be even better than the Leuchtturm. This is quite surprising for a number of reasons. The main one being that I didn’t like the MD Paper notebook when I first saw it. The outer design of the notebook is very simple with the binding visible on the spine. I think there is something quite pleasing about these design choices. It enhances the simplicity of the notebook rather than adding embellishments to the cover.

MD Notebooks are not to be confused with the Midori Traveler's Notebook. Both are made by Midori. While the notebooks are quite different, although the MD paper found in these Midori MD notebooks is the same paper used in the Midori Traveler's Notebook. MD Paper consists of a range of products owned by Midori. Midori is one of Japan’s most well-known stationery design companies and has been operating since the 1950s. You might recognise Midori as the company who created the Traveller’s Journal range. I used this notebook for six months as a bullet journal and as I mentioned in other posts, I think the design of this notebook really helped me keep a bullet journal. The minimal design made it something I enjoyed using. The blank version which I’ve learned works very well as a sketchbook. MD Paper also makes a sketchbook in this range with a slightly different paper but a blank A5 notebook is an option too.Clear plastic covers are also available, purpose made for the MD Notebook by Midori, with a handy pen loop. More recently the Paper Cream version was launched and this is the version I bought. I really loved the paper in this notebook. It’s an off white colour and complements the pale blue grid design in the notebook. It’s a lovely surface to write on, working well with coloured pencils and the Muji gel pens. MD PAPER DESIGN So in this post, I’m going to review the A5 gridded MD Paper notebook and explain how it has become one of my favourite notebooks. ABOUT MIDORI Midori is a Japanese brand, which makes the MD Paper notebook is slightly harder to come by. If you’re in London take a trip into London Graphics Center. You’ll find the MD Paper notebooks along with other hard to find stationery brands like Field Notes.

If you’re looking for a new notebook I really would give the MD Paper notebook a try. I loved the minimal design, the simple cover is very aesthetically pleasing. As I mentioned it was designed for writing and I enjoyed the experience of using it. I think it’s really difficult to say which notebook is the best. I love both the MD Paper and the Leuchtturm. But I enjoyed the experience of using the MD Paper notebook more. Which I guess is the whole point because it was designed to be an enjoyable experience. FINALLY Note: this notebook is the same as the Midori MD Notebook with model number 13804006, except for the paper band design. Midori MD Notebooks open flat thanks to their thread-stitch binding and feature fountain pen ink friendly paper throughout the range. This particular notebook is the A5, ruled paper English-language version. Recognising the importance of the quality of the paper used to record memories, thoughts and ideas by notebook users, Midori spent years honing its paper in pursuit comfortable writing, ink resistance and anti-transparency.

Diary 2024 (Journal / Planner)

The notebook has a sturdy thread binding that lies flat when open, making it easy to write. It also comes with a ribbon marker to keep your place. The cover is not a typical notebook cover. To feature the charm of the paper itself, the cloth tape used to bind the spine, usually hidden by a cover, is exposed, giving the notebook a unique look. You can even see where the ribbon marker is glued in place.

I went on to try a number of different calligraphy inks in the MD Paper notebook. It turns out that the Dr PH Martin metallic inks worked particularly well thought they take longer than usual to dry.Made in Japan, this simple notebook was designed to create a writing experience that you will enjoy. The high-quality Midori Diary (MD) paper inside was developed in 1960 and has been continuously improved on ever since. Midori has conducted many tests using a variety of writing instruments to inspect the paper quality, including observing whether the ink feathers or bleeds, how it dries, how well the pen tips glide across the surface, how the paper feels to the touch, and so on. As a result, the paper is bleed-resistant, feather-resistant, and fountain-pen friendly, giving the user a pleasant writing experience.

Now, this is a really important question. Is the MD Paper notebook better than the Leuchtturm1917? If you take a direct comparison I’m going to say no. The MD Paper notebook is great, but so is the Leuchtturm. There are just a few things which make me prefer the MD Paper. I wasn’t doing anything special. I treated my notebook the exact same as I would any other. But this cover ended up looking far shabbier than I would expect. This is especially annoying since I had to buy it separately. One of the best things about having such high-quality paper in the MD Paper notebook was when it came time for me to try out art materials in the notebook. As I made my way through the notebook I began using it almost as a sketchbook. Considering how thin the paper is I didn’t think it would hold up well to wet media. It was surprising to learn that it worked very well. I began experimenting with calligraphy in my bullet journal, using it to create headers for my monthly logs.Made in Japan, this simple notebook was designed to create a writing experience that you will enjoy. The high-quality Midori Diary (MD) paper inside was developed in 1960 and has been continuously improved on ever since. Midori has conducted many tests using a variety of writing instruments to inspect the paper quality, including observing whether the ink feathers or bleeds, how it dries, how well the pen tips glide across the surface, how the paper feels to the touch, and so on. As a result, the paper is bleed-resistant, feather-resistant, and fountain-pen friendly, giving the user a pleasant writing experience. The grid ruling on the paper features open squares, with markings along the top and side margins to help count the squares. After using ink in my notebook, I went on to try some brush lettering using gouache. Again I found that the paper held up surprisingly well to the paint. I had no problems with the paper warping or becoming soggy when adding paint. In fact, I would say this notebook works great with gouache. It almost makes me want to buy a blank version to try using as a sketchbook. IS THE MD PAPER BETTER THAN THE LEUCHTTURM? I guess I should explain this story a little more. I was browsing a few stationery shops online when I came across the MD Paper notebook. At the time I was looking for a new notebook and thought this could be a contender. The MD Paper range is sold in the London Graphics Center so when I was in the area, I decided to take a trip to have a look at the notebook in person. With the assumption that I would buy one. Firstly, I prefer the cover of the MD Paper notebook. I know I complained about having to buy a separate cover earlier, it sits somewhere between a hardcover notebook and the softcover. I think I preferred having a notebook which was sturdier than a softcover but still had some give to it.