Wasted $60 on a fancy dotted notebook that bled like crazy

I bought this premium notebook from a local arts store near Philly for bullet journaling. First time using my Tombow markers, the ink bled straight through to the next page. Wrote maybe 10 pages before I tossed it. Felt like I flushed $60 down the toilet. Anyone else fall for the hype on expensive journals that don't deliver?

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2 Comments

richard_west54mo ago

Test it in the store" is some next level commitment to notebooks lol. @the_logan you're out here treating paper like a used car. Bro it's $60 not a down payment. Just buy a cheaper one next time.

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the_logan4mo ago

$60 is rough, man. I feel your pain. Tombows are wet markers and most fancy notebooks just can't handle them. The paper weight and coating matter way more than the cover or brand. Next time check the pages for "gsm" number on the tag. You want at least 120gsm for marker work, 160 is even safer. My go-to trick is to test ONE page with your wettest pen right in the store before buying. If they won't let you, don't buy it. Also skip anything that feels super thin or slick like magazine paper. That stuff is for fountain pens, not markers. You can save the other 49 pages for a standard pen or pencil if you still have the thing.

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