Moleskine Writing Template
by Rod Graves
This template is based on a medieval page layout principle described in Robert Bringhurst’s excellent book on typography, ‘The Elements of Typographic Style’. The template is for the unlined ‘Large’/13 x 21cm size, but I will probably add one for the pocket Moleskine. You won’t be able to see the guide through the paper with the Sketchbook type – this is for the green-label/‘Plain Notebook’ type.
BACKGROUND
The Large sized notebook’s dimensions are nearly equivalent to a Golden Section rectangle (1:1.61803…). The design of the template is related to the golden section/Φ/the Fibonacci sequence. Makes a handy bookmark too!
Fig. A: construction of the guidelines
Fig. B: Line-spacing (1/2 of spine margin)
Fig. C: Example of writing with the template
using the template
- Download the PDFs
- Print each PDF on a double sided piece
of card-stock (flipping laterally, not vertically)
Alternatively, print single-sided and then glue the pages to a piece of light card stock - Cut out the templates along the dotted line
- The spine and top margins are narrower than their opposites. Place the template behind the page you are writing on, making sure it is oriented properly
- Try writing with the templates and decide which one you like better
- The small boxes at the top left and right are there in
case you number your pages
Alternatively, you can use the small boxes at the bottom - The separated bottom line or two is for footnotes
- If you like the template, leave it in as a bookmark
The Files
There are two large versions – one based on the method above (1/9th margin) and a very similar one with better page economy/less whitespace (1/12th margin).
» moleskine_large-A.pdf
» moleskine_large-B.pdf
By popular request, there is also a version for the smaller pocket Moleskine:
Enjoy! Please send feedback to contact@rodgraves.com.
And
yes, I realize this is a totally design-geek
thing to bother with ;)