In case you didn’t know, Typo is an Australian gift and stationery brand, which is also part of the Cotton On Group.
I am a huge fan of Typo. I love their quirky products, the themed stationery (Harry Potter, to be specific), and I am a frequent visitor of the store.
A few months ago, they sent over a few stationery items, which included 3 notebooks, for me to use. I was not sure if I was going to use the notebooks because I am very picky with the paper I use. But I have to admit, I was curious.
I’ve always been skeptical about the quality of novelty stationery because I feel that it’s focused on form rather than function. These are the types of things that you would normally buy because they look “cute” or because they make great gifts.
Disclosure: This product was sent to us for free in return for my honest review. Photos are ours unless otherwise stated. All opinions expressed here are the author’s own and are not in any way influenced by the aforementioned organization. For inquiries, please visit our Partnership and Advertisements page.
About the Notebook
The A5 Graduate Notebook is a thin notebook with lined ruling. The notebook is made from 50% recycled paper and is covered with a Typo-designed card stock.
Unfortunately, no further information is stated in the product page except for the dimensions of the notebook – 14.8cm x 21cm/ 5.82 x 8.26″. Number of pages is unknown but the notebook is 5mm/0.5cm thick.
Another thing to note is that there is a Typo watermark on the bottom right of the page.
Paper Quality
Paper quality is average but not bad. In fact, it surpassed my expectations (which weren’t that high at all). Ballpoints work best with this pen and perhaps thin gel pens.
With pens that put down more ink, like a brush pen or a fountain pen, there is a bit of show through and bleeding at the back of the page.
Zebra Mildliners bled through the page especially with two layers of highlighting. Ghosting was also noticeable with the Mildliners.
Fountain Pen Use
The paper used in the Graduate Journal can handle fountain pen ink fairly well. There is a bit of feathering but it’s barely noticeable with some inks.
Pilot Iroshizuku 
Diamine Bilberry 
Diamine Scarlet
With the permanent inks such as the Platinum Carbon Black and the Noodler’s Lexington Grey, feathering is quite obvious.
Platinum Carbon Black 
Noodler’s Lexington Grey
Colors will look flat because the paper absorbs the ink quickly. I tried one of the best shading inks, the Noodler’s Apache Sunset and it just looked like an average orange ink on the Typo Graduated Journal.
Of course, this paper will not be able to handle ink splatters, ink swabs, or ink drops because it will bleed through and all you will end up with is a mess.
Overall Thoughts
Recommended for:
- People who enjoy unique notebook covers
- Ballpoint pen users
Not recommended for:
- People who are picky with paper
- Taking notes if you need to highlight
The Graduate Journal is not bad at all. Like I said, it surpassed my low expectations of novelty notebooks. One thing that I love about Typo products is the design. The Graduate Journal comes in different quirky designs which makes this a great gift. This makes a great everyday notebook and can even be used for basic bullet journaling.
Where to buy?
You can find more of these in the Cotton On website.
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