Saturday, 31 August 2013

Free Filofax diary inserts to print on Letter paper

These diary sets have been available for some time now for people to download and print on A4 paper. Steve and I have posted them here and on Philofaxy and they've proved popular. Now I am making available versions that will print on Letter paper, the North American standard. You can download whichever of these you want to try - or all of them if you like.

Each prints out on Letter paper, double sided. Each Letter sheet will contain two double-sided Personal Filofax pages, with crop marks showing you where to cut using a craft knife and ruler to release the individual pages. The templates are set up with mirrored gutters to accommodate the holes.

If all you want is a full year of diary pages, then you can download the 2014 diary sets. These come as Word documents or PDFs. If using the PDF be sure to set it to print at full size as explained here.

But if you want to use these layouts as a starting point for your own personalised creation, then you'll need to download the base Word file and the Excel data source. When you've made all the changes you like to the template, you can perform a mail merge to create your own insert for any period you like. Check out my Free Diary Pages link if you want more information on how to do this, including videos. 

So, here are today's layouts.

1. Day per page


This is the classic layout, featuring appointment times and with space for notes and actions.

Download as a full 2014 set: Word file or PDF file

Download source files: Word file and Excel file (you'll need both)


2. Day per page minimalist


This version has a retro feel, harking back to desk calendars of old. There's no set structure; this is an insert you can use creatively.

Download as a full 2014 set: Word file or PDF file

Download source files: Word file and Excel file (you'll need both)


3. Day on two pages


For people whose days require a lot of organising, this layout spreads the day over a full view.

Download as a full 2014 set: Word file or PDF file

Download source files: Word file and Excel file (you'll need both)


4. Two days per page

When the standard week on two pages doesn't give you enough room each day, but you don't need a full page each day, this layout is a good compromise. This is available in three versions - plain, lined and lined with icons. The icons provide a quick way to record your mood and the prevailing weather.

Plain layout


Download as a full 2014 set: Word file or PDF file

Download source files: Word file and Excel file (you'll need both)

Lined layout


Download as a full 2014 set: Word file or PDF file

Download source files: Word file and Excel file (you'll need both)

Lined with icons


Download as a full 2014 set: Word file or PDF file

Download source files: Word file and Excel file (you'll need both)

Sunday, 25 August 2013

An address book for the Midori Traveler's Notebook to print and make

On the Midori Traveler's Notebook resources Facebook page recently, somebody asked for an address book. I thought this was a good idea, so I built one. Here's how it looks:

Inside the front cover

Internal layout - note the highlighted letters down the sides of the page

This is designed to work as a Midori Traveler's Notebook insert but will work equally well as a stand-alone booklet.

You can download the address book pages and print a booklet for yourself. The file prints double-sided on A4 paper in booklet mode. You can then bind the sheets into a cover and trim. This post will show you how.

I'm making this available as a in two formats, so everyone should be able to use it. If you want to tinker with it, choose the editable Word file, which is unprotected.

To get started, either download the Word file or download the PDF file.

Wednesday, 21 August 2013

Indexing your notebook content

If you use a bound notebook rather than a loose-leaf system it can be tricky to locate a particular note just when you need it. Your notes are likely to have been accumulated in a chronological order and unless you maintain multiple notebooks the information won't be organised to make retrieving it always a simple matter.

That's where an index can be very useful. When you set up a new notebook for the first time, reserve the first six pages (or the last six - the choice is yours). Divide each of those pages into four sections, like this:


Do this to all six pages and you will have 24 sections in all. You need to assign each to a letter of the alphabet, combining X, Y and Z in the last section. If you want to combine a few more letters (P and Q, or W and V, for instance) you might be able to get the index down to 4 or 5 pages. Write the relevant letter in each section:


Now, as you go about filling the rest of the notebook, take some time, perhaps weekly, to review the new content and index it. If, for instance, page 3 of your notebook contains a list of the books you want to read, create an entry in your index section for the letter "B":

 If later you should list more books you want to read on page 16, you can add this to the same entry:


Here's how your opening index page might look after a couple of weeks of use:


This is a really practical way to get the advantages of a bound notebook and still be able to find specific content quickly when you need to.

Monday, 19 August 2013

New Midori Traveler's Notebook cutout - 2014 UK Holidays

A while ago, I decided to start making information sheets you could print, cut out and stick in your Midori Traveler's Notebook, just like the ones you can get at the Midori site.

Today's cut-out file shows UK holidays in 2014.


In all, there are 4 pages in this file which collectively list all the major holidays in the UK in 2014. There is space for you to add your own important dates too.

You can download the PDF file here.

Print at full size and cut as indicated (there are printer's crop marks on every page as shown below.) Then simply glue into your notebook insert.

I'm intending to make more of these cut-out inserts; please let me know in the comments if there is anything you would like to see included.

Friday, 16 August 2013

Filofax Personal note page inserts for Letter Paper users

If you're in North America, without access to A4 paper but with plentiful stocks of Letter paper, you'll probably be keen to download and print these generic note pages for your Personal size Filofax.

There's a choice of three for you: lined paper, grid paper or dot grid paper.

My lined paper is a little different from the standard Filofax version. Here are the two side by side so you can more closely compare them - mine is on the left, with the standard Filofax page on the right.

In my version, there's less space at the very top and the lines are more widely spaced.

Download as a Word file or as a PDF file.


Here is the grid paper:


Download as a Word file or as a PDF file.


And here is the dot grid:


Download as a Word file or as a PDF file.


I'm sure you can find hundreds of uses for each of these.

Print them double-sided. If you have a duplex printer, set it to flip on the short edge. If you don't then you'll have to print odd-numbered pages and then refeed to print the even-numbered pages on the reverse. You might have to experiment to find out how to refeed the paper.

On one side of each sheet you'll find crop marks. Use a craft knife and a steel ruler to release the Personal pages and punch them. The templates are set up with mirrored gutters to accommodate the holes.

If using the PDF be sure to set it to print at full size as explained here.

Ideas for your Personal Filofax page template

So you've downloaded your Filofax Personal page template for Word. You probably have ideas of your own for how you might use it, but here are a couple I had.

I'm always using websites to find recipes for food I'd like to make, but when I'm ready to make something I often decide just to make something familiar because I can't be bothered going to find the recipe again. Well, with a little cut-and-paste action, I can have that recipe in my Filofax ready for use next time:


Do you have an email inbox full of emails that contain information you don't need right now, but don't want to forget? Again, a little cut-and-paste into the template and you can happily file or delete the mail, knowing that you have its information accessible and ready for use:


What ideas have you had for using the template?


Tuesday, 13 August 2013

Template for printing directly on Filofax Personal paper

I've had a few requests for a Word template that will let you print directly onto plain Filofax paper and today I am making one available for download. Not all printers will handle this size of paper and very few will be able to use their duplex function with it. But if you're happy to print a side at a time, this is what you need.

It comes with some placeholder text so you can see where the margins are. It is set up with mirror margins, so odd-numbered pages have their margin for the holes on the left, while even-numbered pages expect the holes to be on the right.



This might be handy for information you need to have to hand. I have a sheet, for instance, with all the phone numbers to report the loss of different credit and membership cards (which I don't carry in my Filofax or the list might be pointless!)

Anyway, whatever your use, you can download the file by clicking here: Filofax Personal Microsoft Word template 

Sunday, 11 August 2013

Making your own Midori-style Traveler's Notebook - video tutorial

I've been meaning to get around to this for a long time. Here is a video that shows every stage of making your own Traveler's Notebook. It includes some optional steps, like rounding off the corners and adding a bookmark.




I hope you enjoy watching, and perhaps making your own Traveler's Notebook.

Two more Filofax Personal inserts for Letter Paper users

My project to convert my A4 Filofax Personal templates to Letter paper continues. Today I'm releasing two further pages for you to download, print and use. Follow the header links to the original blog posts for each of these if you want more information on their use.

1. Turbo Tasks

Click to enlarge

Make sure to visit the original post on this insert to see how it is best used.

Download as a Word file or as a PDF file.

2. Course Record

Click to enlarge


Download as a Word file or as a PDF file.

Print these double-sided. If you have a duplex printer, set it to flip on the short edge. If you don't then you'll have to print odd-numbered pages and then refeed to print the even-numbered pages on the reverse. You might have to experiment to find out how to refeed the paper.

On one side of each sheet you'll find crop marks. Use a craft knife and a steel ruler to release the Personal pages and punch them. The templates are set up with mirrored gutters to accommodate the holes.

If using the PDF be sure to set it to print at full size as explained here.

Saturday, 10 August 2013

Filofax Personal inserts for Letter Paper users

I get a lot of email from North Americans, frustrated that they can't use my A4-based templates. It seems the American government won't step in and adopt the system the rest of the world uses. So Plan B it is, then.

Converting all the inserts will be a long-term project, but to get the ball rolling, I'm releasing three Filofax Personal inserts in Letter Paper format for you to download, print and use. Follow the header links to the original blog posts for each of these if you want more information on their use.

1. Don't Forget pages



Download as a Word file or as a PDF file.

2. Weekly Habits Tracker



Download as a Word file or as a PDF file.

3. Weekly Meals Planner



Download as a Word file or as a PDF file.


Print these double-sided. If you have a duplex printer, set it to flip on the short edge. If you don't then you'll have to print odd-numbered pages and then refeed to print the even-numbered pages on the reverse. You might have to experiment to find out how to refeed the paper.

On one side of each sheet you'll find crop marks. Use a craft knife and a steel ruler to release the Personal pages and punch them. The templates are set up with mirrored gutters to accommodate the holes.

If using the PDF be sure to set it to print at full size as explained here.

Further inserts will be converted gradually until the full back-catalogue is available in this format, but this won't be a short job.

Friday, 9 August 2013

Download and make your own Field Notes and Moleskine Cahier sized diary

If you're a regular reader you'll know that I've made available for download a number of different diaries for the Midori Traveler's Notebook in both sizes. I've also shown you how to make your own Traveler's Notebook from scratch, which means you need not be confined solely to Midori's two sizes.

I have made my own in a size that accepts Field Notes and Moleskine Cahier notebooks. For me, this is a more practical size than Midori's Passport format.

I have built a weekly diary layout for this size, which you can download and print at home if you like. Here's what it looks like:

Inside front cover

Week layout

Download your choice of file from the list below.
2013 July - December        PDF version
2014 January - June        PDF version
2014 July - December        PDF version
These files should be printed on A4 paper in booklet mode, assuming your printer supports it. If your printer doesn't support booklet mode, you can use the wonderful FinePrint app.

Then you can stitch or staple on a cover and cut the insert down to size. The finished booklet will measure 14cm x 9cm.

Although designed to fit into your system, these will work just as well as standalone diaries.

Wednesday, 7 August 2013

Geek out with a DIY Pencil Guard

Wooden pencils are wonderful tools for writing and drawing, but if you've tried to take them out and about, you'll have become aware of the disadvantages that spring from having an exposed point knocking around in your pocket, bag or pencil case. Sooner or later the point will snag, or you'll get graphite marks everywhere. You might stab yourself, or someone else.

May I present the solution? This is what I'm calling a Pencil Guard. You can make it at home for pennies and it will make it much easier and more pleasant to carry and use your pencils away from the desk.


You need to begin with some clear PVC or silicone tubing. It needs to have an inner diameter of exactly 7mm. Tubing is usually specified using two measurements, e.g. 7mm x 9mm. The smaller number will be the internal diameter, the larger number the outer diameter. This is the one I bought. You'll probably want to order just a metre of this, unless you carry a very large number or pencils around with you.

All you need to do is use a very sharp knife to cut 40mm lengths of tubing. Each one is a Pencil Guard.

Carrying a pencil using a Pencil Guard will mark you out as a careful and resourceful user of traditional writing instruments, or - as my wife would have it - a geek.

Sunday, 4 August 2013

The Thousand Books Project - happy ending time

Remember my Thousand  Books Project? Well, I made it. Nearly two years early, I have just finished my thousandth book since I began logging my reading in July 2005 and set myself a ten-year objective.

I went to a bookshop to choose number one thousand. It had to be a special book and I entered Waterstones with no idea what I was going to buy. And then I saw the perfect choice.


Neil Gaiman is a wonderful writer and an exceptional blogger so I knew this would be good. And it was. I can't possibly do it justice with a summary or a review. If you are in any way creative or aspire to be creative, read the book. It will speak to you.

So, what shall I read next...?


Friday, 2 August 2013

Filofax, Midori and Moleskine pages sizes compared

In case you were wondering about the relative sizes of pages in competing note systems, I have built the graphic below, which shows the most popular sizes of Filofax, Midori and Moleskine pages placed together and notes their measurements in millimetres.

Click to enlarge


Thursday, 1 August 2013

Easy DIY Midori kraft file - passport and Field Notes edition

I recently showed how to use an old A4 envelope to make a quick kraft file for your Midori Traveler's Notebook.

I'm delighted to find that you can use the same trick with an A5 envelope to make a similar insert for your Passport-size Midori or your Field Notes-size version.

Adding the insert

Insert in place and ready for use.

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