RHODIA cf16559 Notepad, Dot Pad, No. 16 (A5), 80 Sheets, Dot Ruled, Water Repellent Cover, Perforated, Black Review (2026)

Paper and format

This is Rhodia's No. 16 pad in the A5 size, roughly 5.8 by 8.3 inches, with 80 sheets printed with a 5 millimeter dot grid in a pale color rather than a heavy line. The paper weight is 80 grams per square meter, light for a notebook but treated with Rhodia's signature calendaring that gives it an unusually smooth, almost coated feel under a pen. The pad has a hard cardboard back that provides a stable writing surface even without a desk underneath, and every sheet is perforated along the top so pages tear away cleanly for scanning, sharing, or framing a finished piece without ragged edges.

How it performs with pens and ink

Rhodia paper has a strong reputation among fountain pen and dip nib users specifically because of how smoothly a metal nib glides across it, with minimal catching or feathering even from wetter inks. That smoothness comes with a tradeoff: the paper is not especially absorbent, so ink takes longer to dry fully on the page than it would on a more porous sheet. Right-handed writers moving left to right are less likely to notice, but left-handed calligraphers who drag their hand back across a line they just wrote can smear fresh ink before it sets. Anyone using very wet nibs or heavily saturated ink should plan for a few extra seconds of drying time per line.

Cover and durability

The black cover is described as water repellent, which protects the pad from splashes or damp desks during ink-heavy practice sessions, and the stapled construction keeps the sheets from shifting inside the cover during transport. Rhodia also notes the paper is PEFC certified, meaning it comes from responsibly managed forestry sources, which may matter to buyers who care about the environmental sourcing of their art supplies. Because this is a staplebound pad rather than a glued or sewn binding, it lies reasonably flat when opened, though not as flat as a true lay-flat notebook.

Pad versus bound journal

Being a pad rather than a hardcover bound journal is a deliberate tradeoff. Pads are lighter, cheaper per sheet in many cases, and built around the expectation that sheets will be torn out and used individually, which suits calligraphers practicing single words or phrases they want to keep separately or discard. That same format means the pad lacks the structure, page numbering, or long-term archive feel of a proper bound journal, so it is not the right pick for someone who wants one continuous notebook to look back through later. The dot grid itself, printed lightly rather than as a heavy guideline, is meant to assist spacing and alignment without dominating a finished piece the way solid ruled lines can.

Who this pad suits

This pad is a strong fit for pointed pen and fountain pen calligraphers who want smooth, reliable paper for practicing letterforms, layouts, or finished pieces they plan to tear out and keep separately. It also suits anyone who values a light dot grid for spacing without a fully ruled page. Left-handed writers using wet inks should budget extra drying time or consider blotting between lines. Anyone who wants a single running notebook to journal or practice in continuously, rather than loose sheets, would likely be better served by a bound dot grid notebook instead of this pad format.

Frequently asked questions