A5 Leather Journals

What Size Is A5, Exactly?

A5 paper is 148 by 210 mm, or 5.8 by 8.3 inches: half of A4, double A6. It is the most common notebook format in Europe and the default size for bullet journalling. The Asperaria A5 cover measures 6 by 8.5 inches, cut a little larger than the paper so the notebook sits protected inside rather than level with the edges.

Which Notebooks Fit an A5 Cover

Any A5 notebook. The Leuchtturm1917 Medium is 145 by 210 mm and sits in these covers without modification, which covers most bullet journal setups. So does the Hobonichi Cousin, and the Moleskine Large, which is a little narrower than true A5 and simply leaves a fraction more room at the sides. Rhodia, Clairefontaine, Stalogy and Muji A5 notebooks all work the same way.

Thickness is rarely an issue, because the notebook is held by elastic bands rather than pushed into a fixed pocket. The bands stretch. Most Asperaria A5 covers carry three notebooks at once, and the Gabriel and Meloria lines carry five.

A5 as a Traveler's Notebook Setup

The elastic-band system here is the same one traveler's notebooks use, just in A5 rather than the tall narrow Regular format. That means you can run the classic setup at a bigger page size: one notebook for daily writing, one for planning, and a leather insert on the third band for cards and receipts. If you want the original narrow proportions instead, that is Regular Size.

A5 Against the Sizes Either Side

Going down: B6 is 125 by 176 mm, the usual step for people who found A5 slightly too big for a handbag, and A6 is 105 by 148 mm, small enough for a coat pocket. Going up: B5 is 176 by 250 mm and A4 is 210 by 297 mm, both desk formats. A5 is the compromise that works for most people, which is exactly why it is the size that sells most. See the whole range on leather journals.

Who Picks A5

People who write in paragraphs rather than lines. Long-form journalling, weekly spreads, meeting and lecture notes, sketching, therapy notes, project planning, reading logs. A5 gives a page you can finish a thought on without turning it, and it still goes in a tote or a rucksack without argument.

Building the A5 Setup

An A5 leather insert takes one elastic slot and adds card holders and a zip pocket, so the journal carries cards, cash and tickets as well as paper. A journal charm clips onto the closure elastic. Every A5 journal can be personalized with initials, a name or a symbol — see personalized leather journals for placement options.