My 5-Step Checklist for a Reliable Writing Setup (Rhodia, Tools, and the Mistakes I Made)

I've been freelancing for about 8 years now. I'm the guy who orders the supplies, sets up the workflow, and then fixes it when something breaks. My first year (2017) I spent close to $1,200 on notebooks and pens that looked great on Instagram but bled through after two lines. Another $800 went into a printer that couldn't handle the art paper I needed. And don't get me started on the citation mess that cost me a client in 2021.

Over time I developed a checklist. It's not fancy. It's just the order of operations I follow now before I commit to any new piece of gear or process. This list works for me when setting up a writing or creative workspace, especially if you're into fountain pens, custom printing, or academic work. It covers five things: notebook selection, pen choice, layout calculations, printing solutions, and citation formatting.

Before You Start: What This Checklist Is For

This is for anyone who's tired of buying premium notebooks that feather, or ordering a sublimation printer that doesn't fit their workflow, or fighting with APA citations at 2 AM. If you've ever spent money on a tool that looked great in reviews but failed in real use, this list is for you. It's five steps, and I recommend doing them in order.

Step 1: Choose Your Notebook Like It's a Test, Not a Treat

Most beginners pick a notebook by the cover. I did. In 2018 I bought a Rhodia A5 dot grid notebook because every YouTuber used it. But I was writing with a wet fountain pen and the ink took forever to dry. The paper was actually fine—Rhodia's 90 gsm Clairefontaine paper is famously fountain-pen friendly. The problem was my pen/ink combo. So step one is: test the exact pen and ink you plan to use on the exact notebook before buying in bulk.

Here's what I do now:

• I get a single Rhodia notebook (either the Webnotebook or the staplebound—both use the same paper).
• I write with my fountain pen (a Rhodia fountain pen, medium nib, with Waterman ink) on the dot grid and the blank pages.
• I check for show-through, feathering, and drying time. If it works, I order a case. If not, I switch ink or nib.

One thing I learned the hard way: Rhodia notebooks are excellent for most fountain pen inks, but some heavily sheening inks (like Organics Studio Nitrogen) will still ghost. That's not a defect—it's the nature of sheen. Accept it or choose a different ink.

Step 2: Match Your Pen to Your Writing Style, Not Your Aesthetic

From the outside, a Rhodia fountain pen looks like a $50 instrument. The reality is that it's a reliable, smooth-writing tool that won't break the bank. But I assumed any fountain pen would work for any task. That assumption cost me a $450 redo on a hand-lettered project in 2020.

I was using a fine nib for headings. Looked scratchy. I switched to a medium nib and the ink flow was perfect—but the line width was too fat for the small dot grid. I'd have saved time if I'd matched nib size to grid size from the start. Here's my rule of thumb:

• Dot grid 5 mm: use extra-fine or fine nib.
• Dot grid 7 mm: use medium or broad nib.
• Lined or blank: any nib works, but test first.

Also, the Rhodia ballpoint pen is fine for quick notes, but for long writing sessions the fountain pen is where the magic happens. I now keep a Rhodia fountain pen (medium) for drafting and a fine-nib for margin notes.

Step 3: Use a Pythagorean Theorem Calculator for Layout Planning

This is the step most people skip, and it bit me in 2022. I was designing a custom planner layout on a Rhodia blank notebook. I wanted symmetrical margins, centered headings, and equally spaced sections. I eyeballed it. Looked great on the first page. By page 5 everything had drifted. I wasted a whole notebook.

Now I use a Pythagorean theorem calculator to check diagonals and ensure rectangular symmetry. Why? Because if you're drawing grids or margins manually, the diagonal measurement (from one corner to the opposite) tells you if your rectangle is truly square or rectangular. For example, on a Rhodia A5 (148 × 210 mm), the diagonal is sqrt(148² + 210²) = about 256 mm. If my measured diagonal is off by more than 2 mm, I know my layout is skewed.

There are free online Pythagorean theorem calculators—just search "pythagorean theorem calculator" and plug in your dimensions. I use it every time I set up a new notebook layout now. Saved me dozens of hours and at least $200 in wasted notebooks.

Step 4: Choose a Sublimation Printer Only If You Actually Need Sublimation

In September 2022, I bought a sublimation printer because a client wanted custom printed labels on Rhodia-style notebooks. I assumed any sublimation printer would work. I bought a cheap Epson EcoTank converted to sublimation. The print quality was decent, but the ink faded after two weeks. I didn't realize sublimation needs a heat press and specific polymer-coated substrates. Notebooks don't have that coating. So I wasted $600 on a printer + supplies that couldn't do the job.

The lesson: sublimation printers are great for custom apparel, mugs, and phone cases with a polymer coating. They are not for printing directly onto notebook covers or paper. If you want to personalize a Rhodia notebook, look into UV printing or label printers instead. If you do need sublimation for other projects, the industry standard is a dedicated printer like the Sawgrass SG500 or a converted Epson with proper sublimation ink and ICC profiles. And always run a test print on your actual substrate before bulk production.

For reference, I now use a standard laser printer for labels and sticker paper. It's cheaper, faster, and doesn't require a heat press. My sublimation printer collects dust.

Step 5: Learn How to Cite a Journal Article in APA Before You Submit Anything

This is the step that tripped me up hardest. In 2021 I delivered a white paper with seven references. The client asked for APA 7th edition. I thought I knew it. I didn't. Turns out I had the author names in the wrong order, the italics were missing on the journal title, and the DOI was formatted incorrectly. The client had to redo it themselves. That cost me $0 in rework fees but a lot of credibility. I lost that client.

So step five of my checklist: before I include a single citation, I open the official APA style guide or a trusted generator. The correct format for a journal article is:

Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year). Title of article. Title of Periodical, Volume(Issue), Page–Page. https://doi.org/xxxx

For example: Smith, J., & Doe, M. (2023). The effects of paper quality on ink performance. Journal of Writing Tools, 15(2), 45–62. https://doi.org/10.1234/abc

Per FTC guidelines (ftc.gov), you should not make false claims about your expertise. So I don't pretend to be an APA expert. I use the Purdue Online Writing Lab as a reference and double-check with the official APA manual. Since I started using a how to cite a journal article APA cheat sheet, I've had zero citation rejections in 3 years.

Final Thoughts: The Checklist Saved Me $4,200+

I keep this checklist taped inside my Rhodia notebook. It's five steps, takes 20 minutes to run through, and it has prevented me from making the same mistakes multiple times. I still make new mistakes—last month I ordered 200 Rhodia notebooks with the wrong ruling because I misread the product code. That's a different checklist. But for a solid writing setup that covers notebook, pen, layout, printing, and citations, this list works.

If you're setting up your own workspace, start with step one. Don't skip step three (the Pythagorean calculator is weirdly useful, I promise). And for the love of deadlines, learn how to cite a journal article APA before you submit anything important. Trust me.