Ever needed to leave a quick note to yourself? Not quite a letter, but not quite a one-word demand, either. A sticky note won’t do the trick, but printer paper is too big for the task.
Time to break out your memo pad and memo sheets.
Memo pads and memo sheets are a great way to capture personal notes, give yourself important reminders, and ensure that critical information doesn’t slip your mind. Better still? They look good while doing it.
Here’s everything you need to know about memo pads and memo sheets before you invest in your own.
What Is A Memo Pad & What Are They Used For?
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The first order of business is knowing what you’re ordering. What is a memo notepad, anyway?
Memorandum pads, or simply memo pads, are a type of note pad or notebook. They look like a cross between a sticky note and a legal pad. Blank memo pads can look like almost anything. Small memo pads can be the size of a regular sticky note or as large as a notebook. With that in mind, let’s clarify a few essential differences. |
Memo Pad vs Legal Pad vs Notebook vs Sticky Note
You’ve definitely encountered the world-famous legal pad–a slim, dapper, top-bound stack of yellow paper with a 1.25-inch margin. It calls to mind courtrooms and meetings with lawyers (in fact, it’s starred pretty much every movie with a courtroom scene).
A notebook, on the other hand, is spiral-bound with 96 sheets of paper and protected by a cover. It’s bulkier than a legal pad, made for long-term note-taking rather than speed-writing. More importantly, this is the go-to tool for preserving notes, since the paper stays protected.
Then there are sticky notes, better known by the familiar brand name Post-It notes. These little guys have been keeping our lives on track since the 80s. The idea is simple: a sheet of paper with adhesive at the back that can be removed and easily repositioned without leaving a mark behind. By now, these little 3×3 pads are so universal that you would know one on sight and never think twice about purchasing a stack of them.
So, what is a memo pad? It’s the best of all those worlds.
Think of a memo pad as the happy medium between all three. They have the quick-flipping ease of a legal pad and are designed to be easily torn for carrying, like a sticky note. Some memo pads, like notebooks, have covers with a spiral binding at the top. However, all memo pads are designed so that the sheets can be easily torn off when you need to take your reminder on the go or throw it away and start fresh.
What are Memo Pads Used For?
Memo pads can be used for a huge array of purposes, depending on the user’s preference and the size of the pad.
Smaller pads without covers can be used like sticky notes. They’re good for quick, small reminders and notes to yourself, especially if you need to take the note on the go. Or even a note that you need to keep in one place, like your WiFi password.
Mid-size pads can be used for more ambitious endeavors, like grocery lists, passive-aggressive notes to a housemate to buy toilet paper, a breakdown of the day’s tasks, a bookmark, or a tiny paper airplane.
Large pads can be used like a legal pad. You can use them to take notes in class (or doodle in the margins when you should be taking notes), scribble down revisions during a work meeting (or snarky commentary about revisions), or lengthier notes to yourself.
What Are Memo Sheets?
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Memo pad paper, or memo sheets, use the same idea behind memo pads. The difference is that these sheets are separate, like a ream of printer paper.
This means you can use printable memo sheets for almost anything. You can use them like sticky notes, pin them to a mood board, or print out your own agenda on them. The key with loose memo sheets is to keep memo holders on hand. A memo pad keeps sheets from scattering thanks to the top binding. Without it, you’ll need a memo pad holder to keep the sheets together. |
Personalizing Your Memo Pads
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The fun of memo pads is that you can make them suit your every fancy. If you have an occasion, you can create custom memo pads to mark it.
If your business has a major marketing opportunity coming up, you can hand out custom notepads to help your visitors remember you. You can use memo pad stationery to mark a huge event, like a family reunion. Got a friend who leaves notes everywhere? Give them a personalized memo pad so they’ll always be able to leave a personal flourish behind. Even if you don’t have an occasion, personalized memo pads are a fun way to leave your mark on every note. They might have a print you love or a design that’s specific to your business. Better still? Printed notepads are pretty easy to design. |
When Buying Memo Pads
Of course, designing memo pads and knowing what to look for in a memo pad are two different things. Here’s what you need to keep in mind to find the perfect memo pad for any occasion, customized or not.
Consider What You’ll Use It For
First and foremost, think about what you plan to use the notepad for.
Writing a small note, like a phone number or a note to take out the trash, are better-suited to small pads. You may even want sheets with adhesive, sort of like a sticky note.
On the other hand, if you want to use your memo pad for something more extensive, like a list or note-taking, you’ll want a larger pad.
This will also change the design of the pad itself.
The classic memo pad design is top-bound without a cover, allowing easy access to the sheets so that you can write a note and tear a sheet off with equal ease. However, if you want to be able to reference old notes in the same pad, you might be better served by a legal pad or a notebook.
It’s also important to take a look at the sheet quantity in a given pad, especially relative to what you want to use it for. Some pads are small and have hundreds of sheets, since they tend to be used rapidly for one-and-done notes. If you want to take notes for class or work, a larger pad with 40 or 50 sheets will serve you well.
Looking for Beautiful Memo Pads?
Memo pads are a must-have for any school, work, or home setting. They make it quick and easy to take notes while still being professional, ensuring that you preserve the information you need at the moment you need it.
If you’re in the market for a memo pad, make sure to check out our selection in our shop. A single pad contains 50 sheets, with white sheets available in all sizes, ranging from 11×17 pads to small 3×5 pads. and colored pads available in 4×6 sizing. When you’ve got something to say, make sure you have the right medium to say it.
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| White Memo Pads | Colored Memo Pads | White Memo Sheets | Colored Memo Sheets |