This is a simple sketchpad hack. In simple terms, buy two sketch pads with a metal spiral binding. Take one apart. Take the back cover off the other. Put them back together with the back cover as the front. It’s as simple as that. More detailed instructions are below.
Why don’t I just buy a hardcover, (generally black) sketchpad? They don’t fold over. You have to hold them open like a book. I can’t seem to get at all of the page. I’m not comfortable.
This Strathmore sketch pad now has a hard cover that deters dog ears in my book bag. Plus like any good metal spiral bound sketch pad, the cover folds all the way around to the back. So you get full access to the entire page. If you find a sketch pad like this, it’s generally more expensive. Converting your own is cheaper. Click on the first picture to follow through with the instructions. But really, it is as simple as the first paragraph.
[I developed this in school, because I couldn't find a hardcover 5"x8" sketchpad, where the cover folded all the way around. I'm sure I'm not the creator of this idea. Still I've never seen it suggested or posted anywhere. Enjoy and tell a friend.]
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- 1. Purchase two Strathmore Sketch pads. Or similiar with a metal spiral binding. I prefer the 5.5″ x 8.5″ premium recycled pad. The size is large enough to catch my ideas and it’s comfortable to carry. I also like the roughness of this paper over the non-recycled sketchpad.
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- 2. Open to the last page. Expose the opening for the spiral binding.
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- 3. Closed spiral metal binding.
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- 4. Pull the binding apart with your fingers. This gets tedious and may be uncomfortable. Take your time and be gentle to your hands. Don’t worry about pulling apart too far. Don’t worry about the binding looking uneven. It is really hard to mess up the binding. If you do, be more careful with the second metal binding.
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- 5. Take the back cover off.
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- 6. Turn it over and take the rest of the sheets out. You can keep them face up if you believe the top of the page has a slightly rougher surface. (I don’t think so.)
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- 7. Keep pulling those pages out.
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- 8. Follow steps 1-5 on the other sketchpad. You only need to take the back cover off. Unless somehow you messed up the first spiral binding. Then take all of the 2nd sketchpad apart. (You may think you messed up the spiral binding. This is hard to do. Also I end up taking the whole 2nd sketchpad apart, to put the green branded Strathmore cover sheet on the back. This protects the unused sheets in storage. This isn’t really necessary.)
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- 9. Choose the best spiral binding.
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- 10. Put in the back cover. This will be the back. So put in the worst back cover.
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- 11. Put in 80 sheets. This works for me. You can put in more, but avoid going over 90. The new cover is thicker. Your binding is meant for a smaller width. Placing all 100 pages back and a thicker cover, may push the binding open and your cover and first few sheets start slipping thru.
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- 12. Keep putting those pages in. You may find you have to pull the metal binding apart to do this. I told you this can get tedious.
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- 13. Put on the remaining back page of the other Strathmore. This will be your front cover.
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- 14. See how I had pulled the spiral metal binding apart.
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- 15. Turn it over. Squeeze the binding together. One at a time. I hold the sketchpad in my hand to squeeze these together.
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- 16. Squeezed together.
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- 17. Turn it back over. Done.
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- 18. Hopefully you got yourself a good pen (Pilot for me) or pencil. Sketch! (Put the remaining binding and 120 pages and two coversheets back together. You’ll need them later to switch out for new sheets.)
PPI