Important note: I’ll be talking about disc planners from a general point of view without mentioning many brands. Being UK based, there aren’t lots of options available, but that won’t stop me giving you all the essential information you need!

So why would you want a disc planner?

Like ring planners,disc planners make great notebooks.The discs allow you to remove pages quickly and easily, so adding, moving and removing pages is a breeze. This means you can take out pages and rearrange them, so if you’re the sort of person that gets frustrated with trying to keep notes and information organised in a regular notebook, a flexible system like this will be a breath of fresh air. A set of blank dividers is all you need - just organise your pages into sections as you complete them and label your sections, if needed, as they emerge. You could even implement an inbox for ideas to be organised later.

A quick shop for pre-made disc planners or note books will show you some of the common sizes for disc planners, whether it’s the popular Happy Planner Classic or Mini sizes, or an A5 or half-letter option for other brands. However, there are lots of options when it comes to page size - especially if you’re going to assemble your own. Any page size that works with the disc punch spacing can be turned into a disc planner, so you can re-purpose any paper or printables you may already have lying around.

I’ve prepared a free printable to help you see what page sizes work well - more details below!

Another benefit of disc planners is the cover options available. One of my favourite things to do with a disc planner is to put them in a ring-planner-style cover. The planner itself can easily be removed, but this gives you the benefit of things like pockets, pen loops and snap-closures so your pages are protected if you’re using it on the go.

In my opinion, the biggest advantage of disc planners is that they give you a great writing experience. The discs allow pages to be folded back to give you a great portable writing surface. If you’re using an appropriate disc size, they won’t get in the way while you’re writing on either side of the page.

Disc planners can also be a really cheap way of getting yourself set up in a custom notebook or planner. You don’t need much to get started - just pick your cover option, rings and pages and you’re set. No need to purchase an expensive ring cover to keep everything in, just DIY your own. This is a great starting option, especially if you’re using printables with your own punch.

I'll show you how to make your own later, and in more detail in the video at the end of this article.

What are some of the problems with ring planners?

Disc planners are more susceptible to wear and tear and may not be suited to all uses because of this. Without a sturdy ring-cover style option, you may struggle with taking a ring planner out frequently. Plastic covers usually give a slight overhang to provide some page protection, but they can be quite flexible, which may be an issue if carrying. Pages may also be easily torn out or come off rings, especially with bulky systems. Repeated removal of pages or dividers places a lot of stress on cut edges and make damage likely - this simply is not an issue with ring planners.

If you purchase pre-punched items, you may notice a difference between punching in inserts from different shops. Of course, this isn’t an issue for everyone, but if you like things to be neat and consistent, it’s something to be aware of. I’ll give you more details on this later! You can avoid this by going down the DIY route, and I’ll give you some tips on what to look for if you’re purchasing your own disc punch later.

Accurate punching is also more challenging with discs than with rings. Rings have lots of wiggle room in their hole-punched holes, which hides tiny inaccuracies in punching. Disc-bound pages fit tightly to the discs, which means that any error in lining up your page gives you a noticeably inconsistent edge.

Finding your perfect disc punch may also be tricky. Hole punches for disc planners vary in terms of how many discs they accommodate, the shape they punch, paper capacity, paper guides and punching accuracy. Disc punches can also be costly for the better versions. Cheap hole punches, in comparison, are absolutely fine and offer consistent punching.

Does the punching system matter?

It may be that inconsistencies in punching aren’t an issue for you, but let me show you what some of these inconsistencies mean so you can decide for yourself. There isn’t a standard shape to the ‘mushrooms’, so let’s take a closer look at what this actually means.

The top of the ‘mushroom’ shapes determines how closely the pages fit to the discs. This has an impact on how smoothly your pages will turn. Over time, pages will adapt to the discs. This may mean that a planner that seems fairly stiff when you turn the pages may improve over time.

The ‘stalks’ of the mushrooms also varies in length (see image below). This has more of a visual impact on the planner - any inconsistencies between punching systems here will show in the form of uneven pages on the disc-edge of your pages.

Most punching systems are fairly similar, but in my experience, I avoid Happy Planner punching because they have quite long stalks. Atoma and Filofax Notebook (to a larger extent) are quite different shapes.

What do I look for when I'm buying a disc punch?

The easiest punches to use will have a page guide, which surprisingly is not something you get on all of them! It’s worth having a think about the page sizes you’ll be using to see whether you need many. You can get around this by marking a page edge with a Sharpie or some washi tape, but it’s awkward to get set up.

If you’re going to be doing a lot of punching, or punching DIY laminated covers, you should also consider the page capacity. This isn’t as straightforward as going by the number quoted on the product details - remember paper comes in different thicknesses, so it’s worth testing this out if you get a chance to. You can expect many punches to be quoted as punching three sheets of paper, but some will do eight but may be significantly more expensive.

Disc punches come in different lengths. Unless you’re looking at punching small items, I’d recommend going for a full-length punch. Shorter disc punches may only have four punches and have complex instructions on how to punch a full page, but it’s very easy to make mistakes with these.

Are you intending to punch your own oversized covers? If so, you’ll probably need one with removable punches. With many page sizes, a slightly larger cover will mean you need to remove a punch to avoid cutting into the edge. This is usually possible - look for visible screws by each individual punch for an indication that they can be removed.

What discs should I get?

Rings come in a range sizes, but I’d always advise going for the smallest you can get away with. Larger rings will have more room for pages to move on and may cause it to be unstable. If you’re going for a ring-planner style cover, large rings may also make it too large to fit. Small discs create a snug and secure overall fit and can be switched for a larger option if you need one later.

In my experience, there is no benefit of buying more expensive discs, other than possibly colour choices. Basic plastic discs are absolutely fine.

Planner discs

What page size should I use?

If you’re going for pre-punched paper, you may be more limited on page sizes. Many disc planners are half-letter, A5 size, HP Classic or HP Mini size, but if you shop around you’ll be able to find a few more options. Of course, this depends on where you live.

If you’re going for the DIY route, don’t feel like you have to stick to the popular page sizes. Instead, you may want to consider how easily you can add more pages. My personal preference is A5 - simply because I can print easily on pre-cut A5 paper and punch it using the guides on my Arc disc punch. However, if you have lots of printables in a different page size, there’s nothing stopping you from testing out a DIY planner with them. Grab the free printable to show you how different page sizes work with disc punches.

For dividers specifically, low profile tabs may be a better option if your cover doesn't overlap your page by much. For dashboards you're intending to use with clear covers, an additional 3mm on the top, bottom and right side page edge is best - see the tutorial below for more information on this.

What are my cover options?

There are three main options when it comes to covers. You can get a ring-planner-style cover from many places - my personal favourite here are Moterm. This gives your pages total protection, usually with added storage pockets. Some people have had success in removing rings from existing covers to create their own too.

If you still like the ‘book vibe’ that disc planners give you, a snap on planner cover is a great option. With a little shopping around, you’ll find some great plastic and leather options that give you the benefit of a hard, substantial cover that you can just add to your rings.

A more budget-friendly option is a clear plastic or laminated cover. Happy Planners have made laminated covers a really popular option, especially those of us, like me, who are indecisive and value the option of being able to change the look of the whole planner without having to spend a fortune. Laminated covers are also a great DIY option if you have the materials lying around. Clear plastic covers also work well in combination with a dashboard underneath to add some style. My recommendation here would be to get an oversized dashboard (see illustration in tutorial section) so your dividers are covered. This is a brilliant option if you’re not totally decided on whether a disc planner is for you.

Covers for disc planners

How do I make my own laminated cover?

If you’re going to make your own cover, you should first think about your page size and if you’re going to be adding some sort of structure like dividers or page markers - this will determine the overall size of your page.

I’ll show you this in more detail in the video, but essentially, you need to work out the cover size you’d like first and print a graphic, photo or cut down some craft paper to this size. Don’t forget to include a laminated border of 3mm all the way around in that measurement.

Calculating your page size

These are the calculations I used to work out my cover size. You can see the finished printed cover is visible beyond the edge of the page with dividers. The laminated border is indicated too.

Your dividers may be on the top or bottom, and they may be a different width, so it's worth measuring and calculating your own dimensions.

You can also see that the left page side will be visible through the laminated edge. This is unavoidable and will allow your cover to hold up to more wear and tear.

My recommendation for this would be to add 3mm at the top of your page, and 3mm at the side of your page - remembering to take the dimensions of any dividers into account. Mine added an additional 8mm of tabs at the side. You should also consider that with larger, more full rings, the pages in the middle will poke out a little more, so it’s worth adding a little on the horizontal page measurement.

When your cover is cut, round the covers if necessary, then laminate. Once it’s been laminated, cut again, 3mm from the edge, and round the corners once more. Punching can be tricky, but I’ve found that a spare sheet of punched paper makes all the difference. Line up the punched edges of your paper and the edge you’d like to punch of your cover. Center the paper vertically so you’ll get an even page margin at the top and bottom. Use a little washi tape to secure in place. It’s much easier to remove the bottom of your disc punch so you can see where the guides are - this is where that paper capacity is important! You may find you need to remove a punch with a screwdriver at this stage. I’m using my secondary punch in the video - it’s great for this job since it only punches 4 ‘mushrooms’ at a time.

Repeat with the back cover, making sure you punch the opposite side. I can’t even remember how many times I’ve managed to punch the wrong side!

Assemble and have fun planning! You may like to add some self-adhesive pockets or a pen loop to make your new planner a little more functional.

Your Free Disc Planner Punching & Size Guide

Download the guide for printing on A4 paper

Download the guide for printing on US Letter paper

Watch the video