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Create a Blank Notebook

💡 The New Notebook feature in MarginNote 4 lets you create a standalone blank notebook within a study set, for after-class notes, drafts, handwritten sketches before making a mind map, and more. Just like notes taken directly on a PDF, its contents can be turned into cards and brought into your mind maps and review workflow.

❗ Prerequisites: The new blank notebook is saved in the study set's "Documents" section. If you don't have a study set yet, create one first.

💡 A new notebook offers the following advantages.

  • Multiple page styles: blank, dotted, grid, and lined (more may be added in future versions).
  • Notes can be "turned into cards": handwritten or typed notes can be made into cards that take part in mind maps, reviews, and review plans.
  • Integration with study materials: it can cross-reference and link with PDFs, EPUBs, and other documents in the same study set, making it easy to trace sources during review.

1 How to create a notebook

1.1 Create from the study set page (recommended for centralized management)

  • Open MarginNote 4 and go to the target study set page
  • Find the **Documents** section on the page and open it
  • Tap the **Add or +** button
  • From the pop-up options, select New Notebook (as shown in the icon below)

New Notebook

Animated demo: create from the study set page Animated demo: create from the study set page

1.2 Create from the document/mind map page (recommended for creating on the fly while reading)

  • Open a document or enter the document reading view.
  • In the Document Tabs area, tap the import button on the right (as shown in the icon below)

Import - From the pop-up menu, select New Notebook

Animated demo: create from the document/mind map page Animated demo: create from the document/mind map page

💡 Notes on reusing notebooks

  • Reusing a notebook: if you want to use the same notebook in another study set, drag it to the target study set on the study set page.
  • With a new document notebook or a handwriting layer, a notebook can be reused in a continuous cycle. (See: Layers: Document Notebook & Handwriting Layer)

Notebook reuse Notebook reuse

2 Basic notebook features

💡 The MarginNote 4 blank notebook is a three-in-one canvas of "handwriting + typing + media," and every element can be excerpted, then "turned into a card," and brought into the mind map and review flow.

2.1 Note-taking features the notebook supports

A new notebook supports not only handwriting but also a rich set of note-taking tools, so you can record your ideas flexibly:

- Text box: insert standalone text boxes for layout. (See: Create a Text Box / Image / Photo) - Insert images and photos: import images from your photo library or take a photo to insert directly into the notebook, enriching your notes. (See: Create a Text Box / Image / Photo) - Layers: keep the handwriting layer and the document layer separate for easier management and reuse. (See: Layers: Document Notebook & Handwriting Layer)

2.2 Change the notebook page style (blank/dotted/grid/lined)

💡 A new notebook in MarginNote 4 offers four different page styles (blank, dotted, grid, lined) to suit different learners' note-taking habits. (More styles may be added as the software is updated.)

  • Open the notebook document you want to change
  • At the top of the study set screen, find the "document toolbar" → tap the Document - More button on the right.

Document - More - In the background style selector, choose in order from left to right: blank, dotted, grid, lined (your choice applies immediately).

Animated demo: change the notebook page style Animated demo: change the notebook page style

💡 Tip: changing the page style does not affect notes you have already saved.

2.3 Notebook page management

Besides changing the page style, the notebook also offers flexible page management:

  • Add pages: add new pages to the notebook at any time to expand your note space without limit.
  • Crop pages: crop notebook pages to fit different reading or printing needs and optimize how they look.

💡 For detailed steps, see: Add/Delete Pages and Crop Paper

3 Practical tips and suggestions (boost efficiency)

  • Naming conventions: use a consistent naming scheme for notebooks and cards, such as (Course_Chapter_Topic), to make them easy to find.
  • Build a table of contents: set up a simple table of contents in the notebook for quick navigation. (See: Generate a Document Table of Contents Manually & Automatically)
  • Use styles: compare the page styles (dotted is good for sketches, grid for math/tables, lined for shorthand) and choose based on your purpose.
  • Tidy up cards regularly: turn scattered temporary notes into cards and organize them in the mind map. (See: Generate a Mind Map by Excerpting Manually)