Resketch Notepads: Reclaimed Paper from Architectural Blueprints and Misprints

You've surely jotted a sketch or notes on the back of a junk mail envelope. And there's a reason the "napkin sketch" is a trope among designers. Any flat sheet that will take ink is fertile ground for a designer when their dedicated sketchbook is in an inconvenient location.A company called Resketch, backed by design studio Skaaren Design, has noticed. Their mission is to find sources of perfectly good but discarded paper from various industries, then make notebooks and notepads out of them. To be clear, the sheets aren't blank, though they do have usable blank surface area. The company sources their paper from architecture firms, printers, schools and businesses. That means the paper bears the marking of architectural plans, maps, technical documents, misprinted lines and grids, et cetera. Rather than this being annoying, the company reckons the existing markings "can help unlock creativity with a sense of discovery and play by providing an unexpected and fluid medium that gently challenges you." You might wonder why they don't just use recycled paper. The reason is energy conservation. "Paper recycling is energy - and chemical-intensive," they write. "Worse, paper fibers break down after 5-7 cycles, eventually becoming waste.We rescue and reclaim paper BEFORE it hits the recycling or waste stream. We turn perfectly unused paper into one-of-a-kind notebooks that spark creativity. This means:Less waste - because we're using what already existsLess energy & chemicals - because we're skipping the recycling processMore creativity - because every page is unique, just like your ideas Would it be annoying, to have to sketch or take notes around existing printed marks? Maybe. Depends on if you're already used to sketching around the logos on junk mail and napkins.

Mar 17, 2025 - 14:01

Resketch Notepads: Reclaimed Paper from Architectural Blueprints and Misprints

You've surely jotted a sketch or notes on the back of a junk mail envelope. And there's a reason the "napkin sketch" is a trope among designers. Any flat sheet that will take ink is fertile ground for a designer when their dedicated sketchbook is in an inconvenient location.

A company called Resketch, backed by design studio Skaaren Design, has noticed. Their mission is to find sources of perfectly good but discarded paper from various industries, then make notebooks and notepads out of them.

To be clear, the sheets aren't blank, though they do have usable blank surface area. The company sources their paper from architecture firms, printers, schools and businesses. That means the paper bears the marking of architectural plans, maps, technical documents, misprinted lines and grids, et cetera. Rather than this being annoying, the company reckons the existing markings "can help unlock creativity with a sense of discovery and play by providing an unexpected and fluid medium that gently challenges you."

You might wonder why they don't just use recycled paper. The reason is energy conservation. "Paper recycling is energy - and chemical-intensive," they write. "Worse, paper fibers break down after 5-7 cycles, eventually becoming waste.

We rescue and reclaim paper BEFORE it hits the recycling or waste stream. We turn perfectly unused paper into one-of-a-kind notebooks that spark creativity. This means:

Less waste - because we're using what already exists

Less energy & chemicals - because we're skipping the recycling process

More creativity - because every page is unique, just like your ideas

Would it be annoying, to have to sketch or take notes around existing printed marks? Maybe. Depends on if you're already used to sketching around the logos on junk mail and napkins.