TOPS Notepads

Keep TOPS™ notepads handy so you'll always have paper at the ready to jot down quick notes. These writing materials range from small, pocketable memo pads to wide clipboard-sized legal notebooks. Besides general-purpose writing pads, this brand also offers specialty booklets for certain professionals. Examples include computational and data notebooks for scientists and engineers. Shoppers can find the complete selection of Tops writing pads in the large inventory of paper products at Staples®.

Consider Page Size and Ruling When Comparing Tops Notepads
Standard notepad sizes offered by this brand include legal (8.5 x 14 inches), junior legal (5 x 8 inches), letter (8.5 x 11 inches), and steno (6 x 9 inches). Tops also makes other sheet sizes available in its specialty line. Note that a legal pad is not necessarily one with legal-sized pages. It doesn't even have to have legal-ruled sheets. The term describes any writing paper with a vertical line running down its length that creates a 1.25-inch margin to the left.

A notepad may have narrow, medium/college, wide/legal, or quad-ruled pages. The one to select depends on the user's handwriting. Narrow-ruled sheets have the smallest line spacing and allow users to fit more words on a page. Choose a narrow-ruled notebook if you have small handwriting. Legal-ruled sheets have wide line spacing. Quad-ruled selections have vertical and horizontal lines that form grids. These fill up engineering computation, data, and graph notebooks.

Choose From Different Tops Steno Pads
Steno pads are popular among office assistants and journalists. Their slender shape makes them perfect for taking quick notes while holding them. The distinguishing mark of a steno pad is the single margin running down the center of its pages. Having a vertical line down the middle of the sheet helps users jot faster. This is because their hands travel a shorter distance when jumping to a new line.

A Tops steno notebook may use Gregg or Pitman-ruled paper. Named after the creators of two shorthand systems, these are special ruling styles only used for stenography. A Gregg-ruled sheet has more lines with a spacing of 11/32 inches between successive lines. A Pitman-ruled page has wider lines with a line spacing of 1/2 inches.

What Kinds of Binding Do Tops Notepads Have?
They use gummed tops and perforated and spiral bindings. Models with gummed tops have temporary adhesive binding them at the top edges. Perforated units have tear-away edges. Both options ensure pages tear off cleanly. Spiral-bound writing pads have hardcovers. Tops steno notebooks have spiral bindings at the tops to make pages easier to flip.

Should You Get Notepads Filled With Heavyweight Paper?
The brand uses sheets with paper weight ranging from 15 to 50 pounds. Paper weight indicates page thickness. Heavier paper is thicker and more durable. Choose a pad filled with heavyweight paper if you erase page content often or write with sharp pencils or fountain pens.

Are There Yellow Tops Legal Pads?
While it's no longer a defining feature, yellow is the traditional color of legal pads. These writing materials are now available in any color; however, Tops still offers them in canary yellow for those preferring the classic look.