The Finger-Width Halo Rule
A soft spacing rule for Goodnotes diary pages that feel crowded around the writing.
Sometimes a diary page does not need another sticker. It needs a little protected air around the place where your handwriting will go.
Write first. Leave a finger-width halo. Decorate outside it.
The crowded version
When stickers sit too close to the writing block, the page can feel busy even if the center is technically blank. The writing area needs room before the decoration begins.
The gap
Imagine a fingertip-width or Apple Pencil-width gap around your writing block. The dashed halo is only a visual guide, not a Goodnotes setting or special tool.
The three zones
Think of the page in three layers: write inside the block, keep the halo empty, and place decoration only in the outer ring. The empty zone is what makes the page look calmer.
Use fewer pieces
Three to five tiny pieces are usually enough: a leaf, a dot cluster, a small tape tab, a star, or a mini label. Put them outside the halo so the center still feels quiet.
The stop point
If a sticker crosses the halo and starts touching the writing block, stop or move it outward. That tiny adjustment keeps the page pretty without making it hard to write in.
Save the formula
Use this formula for daily logs, memory pages, reset spreads, study reflections, and any page where you want decoration but still need the writing to feel calm.
The finished page
The final page should feel decorative around the edges and peaceful in the center. The blank space is not unfinished. It is doing the work.
The page looks cleaner when the writing gets a little protected air.
Images are original Goodnotes-like diary mockups, not screenshots of the app UI. Treat the finger-width halo as a visual spacing habit, not an app control or automated feature.
