Customizing your Rocket Book
Written by Ms. Cummings
CiTi Library Media Specialist
What are some of the best ways to customize your Rocket Book?
Plus a couple tips for working with the Rocket Book.
What is a Rocket Book? A Rocket Book is a reusable notebook that you wipe away the writing/drawing with water. I prefer the Everlast Letter size version and the NEW Fusion is terrific. I found a letter-size portfolio to hold my book and supplies. I even have a place to put my Rocket Book Beacons! Never know when you want to scan something on the go. It's summer so I hope I run across some sidewalk chalk drawings and just plop down the beacons and scan away and email it lickety-split. Also, upload to my Google Drive to share with students and add to my maker space lesson plans.
"What is the Rocket Book Everlast?
I remember when I was in High School using erasable pens and it just left smudges everywhere. Technology has come a long way and the Frixion pens and fine tip markers are terrific. I find I not only use them with the Rocket Books but also on regular paper all day long.
Rocket Book offers PDF files and I used these to test out my templates when I created them and to see how they worked when used. This is an important step don't skip it! The custom pages so far with more to come:
The best way that I found to Customize the Rocket Book is to take apart the Rocket Book. This is not for the faint of heart. I did ruin several pages when I was trying this out due to my own mistakes, but I learn from my mistakes.
I took a pair of plyers and gently unbent the top spiral. I did not have to do that to the bottom one but did have to push it over to the other side so it would untwist. I twisted the spiral right off. Now the pages are loose and I can customize them and put them in any order that I want. I recommend printing on the dot pages and not the lined pages. Lined pages are harder to match up when printing.
Warning: I have found the silver spiral to be a bit brittle. Becareful when bending this one. The black spirals are pretty flexible and I had no trouble taking it apart several times with no issues.
In Adobe editor I took pdf of the letter size dot page and I clicked on edit pdf. Let the software do its job. I used PowerPoint to create the color sections of the tables and added them to Adobe. I was then able to add in any words that I wanted on the page and line them up. I then removed the background image of the rocket book page. This left me with only what needed to be printed on the page. I used the office laser printer/copier and passed the pages through the paper bypass tray.
You will notice that I started out at the top of the page with the start of the auto file naming. This way I can write in what I want the specific file name to be each month without having to type the file name in each time. It works!
I am testing graphic organizers this next school year. I have them created using the pdf files Rocket Book makes available. Once I have tested them with a class or two I will then make any necessary changes and then print them on Rocket Book Pages. I plan to have a class set of Rocket Books with Customized pages and regular pages for note-taking. I have not tested the graphic organizers enough yet to actually print the class set.
One final step is to put the Rocket Book back together. Organize your pages in the order you prefer. I put a regular page in between my custom pages for easy access to those pages. I put them basically in places where I need extra writing space. Once the pages are in order and put the covers in place and line up the holes and twist the spiral back on starting at the bottom. Once you have twisted it up you will need to push the bottom of the spiral over to the other side. Then at the top use the plyers to bend the last part back into place carefully.
NOTE (Disclaimer): This blog post shares my experiences with the Rocket Book and customizing mine. I do not know for sure what will happen when/if you try this with your own Rocket Book and laser printer/copier. Do this at your own risk. I did ruin a couple pages but it was worth it. Mine turned out and the pages are still writable, erasable, and scannable with the app.
#rocketbook #gokaitiaki
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| Rocket Book Fusion in a |
"What is the Rocket Book Everlast?
Rocket Book offers PDF files and I used these to test out my templates when I created them and to see how they worked when used. This is an important step don't skip it! The custom pages so far with more to come:
- my monthly calendar
- Purchase Order submissions
- Library Collaboration form
- Unit lesson Planner
- Library Lesson form
Using Vinyl to customize
How did I actually get these onto my rocket book pages? I have a Cricut machine that I have cut the individual items out of vinyl but I found they peeled off after a while. It's the fine lines that tend to peal while larger letters and images stay put. I will be using the iron Cricut material to add details to the portfolio to make it easier to find and vinyl can be used on the cover of the Rocket Book itself.
Taking apart the Rocket Book
The best way that I found to Customize the Rocket Book is to take apart the Rocket Book. This is not for the faint of heart. I did ruin several pages when I was trying this out due to my own mistakes, but I learn from my mistakes.
I took a pair of plyers and gently unbent the top spiral. I did not have to do that to the bottom one but did have to push it over to the other side so it would untwist. I twisted the spiral right off. Now the pages are loose and I can customize them and put them in any order that I want. I recommend printing on the dot pages and not the lined pages. Lined pages are harder to match up when printing.
Warning: I have found the silver spiral to be a bit brittle. Becareful when bending this one. The black spirals are pretty flexible and I had no trouble taking it apart several times with no issues.
Creating customized pages to print on the Rocket Book Pages
In Adobe editor I took pdf of the letter size dot page and I clicked on edit pdf. Let the software do its job. I used PowerPoint to create the color sections of the tables and added them to Adobe. I was then able to add in any words that I wanted on the page and line them up. I then removed the background image of the rocket book page. This left me with only what needed to be printed on the page. I used the office laser printer/copier and passed the pages through the paper bypass tray.
- Don't fill the page with tons of images. My first mistake was putting a table with a colored background. First, it curled the page as it went through the copier. It did eventually flatten but the colored areas did not scan well. So keep it to a minimum on the solid objects.
- Only use the bypass tray and do it when the secretary isn't there to "gasp" at what you are about to do. :)
- The pages will temporarily curl a little bit or have waves but it does flatten out quickly especially after putting the notebook back together.
You will notice that I started out at the top of the page with the start of the auto file naming. This way I can write in what I want the specific file name to be each month without having to type the file name in each time. It works!
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| Monthly Calendar |
 |
| Monthly Purchase Order Tracking |
 |
| Library Collaboration Page |
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| Library Unit Lesson Planning |
 |
| Library Lesson plan template |
Graphic Organizers
I am testing graphic organizers this next school year. I have them created using the pdf files Rocket Book makes available. Once I have tested them with a class or two I will then make any necessary changes and then print them on Rocket Book Pages. I plan to have a class set of Rocket Books with Customized pages and regular pages for note-taking. I have not tested the graphic organizers enough yet to actually print the class set.
Putting the Rocket Book back together
One final step is to put the Rocket Book back together. Organize your pages in the order you prefer. I put a regular page in between my custom pages for easy access to those pages. I put them basically in places where I need extra writing space. Once the pages are in order and put the covers in place and line up the holes and twist the spiral back on starting at the bottom. Once you have twisted it up you will need to push the bottom of the spiral over to the other side. Then at the top use the plyers to bend the last part back into place carefully.
As I promised here are a few tips for working with the Rocket Books!
- Go to the makeup area in a store like Walmart or Dollar Tree!
- Pick up a package of the triangle makeup sponges and a small plastic container to put one or two in. This way you can keep them by your desk to wipe away errors. I know they say to use a spray bottle but that is great for erasing a whole page and not a partial page. The makeup sponge gives you more control. Then use the cloth to dry the page before writing on it again.
- My favorite makeup sponge is the green one in the photo below. I keep this available for when I need to remove a small area or one letter. No more licking your finger to erase that pesky mistake.
- The last is the water bottle shown in the photo. It has a mechanism on top that you press down to release a few drops of water. See second image below. Much easier to use than spraying the whole page.
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| Dollar Tree Items to use with the Rocket Books. |
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| A bottle that has a plunger. |
I will leave off with my favorite Fixion Pens/Markers
NOTE (Disclaimer): This blog post shares my experiences with the Rocket Book and customizing mine. I do not know for sure what will happen when/if you try this with your own Rocket Book and laser printer/copier. Do this at your own risk. I did ruin a couple pages but it was worth it. Mine turned out and the pages are still writable, erasable, and scannable with the app.
#rocketbook #gokaitiaki
