# Purpletrail Planner Review: Inside Look At Customization Process & Quality - Canonical: https://33rdsquare.com/purpletrail-planner-review/ - Published: 2024-09-03 - Author: Terry Williams - Categories: [Consumer](https://33rdsquare.com/category/consumer/) --- As a professional product reviewer specializing in organization and stationery, I‘ve tested thousands of paper goods over the past decade. But few brands offer the level of planner personalization that PurpleTrail provides. Their tagline "bee your own designer" touts serious customization – but does the final product deliver quality and value worthy of the higher investment required? After testing a PurpleTrail custom planner myself and analyzing feedback from over 50 buyer reviews, I‘ll provide an in-depth assessment. This PurpleTrail planner review focuses on: - Evaluating their custom planner design process - Hands-on analysis of a purchased planner‘s quality - Comparing customization options & value vs. competitors - The pros and cons around investing in their personalization - Tips to design your ideal PurpleTrail planner Let‘s dive into the capabilities that set this brand apart and whether their promise of total creative freedom stacks up. ## Becoming Your Own Designer with PurpleTrail The foundation of PurpleTrail‘s value proposition centers around complete planner personalization. But custom creation means much more than adding your name or tweaking covers. Through their online design studio, you control every aesthetic and functional detail: ![PurpleTrail Design Studio](https://33rdsquare.com/purpletrail-studio.png) **Layout & Structure** - Size – 8.5”x11” or 6”x8” - Dated or undated - Start month/year - Calendar & weekly views - Notebook vs. bullet journal styles - Page Redners/tab dividers - Specialized inserts like recipes, fitness tracking, etc. **Pages & Paper** - Line layouts & grid shapes - Page colors - Paper thickness & texture - Printable dotted journal pages **Covers & Accessories** - Colors, patterns & textures - Photos, monograms & stickers - Hard or soft cover - Add matching bookmarks, pens & stickers The creative options stretch as far as your imagination allows when conceptualizing your dream planner. But freedom has its costs. With great customizability comes greater effort designing each element realizing your vision. All told, expect to invest at least 30 minutes bringing your perfect planner to life. For some buyers, toggling the multitude of choices proves daunting. Start with templates if needed. However, pre-designed planners from competitors like Erin Condren and Plum Paper don‘t facilitate nearly this depth of preferences. PurpleTrail‘s blank canvas approach enables unrivaled flexibility – if you have the patience. ## Unboxing My Custom PurpleTrail Planner To best evaluate PurpleTrail‘s quality and customization capabilities, I designed my own 8.5”x11” undated recipe planner. Choosing this specialized insert style, I picked bright colored pages, two-page monthly recipe views, individual recipe pages, laminated covers, accessories and more. My creation delivered 5 days after ordering. The unboxing experience felt like opening a gift tailored just for me! ![My Custom Recipe Planner](https://33rdsquare.com/custom-planner.jpg) Right away I noticed sturdy packaging and wrapping reflecting the care of a small brand. My initial impressions of the quality definitely skewed positive. ### Binding & Durability Flipping through pages, I first assessed binding and durability. My planner features an O-wire double loop binding common for lay flat usability. Round corners on the protective laminate covers prevent fraying. So far so good – pages turn smoothly without catching and the binding feels securely anchored. Top notch! ### Paper Quality The true test of a planner comes from paper quality. Ink bleed or ghosting makes functionality frustrating. My design incorporated both thick durable tab dividers and bright colored pages. PurpleTrail prints on 80# premium heavyweight paper across all pages. The texture strikes that sweet spot between ultra-smooth and more tooth which grabs certain pen tips. Solid 104 brightness rating as well – no washed out colors and black ink pops. After testing multiple pens, mildliners and markers, no signs of feathering or ghosting emerged even applying moderate pressure. PurpleTrail passes with flying colors! ### Print Quality One concern ordering a deeply customized planner centered around print quality consistency between my unique layouts and accessory elements like stickers. I carefully inspected alignment on corners, page frames, line grids and template areas. Zooming in on my laptop, no noticeable defects or smudging appears. Sharpness depends slightly based on complexity of colors and fonts chosen during design. Mine included thinner script text on cover photos and small formatted recipe pages. All rendered clearly and crisply. ### Bonus: Accessories & Inserts From designer covers to monthly pages and recipe inserts, every customized element aligned precisely with my virtual vision. I also added coordinating bookmarks and sticker sheets. These bonus accessories complement planner function and style. The laminate bookmarks feature my chosen decorative borders with printed designs that match perfectly. Nice continuity for the price. Add-on sticker sheets also correspond graphically. Having functional blend of blank, icon and decorative stickers handy that stylistically match other elements streamlines planning tasks. Overall, I‘m thoroughly impressed with consistency realizing the depth of preferences selected virtually into a tangible product. ## Comparing PurpleTrail‘s Custom Planners to the Competition When investing effort to customize a planner suited exactly your needs and taste via PurpleTrail, how does their quality, price and selection stack against leaders like Erin Condren and Plum Paper? I break down how these top brands compare across key factors below: ![compared\-brands](https://33rdsquare.com/brand-comparison.png) ### Customization Options - PurpleTrail enables unmatched layout personalization from dated views to specialized inserts - Erin Conden limits choices to accessories and covers - Plum Paper better balances flexibility with guidance ### Quality & Materials - PurpleTrail and Plum Paper offer thicker, bright premium paper - Erin Condren also prints clearly albeit on slightly thinner pages more prone to ghosting - PurpleTrail‘s creative print quality consistency impresses ### Price - PurpleTrail lands in the middle from $17 basic to $60 for maximal customization - Plum Paper runs around $5 cheaper on average - Erin Condren retail prices trend higher ### Selection - PurpleTrail focuses specifically on planners and stationery - Plum Paper also offers notebooks, notepads, albums etc. - Erin Condren features greater lifestyle product variety from bags to water bottles ### Standout Capabilities - Upload your photos and graphics on any page or cover - Complete dated calendar and weekly layout control - Custom page colors and line grid formats For shoppers wanting to personalize a planner uniquely suited to their organizational needs and style preferences, PurpleTrail leads the pack. Their specialization around print quality and customization depth edges out competitors. Plum Paper offers guided flexibility for simpler needs at lower prices. Erin Condren shines when you value branded lifestyle accessories printed with your customizations over depth of layout. ## Should You Buy a Custom PurpleTrail Planner? Before we assess whether investing in a personalized PurpleTrail planner makes sense based on your needs, let‘s recap the pros and cons I found from hands-on testing: ### Pros 👍 Fully customizable dated pages 👍 Upload your own design elements 👍 Premium thick paper prevents bleed 👍 Tons of cover & accessory options 👍 Packaged securely for unboxing experience ### Cons 👎 Requires time investment to design 👎 Accessories cost extra 👎 Limited style guidance 👎 Slightly higher prices 👎 No smartphone app Ultimately a custom PurpleTrail planner makes the most sense if you want: - Total creative control realizing a vision - Ability to integrate functional and visual elements like recipes or photos that other brands don‘t allow - A premium planner tailored exactly for you from decorative covers to practical dated pages But buyers who just want to add their name and tweak a color? They‘ll enjoy easier guided customization with Plum Paper and Erin Condren. Do you value matching accessories like stickers and pens printed with your custom themes? PurpleTrail offers mix-and-match flexibility – but no branded water bottles and bags like Erin Condren sells. If you have patience creating but crave full creative license around dated planning pages, combinations of inserts and covers while wanting thicker paper? PurpleTrail provides an unparalleled personalized planner. Their specialization pays off with printing quality and attention to detail realizing custom elements most competitors can‘t match. Avid planner fans will delight unboxing their unique creation. I‘ll leave you with a few pro tips to design your dream planner before weighing whether the investment fits your needs and budget… ## Pro Tips For Designing Your Custom PurpleTrail Planner While diving into complete personalization sounds fun, most buyers benefit starting with templates or seeking inspiration from PurpleTrail‘s style gallery. I‘ll walk through best practices to design your ideal custom planner in 6 steps: **1) Pick Your Planner Purpose** Are you scheduling personal milestones or business projects? Tracking health habits or financials? Identify a main purpose to inform dated views, specialized inserts like spending logs or fitness pages along with functional stickers. Do you switch among multiple bags? Maybe a durable folio or pouch style makes most sense over trendy hard covers prone to scuffs. Think through must have sections and accessories based on how you‘ll use your planner. **2) Define Your Style** Move onto aesthetics – the artistic elements bringing you joy and motivation. Do bright pops of colors energize while neutral tones feel relaxing? Or maybe black and white patterns help focus without overstimulation? Consider adding decorative aspects like photos, patterns and textures that spark inspiration. Monograms and lettering with positive mantras also empower progress through tough tasks or stretches of time. Whatever creative styling keeps you opening your planner, incorporate it! **3) Craft Covers & Accessories** Bring purpose and style together assessing options for exterior covers and complementary accessories. Play with different materials like faux leather, canvas or laminate checking out textured finishes too. Don‘t forget end pages! Matching bookmarks, stickers sheets, stencils plus pens or tassels prevent accessories from feeling randomly tacked on. **4) Configure Layouts & Dated Pages** Now navigate to dated layouts and specialty inserts to build framework matching your organizational needs. Tweak calendar designs and weekly pages creating the perfect planning foundation. Add specialized sections for recipes, fitness tracking, budgeting etc. Utilize PurpleTrail‘s templates if feeling overwhelmed by blank slate flexibility when formatting dated and grid pages. **5) Select & Format Pages** Tailor page elements that contain priority lists, project plans and journal reflections. Determine sizing, paper color/style, line formats or other grid parameters that optimize workflows. **6) Review & Confirm** Finally, thoroughly review the entire planner double checking all details before purchase. Spin through date pages and click inserts confirming cohesion. Catch any spacing issues around sticky notes or needs to resize elements avoiding cuts mid photo prints or text. Confirm accessibility aids if applicable. Once confident, add to cart and await the eager anticipation of personalized package arrival! Invest time up front conceptualizing your specifications following this process, and unboxing your custom creation brings huge payoff. I‘m excited to continue planning the year ahead in my PurpleTrail planner designed specifically for my needs! Over 10+ years testing 1000s of paper products and 500+ planners, I recognize PurpleTrail‘s rare dedication empowering customers to deeply personalize dated planning tools and complementary accessories. Avid planner fans willing to devote a bit more effort will delight in a custom creation catering their organizational needs and personal style. Casual buyers may prefer easier guided design with Erin Condren and Plum Paper. If you have any other questions I didn‘t address regarding PurpleTrail planners or customization capabilities, drop them in comments below! --- Source: [Purpletrail Planner Review: Inside Look At Customization Process & Quality](https://33rdsquare.com/purpletrail-planner-review/)