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General Lab Notebook Questions

Lab stationery refers to a specialized range of data collection, analysis, and record-keeping forms, tailored to meet the unique needs of students, laboratories, and research facilities.  

A lab notebook is essential for scientific research and experimentation, providing a detailed and organized record of laboratory work. A field notebook is a specialized journal for professionals working in the field.

Lab notebooks are widely used by professionals and researchers across various scientific disciplines. The primary users include scientists and researchers, lab technicians, students and educators, engineers, and quality control professionals.

Utilizing a lab notebook in your research is essential for several compelling reasons, including record keeping, transparency and reproducibility, intellectual property protection, problem solving, collaboration, compliance, and development.

A Vela Sciences Lab Notebook stands out for its exceptional features and design, tailored to meet the specific needs of researchers, scientists, and professionals, including premium quality paper, page layout and numbering, grid and ruled formats, durable covers, and more.

Layout Options

Vela notebooks begin either field or lab ready, with full user index, page numbering, permanent binding, and heavyweight, archival quality paper.

Vela provides layout options to meet field and lab requirements, including your choice of notebook/paper size, indexing, page numbering, space for documentation, and grid and dot style stationery.

No, layout pages are not numbered.

+ layouts are expanded notebooks with additional features, such as printed and laminated covers and ribbon page markers.

Your ideal page layout depends on your intended use. For outdoor and field use, we recommend our field and field+ notebooks. For lab use, we recommend our lab notebooks, including grid, grid+, dot, and ruled formats.

ISO ready means the lab stationery is prepared or designed in a way that aligns with ISO standards but may not have undergone formal ISO certification. It indicates a level of readiness or conformity with ISO guidelines, but it may not guarantee full compliance with all the specified standards. ISO Compliant means the lab stationery meets the specific requirements outlined in the relevant ISO standard.

Layout page count refers to pages with content, excluding blank pages. Total page count includes all pages in a document, encompassing both content and non-content pages.

Build Options

We offer hardcover, softcover, wirebound, ProCover, and DuraCover style notebooks.  

Each of our notebooks is designed for use either in school, in the lab, or in the field, with thoughtful features that support research and collaboration.

Our ruled, grid, and grid+ notebooks are ISO ready.

Hardcovers have a rigid board cover, providing durability but are costlier and less portable. Softcovers are lighter, more affordable, and flexible, suitable for regular use.

Each style of notebook is available in field, compact, standard, expanded, long-form, and PAK (coming soon).

Construction & Materials

Vela paper is optimized for the lab with a number of helpful features, including page numbers, indexing, labels, grids, and more. 

Smyth-sewn, permanent binding is a high-quality bookbinding method that involves sewing together individual sections (or signatures) of a book before attaching them to the cover.

ISO (International Organization for Standardization) does not specify a particular binding method for documents or publications.

Books are plastic wrapped (in set's whenever possible) to offer protection from damage in transit. We currently have no other means for protection that offers any additional environmental gains.

We do testing on each production run in-house looking at bidding durability, page tear rates, cover lamination and coating testing, and random quality control measures for all internal construction. Plus, years of feedback and testing out in the field!

The vast majority of the materials we use is American made and sourced, the last remaining components made outside of this is internal label stock for the book ID label and plastic wrap for shipping and distribution. 

Archival quality includes materials that resist deterioration, such as acid-free and lignin-free paper, to prevent yellowing, fading, or degradation, ensuring documents and records remain legible and intact for an extended period, meeting the archival standards necessary for scientific research, documentation, and historical preservation.

Our most lie-flat notebook is the wirebound book.

Forrest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) are independent organizations that certify the sourcing, replanting, and distribution of papers and materials. Both organizations are globally recognized for certification of materials that meet their respective criteria. Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF) is a process in which no elemental chlorine (a carcinogen) is used in processing of the paper.

Choosing a Lab Notebook

The popularity of notebooks varies by field, with field scientists opting for flexible, weather resistant stationery while students and scientists often prefer lab optimized stationery with useful features for documentation, experimentation, and collaboration.

When choosing notebooks for a lab or classroom:

  1. Durability: Opt for spill-resistant and durable options.
  2. Page Format: Choose the appropriate format (lined, grid, dot grid) for the work.
  3. Size: Consider the size based on the nature of the tasks.
  4. Binding: Select a binding type that suits the use case (spiral-bound, sewn, glued).
  5. Paper Quality: Ensure the paper is suitable for the intended use (writing, drawing, wet environments).
  6. Brand Reputation: Choose notebooks from reputable brands with positive reviews.
  7. Special Features: Consider features like numbered pages or perforated sheets if needed.
  8. Budget: Find a balance between quality and affordability.
  9. Accessibility: Ensure easy availability for restocking.

You can compare our notebooks on the notebooks tab of our webpage.

Resources & Using a Lab Notebook

No. But we offer insert tape for adhering documents seamlessly into our stationery.

Contact a team member at Vela Sciences directly: hello@velasciences.com.

If you are looking to establish a standard notebook for your lab or classroom, please reach out to a Vela team member at hello@velasciences.com. There are unique considerations based on size of lab, time out of lab, topic of study, duration of projects, and more. We are here to help!

Contact a team member at Vela Sciences directly: hello@velasciences.com.

We currently do not offer printed materials, but if you would like this in the future, please do let us know and we can add as an add on option for future semesters.

During use there is very minimal maintenance required, past occasionally wiping the cover clean of dust, debris, fingerprints that may collect during use. We simply recommend a lightly damp towel for this and leaving time for the liquid to fully dissipate before storage. All notebooks should be stored and archived out of direct sunlight, in a temperature controlled, low-humidity space as possible. This will ensure the biding and your work will stand the test of time. It is generally recommend to fully label and number your notebook, and keep in a secure location, and/or locked in storage.

Customizations

We offer the following customization options: cover options, endsheet options, layout options. 

Custom ordering of materials or changes to process requires larger orders, depending on the request. Generally, orders of 240 units or more would be required for this. Please reach out to our support team at suppport@velasciences.com with your specifications.

3- 7 days additional, depending on the order size and complexity.

Reach out to the vela team at hello@velasciences.com and let us know what you have in mind.

Yes. We provide proofs for your approval prior to production.

Contact our team at hello@velasciences.com for customization samples.

Ordering

"Stock" refers to readily available, new items for immediate purchase. "Recertified" indicates previously used or refurbished products that meet quality standards. "Pre-Order" allows customers to reserve upcoming, brand-new items before they are in stock, providing an option to secure products not currently available. 

We aim to ship basic orders the same day they are placed as long as they are received prior to 1PM.

We accept any major credit and debit cards. We also accept ACH and checks from domestic organizations, if you meet the term requirements and are approved. Please contact us at hello@velasciences.com any questions about this process.

Check or ACH payments can be sent to 195 E Hamburg St, Pinckney, MI 48169

Yes, we do.

Yes, simply make that selection at checkout.

Shipping & Delivery

Place items in your cart.

USPS Priority Mail, FedEx or UPS Ground 

We offer deliveries from any major carriers and freight, including USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL, and LTL.

We'll provide automatic shipping updates, including tracking information.

No.

Yes. You can select this option at checkout.

Warranty & Returns

Yes, unless they are missing pages or have pages with writing on them.

Vela offers a 90-day replacement/refund for manufacturing errors, covering return shipping. Returns within 30 days incur a 15% restocking fee, except for custom orders. Books with removed wraps have a 35% fee, and stationery with writing/pages removed cannot be returned.

Our team inspects each product and matches our notes to what was submitted in the return form. If there is a discrepancies, we immediately notify you via your listed email and let you know of any further actions that might be required. If additional products are damaged, removed from wrap or otherwise effected, your account will be refunded accordingly.

We can provide a direct refund on your order, an exchange or store credit. Store credit will be sent via digital gift card and is valid for all Vela products and shipping. This gift card does not expire. If payment was made via check, the refund must also be issued by check or given as store credit.

The 30-day window for returns begins upon delivery of your order. At this time, we generally do not accept any returns past the 30-day window. If special circumstances have occurred, please reach out to our support team at hello@velasciences.com.

We accept deliveries from any major carriers and freight, including USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL, and LTL.

Pinckney, Michigan local drop off can be schedules by emailing our team at team hello@velasciencs.com with a time and order approval number. Deliveries are accepted Monday-Friday.

Our team inspects each product and matches our notes to what was submitted in the return form. If there is a discrepancies, we immediately notify you via your listed email and let you know of any further actions that might be required. If additional products are damaged, removed from wrap or otherwise effected, your account will be refunded accordingly.

We can provide a direct refund on your order, an exchange or store credit. Store credit will be sent via digital gift card and is valid for all Vela products and shipping. This gift card does not expire. If payment was made via check, the refund must also be issued by check or given as store credit.

Store credit is issued immediately. A refund to a credit card or through PayPal generally takes 1-2 days to process once we put the refund through. Orders paid for by check will be refunded by check. These generally take 2-3 days to arrive via USPS first-class mail.

About Us

The vast majority of the materials we use is American made and sourced, the last remaining components made outside of this is internal label stock for the book ID label and plastic wrap for shipping and distribution.  

AP&B Founder, Tyler Richardson, was a cell and molecular biologist and engineer that grew up in a printing family. While in lab him and some colleagues came up with a better notebook. Over 15 years, many Kickstarts, collaborations, and improvements later, we provide notebooks in labs and schools across the USA and in over 30 countries around the world.

Books are plastic wrapped (in set's when ever possible) to offer protection from damage in transit. We currently have not other means for protection that offers any additional environmental gains.

If you require additional information on any specifics we are happy to send along that information, at material or total product level. Please contact our support team at support@velasciences.com with your request and allow 2-3 days for the full report.

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