Originally, a notebook was a small booklet used to record various things. Before the invention of writing, humans often used knotted ropes to record numbers or events, expressing certain meanings to convey information. From the remains of paintings in primitive society, such as net-patterned diagrams, rope patterns on pottery, and pottery net pendants, it can be seen that knotting to record events (counting) was one of the widely used recording methods by primitive people.

Notebooks come in various types. Common cover materials include genuine leather, imitation leather PU, leather, PP, cloth, and metal. Binding styles include: paperback notebooks, loose-leaf notebooks, ring-bound notebooks, and hardcover notebooks.