Hopefully this helps as you explore calligraphy more. Let me help you even more on your path to making beautiful, readable calligraphy in your own distinctive style. My Modern Calligraphy workshop includes personal coaching to help you along every step of the way with your calligraphy journey and explorations. I have a brush lettering class too!
Explore handlettering with me at Utah Pinners on Nov 2 at 2:30. To use your promo code, click here and use code ESPLIN for 10% off through GrowTix when you purchase your tickets. Be sure to pre-purchase your kit for bonus goodies!
Not all paper is created equal. Chances are, if you're just starting out, you may have found some issues with your practice. Or if you're not a beginner you had issues when you were just starting out. And maybe you'd like to find some new papers to try out!
One of the most frequent questions I get asked is, "What paper do you use?". That's a loaded question. For now, let's talk about practice papers. Read the full post below for all the nitty-gritty details for why I like these papers, or watch the video. :)
For the sake of this post, I'm using a Hunt 22 nib and Walnut ink on all papers so you can see how each paper handles ink. Also, never mind the fact that I can't seem to spell the word "laser" correctly. I don't know why I always get the 's' and the 'z' mixed up with that one. The same papers that work with pointed pen also work with pointed brush. When looking for a good practice paper for both pointed pen/modern calligraphy and pointed brush/brush lettering, look for a smooth surface that allows the writing instrument to glide smoothly across the paper and a paper sturdy enough, or well-enough made that it holds ink without bleeding or feathering. These are my go-to calligraphy papers that I seem to always have on-hand.
I'm going to go through each paper from most transparent to most opaque and list out each paper's pros & cons and links (affiliated*) to where to purchase:
ONION SKIN PAPER
PROS: This paper is very smooth and handles ink beautifully. It's about as transparent as tracing paper, but without the drawbacks. It's about $30 for an entire ream (500 sheets), which makes it a great value. You can easily slip guidelines under your paper as pictured above and remove them for scanning or photography.
CONS: There's really only one brand and one place (the PaperMill Store) where it's available (amazon is a LOT more expensive). It doesn't go through the printer well (but no need with its transparency). I've noticed some friends complain it can be a bit too smooth.
MARKER LAYOUT PAPER
PROS: Marker Layout paper is easily accessible, you can purchase it from just about any craft supply store by the pad. It's nice you can contain your practice within a pad, and it's semi-transluscent so you can easily put guidelines underneath as pictured above. It's okay for scanning, but has a little more tooth to the texture of the paper (that can be a pro or a con). Every marker layout paper brand I've tried (Canson, Borden & Riley, Strathmore, etc) has performed consistently. I find I prefer Canson out of this category.
CONS: At between $9-13 per pad with only 50-80 sheets per pad, this is more expensive than onion skin paper. It comes in 9x12 pads, so you have to cut them down smaller if you're looking to print on them or to scan them in standard-sized scanners.
PREMIUM LASER PAPER
PROS: There are many brands of premium laser papers out there, so I keep this pretty generic. Many that I've tried have worked great with ink. HP Premium Laser Paper is the most popular of this bunch. I've had great luck with Hammermill as well. What to look for: 32lb, Laserjet compatable, premium paper. Regular copy paper will ruin your life. This is probably the most economical and easily sourced option of the lot. You can print guides directly onto this paper.
CONS: It's more opaque, so you'll need to use a lightpad or print directly onto your paper with a local or at-home printer. Depending upon the brand you've purchased, it may have a bit more of a tooth to it. No worries. Just make sure you're practicing with a light touch (like you should be doing anyway).
HAND-LETTERING PAPER
PROS: This paper is a hybrid paper. While it's still considered a practice paper, the weight and quality of this paper could be used as a finished paper. It's probably the thickest paper of the lot. It's incredibly smooth, shows a nice bold line and the ink lays evenly on the paper. This paper handles more liquid media than the other papers of this type, so you can practice with wet ink, thicker downstrokes, experiment with watercolor effects without the paper buckling. This paper comes in larger sizes for larger work.
CONS: It's a little harder to source this paper than the others, but it's worth trying if you're curious. It's a thicker paper, requiring a lightpad or really dark guidelines to go underneath the paper. Or, worst case scenario, using a pencil to draw out your guidelines.
GRIDDED PAPER
PROS: Rhodia graph paper already has gridlines on it!! You can find their dot pad, if grid lines are too much, but I really like the structure of the grid. This paper is beautifully smooth and handles ink like a pro. It's got a little bit of texture to it, enough to give your pen feedback on where you are on the paper, but not so much that your nib is skipping all over the place. Grid lines are 5mm apart
The Engrosser's Pad from John Neal is also great (make sure to purchase the one labeled "engrosser's pad" if you're doing pointed pen), it also includes 55º angle lines for keeping angle lines consistent. The grid markers are quite small at just over 3mm (1/8th inch), so it can be a little harder to keep track of the sizing if you're going for a larger scale.
CONS: If you get the Rhodia ICE pad, the grids come in a light grey, which means you can't scan out the grid lines if you're digitizing your work. It's a premium paper (from a French company, so regal ;)), so it comes at a premium price. Thankfully, with the rise of calligraphy and lettering in popularity, the pricing and availability for these pads has become more accessible. The regular orange Rhodia pads have a blue grid that can be photoshopped out, but it's a little tricky.
Hopefully this helps as you explore calligraphy more. Let me help you even more on your path to making beautiful, readable calligraphy in your own distinctive style. My Modern Calligraphy workshop includes personal coaching to help you along every step of the way with your calligraphy journey and explorations. I have a brush lettering class too!
For the sake of this post, I'm using a Hunt 22 nib and Walnut ink on all papers so you can see how each paper handles ink. Also, never mind the fact that I can't seem to spell the word "laser" correctly. I don't know why I always get the 's' and the 'z' mixed up with that one. The same papers that work with pointed pen also work with pointed brush. When looking for a good practice paper for both pointed pen/modern calligraphy and pointed brush/brush lettering, look for a smooth surface that allows the writing instrument to glide smoothly across the paper and a paper sturdy enough, or well-enough made that it holds ink without bleeding or feathering. These are my go-to calligraphy papers that I seem to always have on-hand.
I'm going to go through each paper from most transparent to most opaque and list out each paper's pros & cons and links (affiliated*) to where to purchase:
ONION SKIN PAPER
PROS: This paper is very smooth and handles ink beautifully. It's about as transparent as tracing paper, but without the drawbacks. It's about $30 for an entire ream (500 sheets), which makes it a great value. You can easily slip guidelines under your paper as pictured above and remove them for scanning or photography.
CONS: There's really only one brand and one place (the PaperMill Store) where it's available (amazon is a LOT more expensive). It doesn't go through the printer well (but no need with its transparency). I've noticed some friends complain it can be a bit too smooth.
MARKER LAYOUT PAPER
PROS: Marker Layout paper is easily accessible, you can purchase it from just about any craft supply store by the pad. It's nice you can contain your practice within a pad, and it's semi-transluscent so you can easily put guidelines underneath as pictured above. It's okay for scanning, but has a little more tooth to the texture of the paper (that can be a pro or a con). Every marker layout paper brand I've tried (Canson, Borden & Riley, Strathmore, etc) has performed consistently. I find I prefer Canson out of this category.
CONS: At between $9-13 per pad with only 50-80 sheets per pad, this is more expensive than onion skin paper. It comes in 9x12 pads, so you have to cut them down smaller if you're looking to print on them or to scan them in standard-sized scanners.
PREMIUM LASER PAPER
PROS: There are many brands of premium laser papers out there, so I keep this pretty generic. Many that I've tried have worked great with ink. HP Premium Laser Paper is the most popular of this bunch. I've had great luck with Hammermill as well. What to look for: 32lb, Laserjet compatable, premium paper. Regular copy paper will ruin your life. This is probably the most economical and easily sourced option of the lot. You can print guides directly onto this paper.
CONS: It's more opaque, so you'll need to use a lightpad or print directly onto your paper with a local or at-home printer. Depending upon the brand you've purchased, it may have a bit more of a tooth to it. No worries. Just make sure you're practicing with a light touch (like you should be doing anyway).
HAND-LETTERING PAPER
PROS: This paper is a hybrid paper. While it's still considered a practice paper, the weight and quality of this paper could be used as a finished paper. It's probably the thickest paper of the lot. It's incredibly smooth, shows a nice bold line and the ink lays evenly on the paper. This paper handles more liquid media than the other papers of this type, so you can practice with wet ink, thicker downstrokes, experiment with watercolor effects without the paper buckling. This paper comes in larger sizes for larger work.
CONS: It's a little harder to source this paper than the others, but it's worth trying if you're curious. It's a thicker paper, requiring a lightpad or really dark guidelines to go underneath the paper. Or, worst case scenario, using a pencil to draw out your guidelines.
GRIDDED PAPER
PROS: Rhodia graph paper already has gridlines on it!! You can find their dot pad, if grid lines are too much, but I really like the structure of the grid. This paper is beautifully smooth and handles ink like a pro. It's got a little bit of texture to it, enough to give your pen feedback on where you are on the paper, but not so much that your nib is skipping all over the place. Grid lines are 5mm apart
The Engrosser's Pad from John Neal is also great (make sure to purchase the one labeled "engrosser's pad" if you're doing pointed pen), it also includes 55º angle lines for keeping angle lines consistent. The grid markers are quite small at just over 3mm (1/8th inch), so it can be a little harder to keep track of the sizing if you're going for a larger scale.
CONS: If you get the Rhodia ICE pad, the grids come in a light grey, which means you can't scan out the grid lines if you're digitizing your work. It's a premium paper (from a French company, so regal ;)), so it comes at a premium price. Thankfully, with the rise of calligraphy and lettering in popularity, the pricing and availability for these pads has become more accessible. The regular orange Rhodia pads have a blue grid that can be photoshopped out, but it's a little tricky.
Hopefully this helps as you explore calligraphy more. Let me help you even more on your path to making beautiful, readable calligraphy in your own distinctive style. My Modern Calligraphy workshop includes personal coaching to help you along every step of the way with your calligraphy journey and explorations. I have a brush lettering class too!