Printing & Fountain Pen Compatible Paper?

February 16, 2017

So, I've been looking for a nice fountain pen compatible paper, and was almost sold on tomoe river... However, I've now decided it would be nice to print some spencerian guide-lines and practice sheets on this kind of paper as well. I have heard mixed experiences with printing on tomoe river, and decided not to go ahead with that. For this case, I'm not looking for an incredibly expensive paper, but something low to mid range in price that is a very good quality for printing or not. I'm looking for something a little multi-purpose I guess you could say. It'd be nice to have it in cream, but that's not necessary.

Any recommendations?

Edited February 16, 2017 by Wayfarer

February 16, 2017

Hi,

Kindly consider the 90gsm Rhodia 'R' paper: high performance + attractive warm appearance, and not too too dear.

Also look to your local [offset / letterpress] job printer, who may have leftovers from press runs of wedding invitations and suchlike. Also mostly avoids the shipping fee.

Bye,

S1

Edited February 17, 2017 by Sandy1

February 20, 2017

How about HP (or equivalent brand) Laser paper. HP comes in both 24 and 32 pound (90 & 1xx) and can be used for a number of uses. I don't recall what I paid for the ream of 24 lb I have but it was under $20. At $20 a ream that is 4 cents a sheet.

February 21, 2017

I was just struggling with this exact question and have been scouring the internet. My results led me to purchase a pack of Hammermill Laser Jet 24 pound paper at Staples - 500 pages $9.99

Last night I tried it for the first time with my fountain pens and I was pretty amazed at how different it was from the paper I had been using (Canson sketchbook paper and a Strathmore 300 series Bristol pad). I'm pretty new to fountain pens, but have been making art in various forms for quite a while and can tell you that this Hammermill paper (with the turquoise butterfly on it ) is a very smooth paper, and all my pens seem super smooth and thicker and wetter on them.

Side note- my plan is to take a chunk of the paper and keep it for printing with my laser printer, and then take some and have it bound at staples (most likely). They will put a sort of thick clear plastic on the front and back and bind it like a coil notebook for about $7. Cheap sketchbook!

Edit- So after doing some more drawing on this paper, I do notice there is definitely more barbell-ing (not sure if this is a common word here, but like when the pen is stationary, it creates a thicker dot. So when you first start your line you get a dot, and then at the end of your line you get another dot - like a barbell). Perhaps this is a result of the ink not being absorbed and is unavoidable if you want a slick paper ? Anybody know the answer to this ? I'll try to respond again after I get my Tomoe River paper. It's been ordered a while now. On it's way from Japan for like a month. I've never used it before so I can't compare. Also I've never used Rhodia. That's next on my list. So many things to do.

Edited February 22, 2017 by Simulacrum