Fountain pen-friendly paper

Fountain pens are having something of a renaissance, converting a whole new generation to the unparalleled elegance of classic handwriting. Fountain pens are full of new things to explore, giving you the chance to experiment with colour, nibs, feel and so much more. But if you love fountain pens, you'll also know that finding fountain pen-friendly paper is critical, and not all paper is created equal. We've put together a handy guide to help you make sure your paper is up to scratch, along with some of our favourite fountain pen-friendly notebooks and notepads to get you started. What's the problem? Lighter paper can struggle with the rich ink of a fountain pen, leading to some disappointing results you'd rather avoid. Here's a few pitfalls to look out for. Feathering Feathering refers to the way ink creeps out amongst the paper's fibres, leaving your neat handwriting looking blurry and imprecise. High-quality paper can usually help you avoid feathering, but which ink you use, or nib size, can also contribute to feathering. Finer nibs and drier inks are less prone to feathering, while ink-heavy nibs like Medium and Broad leave more on the page, which can lead to feathering. Show-through Show-through is largely a function of how thick the paper is – the higher the paperweight (measured in gsm, or 'grams per square metre'), the less likely you'll experience show-through. So a lovely thick paper stock will prevent show-through, while lighter sheets will be more prone to those ghostly images on the reverse. One exception to this is the very light 52 gsm paper from Japanese brand Tomoe River. It's extremely lightweight but has very little show-through, which is why you'll find it in quality diaries like Hobonichi. The colour and brightness of inks may also affect show-through. In our tests, red inks were more likely to have faint show-through, so consider the impact of your colour choices as you flick through your ink collection. Bleed-through If a paper is overly absorbent, or too thin, you'll experience bleed-through. An extremely inky pen may also cause bleed-through. Fountain pen-friendly papers have fibres blended to resist bleed-through, but you may sometimes still be able to see a shadow of what you've written on the other side. Finding minimal bleed-through is going to be about a paper/nib/ink perfect combination, so choose your pen and notebook wisely – we've got a guide below to help you make the right choice. Smoothness / Smudging When writing with fountain pens, it's a better experience if the paper is smooth, not scratchy. To achieve this smoothness, fountain pen-friendly paper usually has a coating applied. The tradeoff there is that it can take a beat for the ink to dry, which can lead to smudging if you write quickly or rest your hands on the page while writing, which is quite common amongst left-handers. Paper colour You'll get the best experience of vibrant fountain pen ink colours on white paper, but the creamier colour of some Japanese paper makers like Life Stationery and Midori can be easier on the eyes. Ultimately, it's a matter of personal taste, so try some options until you find the right one for you. Our favourite fountain pen-friendly paper We've got an amazing range of paper to match your fountain pen, from the pristine elegance of classic French papetieres to Japanese-made stationery stars. Here are just a few of our all-time favourites. Rhodia Pad #16 An ultra-simple stunner, Rhodia's range of notepads and notebooks are a fountain pen fanatic's best friend, and the classic-orange Pad #16 is one we keep close to hand. Bright white and delightfully smooth, the nib of your fountain pen just about dances across Rhodia pages, like you're writing on a cloud. The 80gsm paper handles the extra ink with style, and each notepad sheet is subtly perforated for easy removal when you're done. Produced in France by Clairefontaine (more on them later), Rhodia's range is made from sustainably-sourced forestry, so you can keep writing guilt-free as long as you please. Check out the complete Rhodia range Life Stationery Noble Note A4 Notebook Handmade just outside Tokyo since 1946, Life Stationery notebooks and notepads are still tricky to find outside Japan, but the quality and care that goes into each one makes them worth the effort. The pages of Life Stationery's Noble Note A4 Notebook are a creamier off-white than the bright white of Rhodia and Clairefontaine, which makes them much more gentle on your eyes under office fluoros. Life Stationery paper has a little bit more texture than most European brands, with a subtle grain that gives it a lovely tactile feel, and you can feel the attention to detail that goes into the construction of each one as your pens glides across the page. If you've only experienced French-made paper, you owe it to yourself to expand your horizons with Life. Check out the complete Life Stationery range Clairefontaine Thread-Bound A4 Notebook Clairefontaine produces the paper used by so many other notebook makers, and with good cause – the French brand's 150 years of experience have led to some of the world's best paper. Impossibly smooth and stark white, Clairefontaine paper is the gold-standard for fountain pen lovers, with little to no bleed-through, feathering or show-through to detract from your pristine handwriting. You can trust everything in the Clairefontaine range with your precious fountain pen, but we keep coming back to the elegant Thread-Bound A4 Notebook for its timeless air, quality binding and, of course, premium paper. It also features numbered pages, which makes it easy to find where you were up to in an instant. Check out the complete Clairefontaine range Blackwing Slate Notebook Even though it's made by a brand known first and foremost for their pencils, the Blackwing Slate Notebook also makes a beautiful place to try out your fountain pens. With luxurious 100gsm paper, it's well-equipped to handle fine- and medium-nib fountain pens, and its built-in pencil holster (which comes filled with one of the brand's legendary 602 pencils when you buy it) can do double-duty as a handy holder for your pen when you're on the move. The Slate's hard cover also means you can use your fountain pen on the go, so you're ready to capture that moment of inspiration when it strikes unexpectedly. Check out the Blackwing Slate Notebook Traveler's Notebook Perfect for travel writing and taking notes at archeological digs, the timeless style of the Traveler's Notebook makes it an enduring Milligram favourite. And even though you're on the move, you can still enjoy a top-tier writing experience with the different kinds of fountain pen-friendly MD Paper refills you can add to the Traveler's Notebook. From diary pages to ruled and plain layouts, part of the joy is creating the ideal notebook just for you. Traveler's Company even make a pocket-sized fountain pen specifically to go with your Traveler's Notebook. The Brass Fountain Pen's stylish brass body makes it hard-wearing enough to keep by your side through thick and thin, with a coating that'll develop a unique finish that reflects the adventures you shared. We've barely scratched the surface when it comes to fountain pen-friendly notebooks, so if you haven't found the right one for you, check out the full range now. Part of the joy of finding the perfect notebook is trying a whole bunch of different options, so maybe you'll need to get a few – just to try out, y'know?

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