Getting started with fountain pens means you’ll need the right paper as well. While there are many kinds of paper available out there, it is important to know that to be sure you’ll have the best fountain pen writing experience, you’ll need a good fountain pen paper.
Won’t just any paper do? Unfortunately, no. There are certain qualities that you’ll need to look for. But first, let us describe what fountain pen paper is.
What is a fountain pen paper?
For those who are not yet familiar, a fountain pen paper is specially developed and produced to work well for fountain pens. What matters in fountain pen-friendly papers is that they are designed to handle the unique properties of fountain pen inks.
If you have observed fountain pens and fountain pen inks before, you may notice they have a certain wetness that behaves differently depending on the paper. They also sometimes exhibit shading, which allows for different gradients of color to appear based on the strokes made while writing. And then there are inks that have sheen while others have shimmer or both, which add to that luxurious and interesting texture and character of fountain pen inks.
Using regular paper or a sheet that is not fountain-pen friendly can easily lead to a messy and frustrating writing experience.
What's a better option than regular paper?
Existing paper in the past, or what we can generally call regular paper, couldn’t handle fountain pen inks well. They feathered, bled, ghosted, or lost character.
If the paper is rough or absorbent, feathering happens where the ink spreads out into the paper’s fibers, which makes writing look fuzzy. Furthermore, when over-absorption happens, it can result in fountain pen inks losing their sheen and shading, effectively muting or dulling the vibrancy of the fountain pen inks.
Then if the paper is too thin, it leads to either bleeding, where it soaks the ink through the page, sadly ruining the other side, or ghosting, where it doesn’t bleed but can still show heavy shadows on the other side of the paper.
These issues led to the need for an improved kind of paper that can handle fountain pens and fountain pen inks. Thus, through trial and error, further research and improvement, and the enthusiasm to enjoy fountain pens to the fullest, fountain pen papers were invented.
So, while it can be a fun learning experience, you can always start with the right paper for fountain pens.
What are the characteristics of good paper for fountain pens?
EndlessPens tried to gather the key characteristics of the best fountain pen papers. We’ve gathered what you can look out for.
Smooth Texture
You’ll want to have a silky surface that allows the nib to glide effortlessly when you use your fountain pen. This gives you a better writing feel that enhances the overall writing experience. Certain types of paper may feature a slight texture to provide feedback or resistance, catering to those who desire a more tactile experience. Ideally, you’ll want a paper that balances both smoothness and resistance.
Paper Weight
You can avoid or minimize bleed-through and/or ghosting with thick and reliable papers. This is easily spotted by the unit of measurement for paperweight—GSM, or grams per square meter. You should use heavy papers that are at least 80 GSM or higher to avoid inks soaking through. The heavier the paper weight, the better its resistance to bleeding and ghosting.
Firmness
You’ll want a tight paper, which means it is smooth, has no visible fibers, resists bending or does not tear easily, and has clean edges. It’s also less translucent when held up to light. A tightly woven paper helps manage the absorption of ink so it doesn’t bleed through or feather on the surface. The weave also helps the paper endure well by retaining its structure over time.
Acid-Free
These are refined or treated papers that make sure they’re acid-free and pH-neutral. These characteristics prevent the paper from aging, which helps them last for a long time. It does not easily yellow or turn brittle, which is perfect for preserving memories in your journal or retaining the integrity of your script in important documents. If you look forward to keeping your fountain pen scribbles and sketches without any color change or degradation, you’ll need this kind of paper.
Format
Consider the layout of the paper you’ll want to use depending on your practice or need. These formats range from blank to lined, dotted or grid, multi-column, and many more. Some papers are designed especially for journaling, habit-tracking, planning, and other customized formats. This wide variety gives you the flexibility to select specific papers for specific purposes.
Color
Aside from the aesthetics, it matters depending on how you want your inks to color on your paper. The most common options are cream and white. White paper is preferred by those who like to see the true color of their inks show.
What are the top brands of paper for fountain pens here at EndlessPens?
Tomoe River Paper Pad
✅ silky smooth
✅ 52 GSM
✅ acid-free
✅ blank
✅ cream, white
This brand is easily recognizable due to its black cover featuring the embossed Tomoe River logo.
Most reviews share that Tomoe River Paper ranks among the best fountain pen papers available in the market. While it's lightweight, it’s resistant to bleeding and feathering. This artist-grade paper is perfect for fountain pens, with crisp lines and minimal ghosting.
It’s a premium paper pad that is also perfect for calligraphy practice, sketching, and more. Its texture allows for precise ink strokes, beautiful shades, and crisp lines. This comes with a Japanese Washi paper that can be used as a blotting sheet to absorb excess ink and reduce drying time. You can also get loose sheets of Tomoe River Paper.
Rhodia Pad
✅ exceptionally smooth
✅ 80 GSM
✅ acid-free
✅ dotted
✅ white
Known for its iconic and striking orange cover stamped with the Rhodia logo, their pads also sometimes come with a black or white cover.
This Rhodia pad is a great choice for daily writing. Each micro-perforated sheet offers an exceptionally smooth texture for an effortless and satisfying writing experience. It’s bleed and shadow resistant. You can trust that it will retain the true color of your fountain pen inks without any color change or fading.
The coated cardboard cover also offers great support, so it protects the pad, preventing any damage to its sheets. You can also find other formats and paper weights for Rhodia pads and notebooks to fit your needs. Browse for more Rhodia stationery supplies.
Midori MD Paper Notebook
✅ balance of smoothness and resistance
✅ 80 GSM
✅ acid-free
✅ blank, lined, grid
✅ cream, white.
The MD paper notebook is simple but reliable. Enjoy the ultimate comfort and stress-free experience from start to finish. The quality paper of the Midori brand is popular among pen enthusiasts for handling fountain pen inks well with its resistance to bleeding and feathering.
Whether you want the ultimate freedom of putting ideas on a blank paper, or use lined pages perfect for notes or recording daily entries, or practice calligraphy or sketching with grid paper, there is an MD Paper Notebook that you can rely on.
See other formats of MD notebooks and different Midori MD tools and accessories.
Maruman Mnemosyne Memo Notebook
✅ beautifully smooth
✅ 80 GSM
✅ acid-free
✅ lined,
✅ white
Also made in Japan, the Maruman paper brand is also known to offer high-quality micro perforated paper that allows for a smooth and enjoyable writing experience with minimal ghosting and bleed-through. It’s a great and more affordable option for trusted fountain pen-friendly brands.
Find other notebook sizes and variants made by Maruman Mnemosyne.
Endless Stationery Notebook
✅ luxuriously smooth
✅ 80 GSM
✅ acid-free
✅ blank, lined, dotted, squared
✅ white
Our branded Endless Stationary notebooks are engineered to ensure durability, resistance to feathering and bleed-through, good shading, and sheen.
Our specially crafted high-quality notebooks have Regalia paper, which is the proprietary, fountain-pen-friendly paper developed by Endless Stationery. These stationery notebooks allow our customers to enjoy the full beauty of fountain pen inks and reflect their true vibrancy even over time. The reasonable price point makes it a great choice to pair with your fountain pens.
See more EndlessPens notebooks and Endless Stationery products.
If you're still unsure which paper to get, we made this summary for your quick view!
While these papers may vary with how well they handle different inks, you can also use blotting paper to speed up the drying time and avoid mess.
Shop for the Best Paper for Fountain Pens!
Now that you understand how fountain pen ink behaves on different kinds of paper, you can review the qualities of the best paper for fountain pens. It’s definitely important to get good fountain pen papers to have a good fountain pen writing experience.
Are you interested in learning more? You can also read about other fountain pen-friendly brands in this article - Fountain Pen Paper Brands: A Comprehensive List from A to Z.
By Some Folks at EndlessPens
