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The Best Fountain Pen Paper

The Best Fountain Pen Paper

May 16, 2022 - Posted by Connie to Guides, Fountain Pens, Paper, Notebooks

The Best Fountain Pen Paper

Selecting a paper for your fountain pen is like pairing a fine wine with cheese: different combinations bring out the subtleties and unique flavors of both. In the same way, finding a good paper allows you to realize the full potential of your fountain pen and ink, adding another dimension to both the pen and paper. There are many things to consider when selecting the best paper for your fountain pen. We delve into those considerations and pick out a variety of notebooks for students, working professionals, journalers, and more. Watch the video or keep reading to see an overview of our fountain pen paper recommendations.

Fountain Pen Paper Considerations
Paper Color
Fountain pen papers usually come in crisp white, but some papers are offered in ivory or cream hues.
Fountain pen papers usually come in crisp white, but some papers are offered in ivory or cream hues.
A crisp, clean white is the standard for most fountain pen paper. Its neutral tone is the best choice for inks to show their true colors. The brightness of white paper varies across different manufacturers: some papers are a bright white, while others are a soft off-white. Ivory- and cream-colored paper are also available as options that are easier on the eyes.
Feathering
Papers that resist feathering will keep your writing neat.
Papers that resist feathering will keep your writing neat.
The dreaded effect known as feathering occurs when ink spreads through a paper’s fibers, resulting in an unattractive, web-like mess. Low-quality paper is more prone to feathering while high-quality paper is specifically designed to resist the spread of ink along its fibers. Aside from the paper itself, nib size and ink formula can both play a role in the amount of feathering that occurs. Broader nibs put down more ink on the page, which means there’s more ink soaking into the paper’s fibers. Some inks are simply more prone to feathering regardless of nib size or paper as well.
Bleedthrough and Showthrough
For the best performance, seek out papers that have low showthrough and no bleedthrough.
For the best performance, seek out papers that have low showthrough and no bleedthrough.
Bleedthrough occurs when a paper is too thin or too absorbent, or when a fountain pen ink is particularly wet. The fibers of fountain pen friendly papers are specifically woven to prevent bleedthrough, but you may still see traces of what you’ve written on the other side of the paper. This “shadow” is also known as showthrough. The level of showthrough largely depends on the opacity of the paper, which can be affected by the paper’s thickness. A thicker paper will likely have less showthrough, but that doesn’t mean that it will have less bleedthrough.
Dry Time
Most fountain pen papers are less absorbent than typical papers, and inks will take longer to dry on them.
Most fountain pen papers are less absorbent than typical papers, and inks will take longer to dry on them.
The less absorbent a paper is, the longer the dry time—and vice versa. A paper with very low absorbency will demonstrate less feathering, but it’s more prone to smudging as the ink simply refuses to dry. The more absorbent a paper is, the more likely it is that it will exhibit bleedthrough. In practice, you should choose a paper that balances dry times and bleedthrough according to your needs. Left-handed writers may prefer a more absorbent paper, while those who use extra fine nibs can consider using less absorbent paper.
Sheet Style
Fountain pen paper comes in a range of sheet styles, like blank, lined, dot grid, and graph.
Fountain pen paper comes in a range of sheet styles, like blank, dot grid, graph, and ruled.
Like regular paper, fountain pen paper comes in a range of sheet styles, including lined, blank, dot grid, and graph. For those who prefer blank sheets, some manufacturers will include a template that can be layered behind the paper to keep your writing straight. To read more about sheet styles, read our Best Notebooks for Every Use guide.
Paper Texture
Most fountain pen papers have smooth surfaces which allow the nib to glide across the paper.
Most fountain pen papers have smooth surfaces which allow the nib to glide across the paper. Others, like the Original Crown Mill Pure Cotton, have some texture for a tactile writing experience.
Most fountain pen paper has a smooth surface which allows the nib to glide across the paper. Some papers (like Midori MD) have a hint of tooth that provides a tactile sensation. Usually, a paper’s sizing or coating affects its smoothness. A fully coated paper is slippery, and inks take longer to absorb and dry. An uncoated paper tends to be more textured and may soak up ink. For all writers, we recommend starting with papers that are partially coated for smooth writing experiences and reasonable dry times. As your familiarity with fountain pens increases, you’ll develop your preferences in regards to paper texture.
The Best Fountain Pen Paper for Students
Clairefontaine Collection 1951 Notebooks look like typical composition notebooks, but they’re filled with 90 gsm paper.
Clairefontaine Collection 1951 Notebooks look like typical composition notebooks, but they’re filled with 90 gsm paper.
Clairefontaine Collection 1951 Notebooks have covers reminiscent of typical composition notebook designs, but the paper inside is a definite upgrade. The bright white paper weighs in at 90 gsm and resists feathering, bleedthrough, and showthrough without requiring exceptionally long dry times. The Collection 1951 comes in two versions: the gluebound notebook includes 96 sheets, while the staplebound one has 48 sheets. Learn more about Clairefontaine’s entire lineup in our comprehensive guide.
Budget-friendly Kokuyo Campus Dotted Rule Notebooks have innovative sheet styles.
Budget-friendly Kokuyo Campus Dotted Rule Notebooks have innovative sheet styles.
If you’re a student who has browsed the JetPens website, you’re probably familiar with the Kokuyo Campus series already. Campus notebooks and loose leaf papers offer fountain pen friendliness at budget prices. Our favorites have to be the Campus Dotted Rule Notebooks thanks to their innovative sheet styles. They combine dot grid with horizontal lines so you can jot down literature notes and draw function graphs on the same paper. The Campus lineup offers plenty of stationery geared towards students, and you can read more about them in our guide.

The Kokuyo Campus High Grade MIO Paper Notebook is like an upgraded version of the typical Campus notebook. It’s a great option for writers who want paper that is even smoother than typical Campus paper.

Those who enjoy rearranging notes can consider Sarasara Loose Leaf Paper. The B5 sheets are similar in size to U.S. standard filler paper, though they can only be used with 26-hole binders.

Tsubame Fools Notebooks contain smooth, high quality paper with light texture.
Tsubame Fools Notebooks contain smooth, high quality paper with light texture.
The charming Tsubame Fools Notebook contains smooth, high quality paper that has a light texture to give you full control over your fountain pen. Inks take longer to dry and there is some showthrough, but it’s not enough to get in the way of using the back side of the paper. We prefer using the B5 notebook—which is closest in size to standard composition notebooks—for classes, but A5 sizes are available too. The notebooks come with your choice of white or cream paper.
The Best Fountain Pen Paper for Office Professionals
Elegant Kobeha Graphilo Notebooks have neutral-colored covers that won’t draw undue attention.
Elegant Kobeha Graphilo Notebooks have neutral-colored covers that won’t draw undue attention.
The elegant Kobeha Graphilo Style Notebook will fit nicely in any office setting. Its neutral-colored cover won’t draw undue attention. It contains smooth, off-white paper with just a hint of tooth that’s ideal for use with fountain pens. The paper resists feathering and bleedthrough, even from the wettest inks. This means that fountain pen ink effects like sheening and shading reveal their true potentials on this paper. However, as a trade off, writing does take a while to dry. A sheet of SUITO blotting paper is included and it can be used to absorb slow-drying ink before closing the notebook. It comes in graph, lined, and blank sheet styles.

Kobeha Graphilo also comes in slimmer A5 notebooks and loose leaf papers.

Maruman Mnemosyne Notebooks come in a variety of sizes, sheet styles, and binding types to choose from.
Maruman Mnemosyne Notebooks come in a variety of sizes, sheet styles, and binding types to choose from.
Maruman hopes to inspire your creativity with Mnemosyne Notebooks. Their name references the mother of the nine muses in Greek mythology. The semi-matte black covers are tastefully accented with gold foil stamping on the front for a sleek and professional look. Mnemosyne paper is silky smooth with a relatively fast dry time and minimal showthrough. With an impressive array of sizes, sheet styles, and binding types to choose from, you can select the exact notebook or notepad that fits your needs. Read more about Mnemosyne notebooks in our comprehensive guide.
Rhodia DotPad Notepads feature bright white paper printed with a useful dot grid pattern.
Rhodia DotPad Notepads feature bright white paper printed with a useful dot grid pattern.
Fountain pen users love the dot grid pattern featured in the Rhodia DotPad Notepad. This sheet style is noticeable enough to provide guidelines, yet its subtle gray color ensures it isn’t distracting. Rhodia’s bright white 80 gsm paper is a perennial favorite: inks dry quickly on this paper with minimal bleedthrough or showthrough. The notepads are available in two binding styles. The twin ring version makes it easy to use the back side of the sheet without tearing it out of the notepad. The staple binding, on the other hand, is more secure. Regardless of which type you choose, the micro-perforated pages ensure that the sheets come out cleanly when you want them to. Learn more about the entire Rhodia lineup in our dedicated guide.
The Best Letter Writing Paper for Fountain Pens
Clairefontaine Triomphe Notepads are great options for letter writers who use fountain pens.
Clairefontaine Triomphe Notepads are great options for letter writers who use fountain pens.
Clairefontaine Triomphe stationery just has the je ne sais quoi or “certain something” that makes it stand out from the crowd. With little to no showthrough and a downright silky texture, this bright white paper is a joy to write on. It’s a favorite among letter writers who use fountain pens. The blank notepads include a guide sheet which can be tucked under the pages and help you write in a straight line. Clairefontaine also offers matching envelopes. If you plan on using A4 and A5 notepads, we recommend the 4.5” x 6.3” envelopes. They can accommodate A4 sheets folded into quarters, and A5 sheets folded in half.
Life Airmail Letter Pads embrace the nostalgia of crinkly onionskin pages.
Life Airmail Letter Pads embrace the nostalgia of crinkly onionskin pages.
During the early days of airmail, lightweight paper was an absolute necessity. The cost of a letter was determined by its weight, so it became imperative to save every gram possible. The most popular paper used for airmail, onionskin paper, was thin yet durable, with a translucency that mimicked its namesake material. Such cost-cutting measures are no longer necessary, but Life Airmail Letter Pads and Envelopes embrace the nostalgia of crinkly pages and envelopes striped with red and blue details. Inks dry quickly on the letter pad, and some colors even appear different than on more opaque paper. However, because the paper is so thin, using the back side of the sheet is practically impossible. Two envelope sizes are available. The Western No. 2 will fit sheets torn from the letter pad and folded into quarters with plenty of room to spare. The Western No. 6 requires the sheets to be folded in thirds.
Original Crown Mill Pure Cotton Writing Pads are made from 100% pure cotton.
Original Crown Mill Pure Cotton Writing Pads are made from 100% pure cotton.
Original Crown Mill Pure Cotton stationery is made from 100% pure cotton. It has a soft, plush texture that is smooth yet tactile. The paper is on the more absorbent side, so ink dries relatively quickly without excessive feathering. However, there is moderate showthrough on the back of the paper. A guide sheet is included with every pad of blank paper. Matching envelopes are also available. The C6 envelopes perfectly fit an A5 sheet folded in half, while the C6/5 envelopes are made for A4 sheets folded into thirds.

For short correspondence that is no less elegant, Original Crown Mill also creates note cards.

The Best Journals for Fountain Pens
The rich, silky paper in Apica Premium C.D. Notebooks has little showthrough.
The rich, silky paper in Apica Premium C.D. Notebooks works best with fine and medium nibs.
Fountain pens glide gracefully over the rich, silky paper of the Apica Premium C.D. Notebook. We noticed slight dots of bleedthrough with heavy applications of ink, but fine and medium nibs will produce little showthrough. Inks take a few seconds longer to dry on this paper. The cover has many charming details, like gold foil and scroll patterns, that make it stand out. The notebook comes in B5, A5, and A6 sizes, so you have the exact amount of space you need to write thoughts, notes, and observations.
JetPens Kanso Noto Notebooks are packed with Tomoe River paper, one of our favorite papers for fountain pens.
JetPens Kanso Noto Notebooks are packed with Tomoe River paper, one of our favorite papers for fountain pens.
Our Kanso Noto Notebooks are packed with exquisite Tomoe River paper. This high quality paper is both incredibly thin and resistant to feathering and bleedthrough. However, there is a high amount of showthrough, which may render the back side of the paper unusable depending on your tolerance. In our experience, the amount of showthrough is an acceptable trade-off for paper that simply brings out the best of every fountain pen ink. The Kanso Noto includes 160 sheets of 52 gsm paper yet is less than half an inch thick, which makes it wonderfully portable.

Tomoe River paper is one of our favorite papers for fountain pens. It’s found in plenty of other formats, including popular Hobonichi Techo planners. You can browse our full selection of Tomoe River paper products in our curated collection.

Midori MD Notebooks are filled with MD paper, which is more yellow in tone than other papers in this guide.
Midori MD Notebooks are filled with MD paper, which is more yellow in tone than other papers in this guide.
Minimalist Midori MD Notebooks are designed to give users a pleasant writing experience. MD paper was originally developed in 1960 and has been continuously improved ever since. It has a fairly short drying time and soft, smooth sensation that makes it ideal for everyday use. However, there is a significant amount of showthrough, which may be inconvenient if you want to use the back side of the paper. MD paper is more yellow in tone than other papers in this guide, which can make your fountain pen inks look slightly different. Learn more about the entire MD lineup in our comprehensive guide.
Honorable Mentions
Midori Color Paper Notebooks are inspired by French macarons, with colored pastel pages.
Midori Color Paper Notebooks are inspired by French macarons, with colored pastel pages.
Color lovers will enjoy the scrumptious hues of Midori Color Paper Notebooks. Inspired by French macarons, the pastel pages match the bolder colors found on the covers. Midori didn’t skimp on the quality either: the paper has a satiny feel and fountain pens effortlessly glide over the writing surface. However, the paper displays a relatively high amount of showthrough, which is bothersome for those who want to use the back side. Additionally, most fountain pen inks will look quite different on colored paper than on white paper. Nonetheless, notebooks with colored paper that are suitable for fountain pens are few and far between, and these notebooks perform exceptionally well.
Yamamoto Cosmo Note Notebooks include Cosmo Air Light paper, which has been tailored to bring out the vibrance of fountain pen inks.
Yamamoto Cosmo Note Notebooks include Cosmo Air Light paper, which has been tailored to bring out the vibrance of fountain pen inks.
Yamamoto Cosmo Note Notebooks are packed with 83 gsm Cosmo Air Light, an award-winning paper that has been tailored to bring out the vibrance of fountain pen inks. Cosmo paper has the ability to elevate a fountain pen ink’s sheen to incredible levels; it can even draw this metallic effect out of inks that don’t sheen on other papers! However, Cosmo paper’s low absorbency does mean that inks take a long time to dry. Additionally, sheening inks may not ever dry completely. Anyone interested in the special capabilities of Cosmo paper should consider picking up blotting paper to help absorb extra ink.
The Yamamoto Fountain Pen Friendly Paper Collection includes sheets of eighteen different types of premium paper from Japan.
The Yamamoto Fountain Pen Friendly Paper Collection includes sheets of eighteen different types of premium paper from Japan. We tested just a few for our writing samples.
If you’ve ever wanted to try a sampling of different papers to develop your tastes, try the Yamamoto Fountain Pen Friendly Paper Collection. It includes five sheets of eighteen different types of premium paper that are sourced from various manufacturers in Japan. Each paper type includes a handy preface with details about the paper’s history and noteworthy characteristics, including information about dry times and showthrough.

Writers who feel some trepidation about adding ninety sheets of A4 paper to their collection can consider Yamamoto Paper Testing Volumes instead. They come with three types of paper, each with twenty-five sheets, in B7, A6, and B6 sizes.

Conclusion

There’s nothing quite like the feel of your fountain pen gliding over a sheet of satin smooth paper. Do you have a favorite fountain pen friendly paper? Let us know in the comments below.

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Notebooks Paper Color Smoothness Showthrough Dry Time (Seconds) Sheet Styles Add to Cart
Apica Premium C.D. Notebooks White 15 Blank, 5 mm Graph, 7 mm Lined Add Items to Cart
Clairefontaine Collection 1951 Notebooks White 10 8 mm Lined Add Items to Cart
Clairefontaine Triomphe Notepads White 10 Blank Add Items to Cart
Clairefontaine Triomphe Envelopes White 10 Blank Add Items to Cart
JetPens Cosmo Air Loose Leaf Paper White, Ivory 30 Blank Add Items to Cart
JetPens Kanso Noto Notebooks White 20 5 mm Dot Grid Add Items to Cart
Kobeha Graphilo Notebooks White 30 Blank, Graph (3.5 mm, 4 mm), Lined (7 mm, 8 mm) Add Items to Cart
Kobeha Graphilo Fountain Pen Paper White 30 Blank Add Items to Cart
Kokuyo Campus Dotted Rule Notebooks White 10 Lined (6 mm, 7 mm) Add Items to Cart
Kokuyo Campus High Grade MIO Paper Notebook White 10 7 mm Lined Add to Cart
Kokuyo Campus Sarasara Loose Leaf Paper White 10 5 mm Graph, Lined (6 mm, 7 mm) Add Items to Cart
Life Airmail Letter Pad White 10 Blank Add to Cart
Life One Touch Airmail Envelopes White 10 Blank Add Items to Cart
Maruman Mnemosyne Notebooks White 10 Blank, 5 mm Dot Grid, 5 mm Graph, 7 mm Ruled Add Items to Cart
Midori Color Paper Notebooks Pink, Yellow, Yellow Green, Blue Green, Purple, Brown 20 6.5 mm Lined Add Items to Cart
Midori MD Notebooks Cream 10 Blank, 5 mm Dot Grid, 5 mm Graph, 7 mm Grid Add Items to Cart
Original Crown Mill Pure Cotton Cards and Writing Pads Ivory 25 Blank Add Items to Cart
Original Crown Mill Pure Cotton Envelopes Ivory 25 Blank Add Items to Cart
Rhodia DotPad Notepads White 10 5 mm Dot Grid Add Items to Cart
Tsubame Fools Notebooks White, Ivory 15 Blank, 5 mm Graph, 7.5 mm Lined Add Items to Cart
Yamamoto Cosmo Note Notebooks Ivory 30 Blank Add to Cart
Yamamoto Fountain Pen Friendly Paper Collection Various Various Various Various Blank Add to Cart
Yamamoto Paper Testing Volumes Various Various Various Various Blank Add Items to Cart