Colorists consistently underinvest in paper. They’ll spend $30 on a set of Copics and print on 20lb copy paper and then wonder why their markers streak, bleed through, and look nothing like what they see in videos. The paper is doing about half the work.
Here’s what actually matters about paper, and what to buy for each medium.
The Three Things Paper Determines
1. How your tool lays down color. Rough paper grabs pencil pigment more aggressively but creates texture. Smooth paper gives smooth color but less blending tooth. Hot-press watercolor paper handles pencils and markers differently than cold-press.
2. Whether ink bleeds through. Thin paper (under 60lb / 90gsm) will telegraph marker ink to the back and potentially through to the page below. Good marker paper is coated to prevent bleed-through and is usually at least 70lb (100gsm).
3. How much you can work the surface. Paper that pills or tears under repeated pencil strokes limits how many layers you can build. Heavyweight paper (90–110lb / 135–165gsm) handles more reworking.
For Colored Pencils
What you want: Heavyweight paper with visible tooth (texture). Pencil pigment needs tooth to grip — smooth paper limits how many layers you can build before you’ve filled the tooth and the pencil slides off.
Best options:
- Strathmore 400 Series Drawing Paper (80lb): The workhorse pick. Good tooth, takes 5–8 pencil layers before filling, handles burnishing.
- Stonehenge Paper (90lb): Very smooth for a textured paper. Excellent for detailed work and skin tones where you want minimal paper grain.
- Canson Mi-Teintes (98lb): A laid paper with visible texture. Creates a beautiful grain effect that some colorists love. Not for every subject.
What to avoid: Glossy paper (pencil won’t stick), very smooth bristol (you’ll max out at 2–3 layers before the tooth is gone), and anything under 60lb for serious work.
For Alcohol Markers
What you want: Smooth, heavyweight paper with a coating that slows ink absorption. Marker paper is specifically designed for this — it’s bleed-resistant and allows the ink to stay workable long enough to blend.
Best options:
- Copic X-Press It Blending Card (75lb): The gold standard. Ink stays wet slightly longer than on most surfaces, giving you more blending time. No bleed-through.
- Canson Marker Layout (70lb): Good alternative, widely available, performs well for most alcohol markers.
- Regular copy paper (20lb): Avoid. Markers will bleed through to whatever is underneath and dry unevenly.
The bleed-through test: Put a sheet of white paper underneath your marker paper while you work. After finishing, lift it. How much ink transferred? If it’s significant, you need heavier marker paper.
For Watercolor
What you want: 100% cotton watercolor paper, at least 140lb (300gsm). This is where the investment pays off most clearly — cheap watercolor paper buckles, pills, and doesn’t handle lifting. Good paper is the difference between frustrated and delighted.
Best options:
- Arches 140lb Cold Press: The standard professional choice. Handles multiple wet layers, takes lifting well, durable surface.
- Strathmore 400 Series Watercolor (140lb): More accessible price, cotton blend rather than 100% cotton, good for learning.
- Fabriano Artistico (140lb): Excellent cold press, slightly more textured than Arches.
Hot vs cold press:
- Cold press has visible texture — better for landscapes, foliage, organic shapes.
- Hot press is smooth — better for tight detail, illustration work, portraits.
For coloring pages specifically, cold press is usually right. The texture adds visual interest to areas of flat color.
For Mixed Media
What you want: Something that handles both wet and dry media without falling apart. True mixed media paper is designed for this.
Best options:
- Strathmore 400 Mixed Media (90lb): Takes pencil, marker, watercolor, and some ink without warping badly. The practical all-arounder.
- Fabriano Mixed Media (250gsm): Heavier and more durable. Worth it for pages you plan to keep.
Printing Coloring Pages
If you’re printing your own pages, the paper choice matters enormously. Thin inkjet paper (standard copy paper) does nobody any favors.
Recommendations:
- For pencils: Print on 24lb or 32lb inkjet paper (brighter white, slightly thicker than standard copy). The pigment will look richer on a brighter white.
- For markers: Use marker paper if you can. Otherwise, 32lb+ inkjet laser paper reduces bleed-through.
- For best results: Print at the highest quality your printer supports. Low-resolution printing creates artifact artifacts that show through pencil work.
The upgrade that changes your coloring most isn’t usually a new set of pencils. It’s buying the paper your current tools were designed for. Most medium-quality colored pencils and markers perform dramatically better on the right surface than premium tools on copy paper.