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Copic markers are unique drawing instruments since they include strong alcohol-based ink able to provide amazing colors and make every artwork eye-catching. This is obvious that these mediums should be used with special paper that will complement their true function.
Selecting the right paper type on your own is boring and time-consuming, but… WoWPencils is here again! This post reviews the best paper for Copic markers and gives recommendations on how to tell good paper from low-quality item. Read on and select the right product for you.
Good Paper to Use with Copic Markers: Rated List
| Rank | Review | Name | Price | Type of Paper | Weight | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | X-Press It Blending Card | Check Here | Individual cardstock sheets | 250 gsm | 9.9 |
| 2 | | Strathmore 300 Series Bristol | Check Here | Tape-bound pad | 270 gsm | 9.8 |
| 3 | | Strathmore 500 Series Mixed Media | Check Here | Hardbound journal | 190 gsm | 9.6 |
| 4 | | Canson Pro Layout Marker | Check Here | Marker pad | 70 gsm | 9.4 |
| 5 | | Bianyo Marker Pad | Check Here | Marker pad | 70 gsm | 9.3 |
| 6 | | Bee Paper™ Artist Maker | Check Here | Marker pad | 180 gsm | 9.2 |
| 7 | | Crescent RENDR® No Show Thru Paper | Check Here | Hardbound sketchbook | 180 gsm | 9.1 |
| 8 | | Winsor & Newton Pigment Marker | Check Here | Marker pad | 75 gsm | 9.0 |
| 9 | | Copic transotype® Marker Pad | Check Here | Marker pad | 70 gsm | 8.9 |
| 10 | | Bienfang Graphics 360 | Check Here | Marker pad | 51 gsm | 8.8 |
X-Press It Blending Card
The number one product in the list is high-quality cardstock paper from X-Press It. The pack contains 125 white sheets of 8.5’’ x 11’’, which have an extremely smooth and silky surface. It features a high weight, but any standard printer can easily handle it. It is great to be used with markers and shows minimal leak-through even with alcohol-based mediums. The marker ink blends beautifully, and its colors stay bright on the paper.
The cardstock is ideal for card making and stamping. It is archival and acid-free. Actually, this is one of the bestselling types of paper available for Copic markers.
It is suitable for both professional artists and newbies.
- Ultra-smooth
- Allows you to deliver even marker strokes
- There are a lot of sheets in a pack
- Heavyweight
- Has anti-bleeding properties
- Compatible with printers
- Expensive
- Has a bluish tone and is not suitable for those colorists who like white
- The pages are loose (not for artists who like to color in pads)
Strathmore 300 Series Bristol Smooth Pad
This pad from Strathmore includes 20 white sheets of Bristol paper, which is famous for its heavy weight. It is very smooth and suitable for finished artworks made in pen and ink.
The pad is tape-bound and its dimensions are 9’’ x 12’’. This softcover edition is portrait-oriented.
- Free from acid contents
- A comfortable pad format for drawing outside
- Allows a smooth ink application
- Heavyweight
- A budget purchase
- A limited number of pages
Strathmore 500 Series Mixed Media Art Journal
This Strathmore art journal is perfect for drawings, sketches, and paintings. It can easily be used with mixed mediums since it causes no ink running or smudging.
The journal includes 32 sheets of white archival paper that has a vellum finish. The marker ink doesn’t leak through this heavyweight paper, and the colors look saturated.
The dimensions of the journal are 8.5’’ x 11’’. It has a black hardcover, which is very solid. A flat and sturdy surface is an ideal variant if you want to draw in your lap.
The pad looks very elegant, so you can even feel the value of its quality.
- Easily takes any medium
- The paper is textured
- The hardcover is strong and protects the pages from crinkles
- Acid-free pages
- Has a classic look
- Keeps the ink color bright
- The pages don’t lay flat
- The book has a weird smell
- A little pricey
Canson Pro Layout Marker Pad
This marker pad inspired by Canson contains 50 sheets of lightweight paper. It is white and almost translucent. This kind of paper is good for design or drawing, but it can easily handle pens and markers. The pages have an average show-through, but they don’t bleed. The paper is best used on the front page because it is smooth, while the flip side is rougher.
The pad is 9’’ x 12’’ and has a softcover design. The pages are flexible and can run through a printer.
- Sold at a good price
- Free from acid contents
- Doesn’t allow the ink to leak through
- Lightweight, though with a solid performance for markers
- It has no smooth gradient, and the colors don’t get mixed
- The pages fall out easily
- Not intended for using both sides of the page
Bianyo Marker Pad
This marker pad is manufactured by Bianyo. It includes 50 A4 (8’’ x 12’’) white sheets. The paper is thin, lightweight and shows no bleedthrough. You can try it with any type of markers – not a single spot underneath.
Since it is very waxy, smooth and absorbs less ink, this extends the lifetime of your markers. The mediums show bright colors when both wet and dry.
- Bleedproof
- Absorbs less ink
- Acid-free and pH-neutral
- A convenient standard size
- A nice value for the price
- Not suitable for watercolors since the pages don’t soak water
- The page corners tend to curl because the pad cover is soft
Bee Paper™ Artist Maker
This marker pad designed by Bee Paper is an excellent option to withstand wet mediums. It includes 30 8.5’’ x 11’’ sheets of bleedproof paper that can hold up several layers of ink.
Its surface features the smoothest grain, but it is not glossy. It is heavyweight and feels like cardstock. It makes blending a dream, especially with markers. This extensive smoothness prevents a bleedthrough and allows the users to re-work.
The pad comes in a soft cover and has pre-cut lines to make tearing easier.
- The price point is great
- Resistant to absorption, so the ink doesn’t leak through
- Fits in a standard printer
- Heavyweight
- No smearing
- The pages feature a convenient perforation
- The paper fallout is an annoyance
- Many layers of ink make the surface glossy
Crescent RENDR® No Show Thru Sketchbook
This hardbound sketchbook from Crescent includes 48 sheets of heavyweight paper, which is bleedproof and suitable for various art mediums. Thanks to its No-Show Thru technology, both sides of the pages can be utilized. The acid-free paper is white and has a greyish tint.
The sketchbook has a black cover, which is soft to touch and looks classic. It features a Smyth-sewn binding that allows leaving the sketchbook wide open.
- The specially patented paper is water-resistant
- The book features a solid binding
- Both sides of the page can be used
- A durable cover
- Opens 180 degrees
- An elegant design
- The matte black cover shows the oils from the user’s hands that don’t wash off
- Has a chemical odor
Winsor & Newton Pigment Marker Paper Pad
This 11’’ x 14’’ marker pad from Winsor & Newton includes 50 sheets of white lightweight paper. It is rather thin but designed with a special technique. Each sheet is coated with a protective layer, which allows it to dry slower and absorb less ink. Thanks to this characteristic, the users have more control over ink and can mix colors.
The pad has a very soft cover, and all the pages are landscape-oriented.
- Specially formulated paper with less absorption
- Perfect for mixing and blending colors
- Keeps all colors vibrant
- Contains a lot of sheets
- The paper is thin and easily damaged
- Coloring with markers gives a streaky look (can be reduced with a white blender)
- The back side of the pages is less good at blending and more absorbent
Copic Marker Transotype® Pad
This type of paper has been specially developed for Copics. It is very thin but has a bleed-resistant cover. It prevents the marker ink from leaking on the back side of the page. You may also notice that the ink stays wet on the surface longer. This allows you to blend and mix colors. Due to a silky paper texture, the ink remains very bright after drying.
The 8’’ x 12’’ pad includes 50 sheets and features a soft cover. The pages are landscape-oriented.
- The pad folds flat easily
- The pages have bleedproof properties thanks to a special layer
- The colors blend nicely
- A lot of sheets in a pack
- A smooth and silky surface
- Economical in price
- The paper is incredibly thin and can be occasionally damaged
- Many layers of ink do cause a leakthrough
Bienfang Graphics 360 Paper Pad
This 9’’ x 12’’ marker pad includes 50 sheets of white paper. It is very thin and lightweight, but it doesn’t leak through. Its surface is slightly textured and holds ink well. The pages are semi-transparent and can also be used for tracing.
The pad is glue-bound and has a soft cover.
- The textured surface works well with markers
- The use of ink is minimized
- Holds colors perfectly
- Acid-free
- Pricier than other similar brands
- The heavy saturation of markers will make it bleed through
- Wrinkles easily
Guide
Your drawing techniques and styles are of paramount importance in choosing the right paper for Copics. Since different types of paper require different handling, keep in mind the following factors when you are planning to buy your next pad/sketchbook:
Now, you know what points are important to look at when buying paper for Copic markers. Test various types of paper from multiple manufacturers and find the product that suits the best.
FAQ
The artworks done with Copic markers will look irresistible if you pair them with the right surface for drawing. In order not to waste ink in your markers and get amazing coloring results, here is some additional information grouped below in the form of questions.
Why Should I Use Thick Paper 📝 for Copic Markers?
Copic markers contain ink that is prone to bleeding, so a regular type of paper is not suitable to be used with them. The moral is that you should buy heavier and thicker paper to achieve better results. Thick and textured surfaces provide a smooth and seamless application.
Is Watercolor Paper Good for Copics?
Watercolor paper is specially designed to be used with liquids 💧, so its absorption characteristics are very high. Used with Copics, it soaks ink quickly, making it harder to blend, and the ink doesn’t stay on the surface. If you do use this paper, try to draw fast and blend immediately while the ink has not dried.
Is Mixed Media Paper Good for Copic Markers?
The name of this paper suggests that it works with a variety of drawing 🎨 and coloring tools. It can be used with Copics as an alternative, but this variant is not the best since acrylics and oil include chemical components that differ from markers’. If you don’t want to be frustrated by the results, or if your finished product is very important, choose special paper for your markers.
Is Cardstock Paper Good for Copic Markers?
You can draw on cardstock with Copic markers if it features a smooth surface, tight fibers and shows good blending abilities. Test it before buying a big pack: good paper will show no feathering. Remember that some cardstocks have a special clay coating that may leave residue on your marker tip. Avoid this type of coated paper.
Do Copic Markers 🖍 Work with Print Paper?
Print paper can also be used with Copics. It is smooth, so your markers will glide on the surface. Choose thicker copy paper to prevent leaking through the pages. Each paper brand differs in terms of blending and mixing colors and requires preliminary testing.
Interesting Facts
Here are a few unknown facts that WoWPencils has found out about marker paper and wants to share with you:
- When colored on different paper, any type of Copics may look different (Ciao, Sketch, Classic, Multiliner SP, etc.). These mediums contain dye ink in their cartridges, which comes in contact with a particular type of paper and looks different. On the contrary, pigment ink looks the same on various types of paper.
- Special paper is used for Japanese calligraphy. The lettering is made on very thin and soft paper (Gasenshi).
- Coloring on white is a traditional way of using Copics when you get beautiful but predictable results. Try to experiment on a colored surface and enjoy their vibrancy!
- A very important factor to consider when buying a spiral-bound sketchbook for Copic markers is your dominant hand. Lefties should opt for a notebook bound on the right side. This will not cause discomfort in their wrist while drawing.
- Nowadays, the manga has become very popular. Usually, it is drawn with alcohol markers (mainly with Copics) on special manga drawing paper. No wonder the country of origin of both the manga and Copic markers is the same – Japan.
Share other interesting facts about Copic markers and the paper you are using with them.
In Closing
If you are making use of Copic markers, you should know that these excellent (and rather expensive) art instruments require appropriate paper. Each kind of paper available on the market is designed for a specific purpose, and not all of these types are marker-friendly.
This can be disappointing to work on the wrong type of surface and get an outcome that is not desirable. The paper brands described in this post will ensure the durability of your works and help implement your creative thoughts.
Express yourself through perfectly rendered colors!
References
- Copic Official Website – https://copic.jp/
- What’s the Right Paper to Use With Copic Markers? – https://www.quora.com/
- What’s the Best Paper to Use for Copics? – https://www.reddit.com/