What Exactly is The Best Paper for Fountain Pens?

Glossary of inky pen and paper terms

GSM - This is the most common way to describe the thickness of paper here in the UK and stands for ‘grams per square metre.’ Most generic notebooks sit at anywhere between 60 and 120gsm, with the standard printing paper sitting at 80gsm. Feathering - Have you ever put pen to paper, only to see the ink seeping outside of the lines of your letters, creating little patterns in the texture of the paper? This is called feathering. Largely it can be down to how much ‘tooth’ or texture the paper has(plus if the paper is made of wood pulp or cotton), but can also be influenced by the wetness of the ink. Ghosting - Ghosting, as well as being an annoying social habit, is also a term for when you can see what is written on the previous side of the paper. Whether this bothers you is a personal choice, but it can be an issue if you are wanting to create something with a professional or sleek look, or if the ghosting is so bad that it affects the readability of what is on the current page. Bleeding - bleeding is pretty much what it sounds like, the cardinal sin of most papers when used in conjunction with an ink pen - the ink literally bleeds through the paper. Sometimes this is so bad that it can make a small hole. Sheet vs Page - a single piece of paper is known as a sheet, and when inserted into a notebook becomes two pages or sides. So a 300-page notebook will consist of 150 sheets. (this is slightly different for bookbinding but that’s a whole other topic entirely) Coatings - That nice smooth texture when you first run your hands over the page of a new notebook? That’ll be down to the coating. Coatings can be a fountain pen user's best friend or worst enemy. They can be positive in that they add another layer which your ink has to try and get through before it bleeds, and with a coating there will be minimal to no feathering. On the flip side, too thick or slippery a coating and your ink will take far too long to dry, and may smudge before you are ready to put it away - especially if you are left-handed. Here at Katie Leamon, we are mad about paper. We could talk your ear off about the pros and cons of various stationery elements and paper is no exception. Finding the ever-elusive perfect pen and paper partnership is a lifelong goal, made all the more difficult if you’ve fallen hard for the allures of a fountain pen. A recent survey found that 92% of fountain pen users choose these pens for the writing experience over all others. Pens of this nature may hit all the marks for a luxurious look and feel, but they can be fussy when it comes to which paper they will work with. Don’t worry, we’ve done the research for you and are here to explain all the ins and outs of the wonderful world of pen, paper and ink and show you just what the best paper is for use with fountain pens.

Do Fountain Pens bleed through paper?

More often than not, yes they do. But the reason why is not a simple one and is usually not the pen's fault at all, but rather the choice of paper used to write on. When an ink pen doesn't work well with a type of paper, it can do so in a variety of ways and for a variety of reasons. Before we go into detail, there are few terms that you need to know:

How to choose the best paper for fountain pens

For an optimal fountain pen writing experience, you usually want a thicker GSM. In simple terms the thicker the paper, the less likely it is to bleed. There are exceptions to this rule, a little-known Japanese paper company used to create an insanely thin 64 gsm paper (think of the onion skin paper used in bibles and you get the picture) which, thanks to centuries of expertise and coatings on both sides of the paper, was extremely smooth and didn’t bleed when used with ink pens. Alas, it is no longer in production and is becoming harder to find. When first starting out, opt for anything above 80-90GSM to ensure minimal bleeding, or a minimum of 100gsm to avoid ghosting. Another thing to consider is what colour you would like the paper to be. Most fountain pen-friendly paper comes in white, off-white (can be slightly blue, pink or peach in correspondence papers) or cream. If you are using an ink pen to try out different inks and colours then a white page is going to showcase this best. Cream paper is usually used for a softer, or vintage look or to add a feel of luxury to the experience, such as for wedding invitations. It is also worth noting that what you intend to use the paper for can go a long way in deciding which type will be best suited. If you are looking for a portable notebook, something with 180gsm will probably be heavy and cumbersome. Likewise, if you are looking for something beautiful to make invitations out of and want an old-fashioned look to it, then a toothy cream cardstock of around 300gsm will best suit the bill. Then there is always personal preference. Some people can’t abide seeing anything on the other side of a sheet of paper so will want the thickest pages possible. Others hate the bright whites of paper (which some people can experience as harsh on the eyes) so will go for an off-white, such as the luxurious tinted correspondence paper we sell in a variety of pleasing shades. Good quality paper and notebooks are an investment so it is worth taking time to consider your options instead of rushing your purchase.

Why the pen matters too

Writing with a well-made fountain pen is an experience like no other, especially with pens such as the Kaweco Classic Sport, which cannot be beaten for style; it has remained largely unchanged since it was designed in the 1930s. Such is the love for this little pen and its vintage aesthetic, that it can regularly be seen in period dramas set in that era. Different types of fountain pens will perform in different ways, which is part of their appeal. We could write a whole other blog post about the various aspects that make up fountain pens, but for usability on paper it usually comes down to three components: the nib and ink used. Ink can be wet or dry, although confusingly both are in a liquid state. Wet ink has a longer drying time and a faster flow, while dry ink has the opposite. The nib comes into play as its thickness can impact whether it catches on the tooth of the paper or if it will need to be in contact with the paper for a longer time, therefore will be more likely to bleed. Most standard fountain pens come with a medium nib, such as the beautiful Ystudio resin model, which will give a smooth writing experience, with a thickness to the writing similar to that of a fineliner or gel pen. Nibs are sometimes changeable, depending on the model, but the intricacies of that are best reserved for another day and another blog post. Another caveat for all of this, is if you are using a dipping ink pen - a particular favourite of ours - In these instances the amount of ink on a nib, and therefore the paper, is not harder to control so the results will be more varied. The fun of dipping pens lies in experimenting with pen and ink type, and the paper will behave differently each time. (Good luck and we salute you, you pen-wielding rebel.) When we discuss whether a paper type works well with a fountain pen, it is not a comment on whether they are a good product or not. Some are amazing, just not for use with these particular types of pens. We believe that putting pen (or pencil) to paper should be an enjoyable, cathartic experience, and you do not need to be using a fountain pen to do that. But if you want to, the last thing you need is to get home, all excited to create and scribble, only to find that the paper or notebook you have chosen does not work well with your favourite pen. That’s what this guide is for. It is also the reason why our notebooks are made with a minimum of 100 gsm and all pass the test of being constructed with fountain pen-friendly paper, so that regardless of your pen preference, they will serve you well. Plus they lay absolutely flat, allowing for the best possible writing experience, everytime.