Table of Contents
The best papers for Copic markers
Do you experience bleeding when using Copic markers?
Are you tired of creating a mess and ruining other pages in your notebook? If this is the case, you need a more suitable paper for your artwork. Many people love to use Copic markers for sketching and drawing for high quality and bright colors. Many forget about paper compatibility. If your paper is not suitable for Copic markers, you will experience bleeding, leading to messy work. Bleeding will also ruin other pages, making you waste clean paper and have fewer working surfaces.
Good paper for Copic markers is durable. It ensures your artwork lasts a long time, from when you painted them and still looks bright and beautiful. The paper is also tear-resistant, protecting your work from getting damaged. Also, good paper for Copic markers has a smooth surface that is easy to work on and blends well with ink.
This article has compiled some of the best papers for Copic markers based on features, effectiveness, value for money, and durability.
Best overall
Copic Marker X-Press It Blending Card
Copic Marker X-Press It Blending Card
The thickness of this paper, combined with the silky top surface, prevents bleeding. You will have cleaner artwork that looks professional and will last a long time without wearing off.
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This high-quality paper has a unique design suitable for Copic markers. Each sheet of paper has a silky-smooth surface that ensures elaborate colors. You can use this paper for inkjet and laser. Besides, the paper is acid-free, and your artwork will last longer.
It comes in a pack containing a hundred and twenty-five bright white loose sheets. The package size is 8.5 x 1.25 x 11 inches and weighs 0.24 ounces. Each paper has a surface of 8.5 by 11 inches. It is thick and sturdy, making it suitable for many color groups and making gift cards.
You can use this paper without worrying about bleeding, feathering, or smearing. Alcohol markers also work well on this paper. The smooth surface prevents the draining of too much ink from the markers, enabling them to last for a long time in use.
However, some buyers have found this paper to be more expensive than other brands. While it costs more, this paper is of higher quality, durable, and produces elaborate and bright colors. It is worth its price.
Best watercolor paper
Ohuhu Marker Pads Art Sketchbook
Ohuhu Marker Pads Art Sketchbook
Some papers are not thick enough and allow ink to bleed through them. But this thick paper will not mess up the back of the paper. Since it does not bleed, you can use the back page for more artwork. You, therefore, have a total of a hundred and twenty surfaces to work on instead of just sixty.
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Water coloring can mess your artwork with bleeding and smudging if you do not have the right paper. However, using this paper makes that a thing of the past. You can comfortably paint neat and beautiful pictures on this large and smooth white surface that resists feathering, smudging, or bleeding. This paper is suitable for beginners as it has perforated edges and is all spiral bound. When you mess up your work on one page, you can easily rip the page off and start on a new page.
The papers come in a hardcover book that contains sixty sheets. The book is 9 x 8 x 1 inches and 1.72 pounds. The papers are portable, fitting easily in a bag. Therefore, you can always have them to use anytime inspiration hits you. Each paper is thick enough to prevent ink from messing up its back through bleeding. Your paintings on this paper will last a long time as this paper is sturdy and durable.
The perforated edges that make the paper easy to rip off the book also mean that you can easily share your work with friends and other loved ones. This paper is compatible with alcohol markers, colored pencils, and solvent markers. It produces bright colors with great contrast that look great for a long time.
Even though the smooth surface on top of this paper helps prevent bleeding, it makes it harder for the paint to dry on it since it has low absorption power. Therefore, you need to allow your work enough time to dry to avoid smudging.
Best GSM paper
Ohuhu Square Sketchbook Marker Paper Pad
Ohuhu Square Sketchbook Marker Paper Pad
The paper is acid-free. Therefore, your work will last longer and still look bright and beautiful. Considering its budget-friendly price, it gives you value for your money.
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Inspiration for artwork can come to you at the most unexpected time. Imagine having a large enough surface to work on always at your disposal for any of these times. Other than a sizeable portable surface, this paper is also very high quality and thick to prevent bleeding. The papers are spiral bound to make a book with a hardcover that will protect your work inside it. Also, the edges are perforated to make ripping out any page easy when you make an error or when you want to share it with someone else.
The book contains seventy-eight bright white sheets. The sheets are resistant to feathering, bleeding, and smudging. The papers make suitable surfaces for all kinds of dry art. It has a size of 8.94 x 8.86 x 1.5 inches and 2.1 pounds. You can use both sides of the sheets for different paintings, giving you one hundred and fifty-six surfaces.
This paper blends seamlessly with alcohol and water-based markers and charcoal art. Your paintings will look beautiful and stay protected for long. Despite its high quality and great features, this product is very affordable compared to other brands and worth every penny you spend.
However, this paper is not suitable for repeated painting on the same spot as it peels when you do this. Therefore, it is best to use it for light painting with a bright enough marker to produce elaborate work without going over one spot more than once.
Best affordable
Bianyo Bleedproof Marker Paper Pad
Bianyo Bleedproof Marker Paper Pad
This paper grants you a chance to produce brightly colored work that will last a long time, all at an affordable price. There is no better way to cut costs and still meet your desired standards.
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Quality paper is essential for good paintings. However, these papers can be very costly. This paper gets the perfect balance between quality and price. You no longer need to worry about extravagant paper or compromise quality because of high prices. We recommend this acid-free white paper with a smooth surface and durable surface for your subsequent painting work. Besides, it is bleed-proof for neater work without messing up the back of the page.
The paper pads are an A4 size of 11.69 x 8.27 x 1.1 inches and weigh 6.3 ounces. Each paper is sturdy enough to withstand repeated painting on the same spot without the risk of peeling. Therefore, you can use it to produce bright paintings that will stay in great shape even after a long time. The waxed surface also aids in bleeding prevention.
These papers are thin but still high quality. The papers are thin to limit the ink they absorb, so they will not dry out your markers quickly. Therefore, using markers on these sheets will make them last longer.
The papers are not suitable for an inkjet printer despite these great features. But they will do an excellent job of water coloring. If you do not need to use an inkjet printer, these papers are the best way to still get good painting work without breaking a bank.
Best smooth finish
Canson XL Bristol Smooth Pad
Canson XL Bristol Smooth Pad
This paper is suitable for use by beginners. It gives some room to rectify an error since it allows you to erase any errors. Experienced users can use this feature to produce clean and error-free work.
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Paper with a smooth surface makes drawing and painting easy and fun. This paper does not only offer a smooth surface but goes the extra mile to produce high-quality work with its bright white color and high contrast. It is also suitable for scanning as the quality of your work will not be altered. Besides, the paper holds ink well and absorbs fast to prevent smudging and mess up your work.
This paper provides a large surface for most paintings with 12.01 x 9.06 x 0.39 inches and 1.2 pounds. It is also heavyweight, thick enough to make it durable and prevent bleeding. It will produce visible work and still not mess its backside as you paint on the surface. You can use markers, pencils, ink pens, and colored pencils on this paper.
With this smooth paper, your paintings will not lose their appeal after a long time. The package contains twenty-five sheets of paper. The price is affordable, so you can sustain its purchase and keep producing great work.
Even though the smooth surface makes this paper easy to use and makes painting elaborate, fine liners do not dry fast. It has a slower absorption power and requires users to allow enough drying time to prevent smudging.
Best under $20
Bee Paper Company Artist Maker Paper
Bee Paper Company Artist Maker Paper
The paper is very affordable, allowing you to purchase and sustain its use to produce a painting of excellent quality that is very appealing and durable.
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There are a variety of marker pads in the market today. However, what sets one from another is the quality. Good quality paper is often costly, leading many people to settle on less quality paper. This paper finds the delicate balance between quality and cost to allow you access to excellent paper with less than twenty dollars. The best use of this paper is painting with water-based markers.
These acid-free papers are 11 x 0.25 x 14 inches and 1.1 pounds. There are sixty white sheets in each pack. The surface of each paper is smooth for ease of use and a more visible painting. This paper also can hold many layers of ink without bleeding. It produces professional-looking paintings that stay bright even after a long time.
Painting on this paper dries up fast since it has a high absorption power and is sturdy and thick. Fast-drying helps to prevent messing with your work due to smudging. The paper is also tear-resistant, protecting your work for a long time. It is suitable for use both by experienced people and beginners.
However, this paper soaks up lots of ink, making it dry markers faster. Therefore, your markers will not last very long when using them on this paper. It is still worth using if you care more about more detailed and bright coloring that is bleed-proof and will last a long while.
Best sketchbook
Bee Paper Company Art Journal Series Marker Book
Bee Paper Company Art Journal Series Marker Book
Both the covers and sheets of this book are sturdy to ensure the durability of your work. The book is also a size that easily fits into a bag to carry around and use anytime you feel inspired.
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Finding a durable, smooth, and bright sketchbook for markers can be difficult. However, this is a thing of the past where this book is concerned. It has fifty bright white pages that are good for precise and elaborate sketching. The paper has a superior design that allows for detailed work. If you want to get value for your money, we recommend investing in this paper.
The papers come in the form of a book. The pages are spiral bound with perforated pages for easy detaching when you need to share your work with someone else or get rid of a page with an error and start over on a new surface. It has a size of 6.5 x 0.75 x 8 inches and weighs 12.6 ounces. This paper is bleed-proof as it contains cotton for maximum absorption.
The hardcovers protect the pages that have your work from damage. Besides, they are thick enough to allow you to comfortably use the pages with the book on your lap if inspiration hits. The book’s portability also allows you to use it anytime, wherever you need it.
Even though this paper has many desirable features, some users find a shortcoming that it only allows for water-based paints and peels if you use alcohol-based ones. It can also peel when there is repeated painting on the same spot. Therefore, ensure you have the correct markers and that they are colorful enough for just one layer on one spot.
What to look for in a good paper for Copic markers
Knowledge of what to look for when choosing a paper for Copic markers is essential in deciding which paper to purchase without wasting your resources on paper that will not suit your work. We have listed factors to consider when buying your next batch of paper for Copic markers to make it easier for you.
GSM
Good paper for Copic markers should be bleed-proof. One way to ensure that is by getting paper with high gsm, which stands for grams per square meter. The higher the gsm, the thicker the paper. Thick paper will prevent ink from seeping through to the following pages and messing them up to an extent you cannot use them.
A 75 gsm paper is okay, while the higher quality paper has an even higher gsm. When making purchases, consider the number of layers of paint you intend to use on one spot before picking a paper you are confident will not bleed when using Copic markers.
Size
The size of paper you pick for use with your Copic markers matters a lot in the outcome of your work. There are various sizes of paper suitable for use with Copic markers. Many people use the most common and average size of the A4 size suitable for beginners and other people who want to experiment.
Size is also a significant determinant of portability. You may want a smaller paper that you can carry around and work on anytime you are inspired without waiting until you get back home.
Style
Papers for Copic markers come in different forms that different people can opt to use. For instance, they could come as loose-leaf pads or as a notebook. Even though both have good features that make them compatible with Copic markers, their use differs slightly. Loose-leaf pads are easier to frame or share completed with someone else. It is easier to have loose pads for different clients if you sell your work.
On the other hand, a notebook will keep all of your work in one place, making it harder to lose any piece. Similarly, most notebooks have a hardcover that will protect your work from damage and give more support if you decide to work with the book on your lap.
Durability
Sketching, drawing, and other work on paper take time and effort to complete. Therefore, it would be disappointing if this work fades quickly or if the paper tears or feathering occurs. Good paper for use with Copic markers prevents this from happening. The paper will blend well with ink to create bright paintings that will last a long time in good shape.
Also, a good paper for Copic has a design that stays white over a long time. You do not need to worry about your work losing its appeal when the paper turns yellow after some time.
Bleed proof
Other than thickness, there are other ways your paper will prevent bleeding. For example, some papers suitable for use with Copic markers contain cotton. The cotton makes the paper more absorbent and prevents ink from bleeding onto other pages.
Other papers are also coated with wax. These surfaces, while less absorbent, will prevent the ink from sipping through to other pages. However, you need to allow for enough drying time to avoid smudging.
Price
There are many varieties of paper in the market today. Papers that you can use with Copic markers are also available at different costs. While price often determines value, paper for Copic markers must not be extravagant.
For every purchase you make, ensure you get value for your money. Some manufacturers sell poor quality at high prices. If you know what to look for, you will easily find the good paper at an affordable price.
FAQ
What paper is suitable for Copic markers?
The most important thing to look out for when choosing a paper to use with Copic markers is bleed-proof. Other factors to consider are thickness, smooth surface, and fast drying for ink. The paper should also be affordable and durable.
How can I stop my Copic markers from bleeding?
The surest way to stop bleeding is to use quality paper suitable for use with Copic markers. The paper is designed to withstand the alcohol-based ink and prevent it from seeping through to other pages.
Can I use Copic markers on watercolor paper?
Watercolor paper is suitable for Copic markers. Since the watercolor paper needs to be washed to activate colors, this paper is sturdy enough to withstand a wash and make for good paper for Copic markers.
Final verdict
Nothing ruins a drawing experience like producing messy work or ruining pages and getting losses after hours of hard work due to bleeding. Copic markers are excellent for drawing and painting, but they can easily ruin your work if you use them with the wrong paper. Therefore, it is worth investing time and resources to source the best paper to use with your Copic markers. Even though it might seem strenuous to seek the right paper, you will produce durable, beautiful, and professional work. We hope this list makes it easier to arrive at your most suitable paper!
