Feathering vs. bleed-through
What sizing does to ink. Why a fountain pen on Tomoe River sits crisp while the same nib on copy paper splays. We break down the physics in plain words.
16-min readRead
❯Paper School · Issue No. 07 Field Notes
A field manual for paper, pen and the slow art of getting it right.
These guides come from our own studio. We test every sheet with brush pens, dip nibs, alcohol markers and gel rollers. We write up the results in plain language. No gatekeeping. No affiliate links. Just notes that help your hand find its paper.
❯Chapter index
Six guides for the artist who reads labels.
Alcohol markers on specialty papers
Copic, Ohuhu and Arteza behave very differently on the same sheet. We map which papers absorb, which resist, and which let you blend three layers without halos.
12-min readRead
Tomoe River vs. Midori
Two cult Japanese papers. Both adored by letterers. We tested both with brush pens, dip nibs and gel rollers. Here is how we choose.
9-min readRead
Pen-to-paper pairing strategies
A brush pen needs a smoother surface than a dip nib. The wrong match wastes ink and time. Use this guide to plan your next practice page.
8-min readRead
Setting up a lettering studio on a budget
Good light. A flat board. A short stack of sample sheets. We list the small kit that makes any paper sing, with prices that respect a hobby budget.
11-min readRead
Hexpaper №07: the in-house paper
How we drafted, tested and pressed our own short-run sheet. Why it favours italic broad-edge work. Why the run is small, and what makes the next one different.
Studio noteRead
Specimen 02 / Cold-press, 118 gsm
Three rules we test before any sheet earns shelf space.
Tested in Echizen, Fukui · weighed at the studio bench
Most paper questions come down to the same three checks. Run them on a sample. Trust the page over the marketing. When all three pass, the sheet stays.
- No. 01
Cold-press, not hot-press, for broad-edge italic.
A faint tooth grips wet ink. Your hairlines stay clean and the thicks dry without skip.
- No. 02
118 to 160 gsm is the sweet spot for marker work.
Heavier sheets feel grand but starve markers. Lighter sheets ghost. The middle band wins.
- No. 03
Always test in the corner first.
Lay one stroke. Time the dry. Flip the sheet. If you see ink on the back, downsize the nib.
❯Studio routine
Build your testing habit in four short sessions.
Order a sample first.
Every first order ships with free samples. Use them. Mark each with the date, pen and ink, then keep them in a binder.
Run the four-pen test.
On a fresh sheet, draw one stroke each with a brush pen, a dip nib, a fineliner and a gel roller. Note dry time and feathering for each.
Photograph your back-side.
Hold the sheet to natural light. A faint shadow is fine. A wet halo means the paper is too thin for that ink.
Pick the two papers you reach for.
Most working letterers use two staples and one wildcard. Save your binder. Reorder the staples. Rotate the wildcard.
❯Working vocabulary
The six terms that quietly decide your next page.
GSM
Grams per square metre. The standard weight unit for paper.
Sizing
A surface treatment that controls how much ink the paper absorbs.
Tooth
The fine surface texture a pen tip catches as you write.
Cold-press
Pressed without heat. A faint, friendly tooth for broad-edge nibs.
Bleed-through
Ink reaching the back of the sheet. A sign the paper is too thin.
Feathering
Ink spreading along the fibres. Often a sizing problem, not an ink fault.
❯Reader questions
The questions our customers ask most.
Do I need expensive paper to start?
No. A small sample pack and a steady habit beat a thick stack of premium sheets you never open. Begin with samples, then commit to the two papers you actually reach for.
Why do my markers ghost on this paper?
Most likely the sheet is under 100 gsm or lightly sized. Try a heavier weight from the same family, or switch to a paper made for alcohol markers.
How are these guides updated?
We retest each guide when a paper gets reformulated or a new mill joins our shelves. The footer of each post lists the date of the most recent test.
❯Start a paper habit
Build a starter set. Free samples ship with every first order.
We pick three sheets that suit your hand and your kit. You test, you note, you reorder the one you reach for. That is the whole method.