Paper for Copperplate: What I Use for Practice and Finished Work

For Copperplate practice, I look for a smooth, flat surface with low absorbency so the pointed nib can glide and the edges of the strokes remain clean. For a finished piece, I may choose a more noticeable texture because I want a different visual result.

The paper needs to work with the nib and ink. A brand name alone cannot tell you how every paper in that brand’s range will behave.

Begin with the surface

Very smooth wove papers and smooth drawing papers, such as Bristol, are useful starting points for pointed-pen work. The surface should let you draw fine lines and turns without making the nib catch repeatedly.

For my own practice, I prefer paper above 120 g/m². That is a personal preference, not a minimum requirement for Copperplate. Weight and surface are different considerations: a heavier sheet is not automatically smoother or better suited to the ink.

The papers I use for everyday practice

My workbook shows papers from Oxford, Exacompta and Rhodia that have worked well in my everyday practice. This refers to the papers I have used, rather than a guarantee for every product sold under those names.

Oxford drawing paper also has a texture I find useful for other projects. I have used it for envelopes; with the ink I chose, the strokes stayed clean and did not feather into the fibres.

Why I keep Aquapad for finished pieces

I also use the thicker Clairefontaine Aquapad paper shown in the workbook. I appreciate its texture and the appearance of the ink on it. Given its cost and quality, I keep it for finished pieces rather than using it for all my everyday exercises.

This is a different priority from choosing a smooth practice surface. A finished piece may call for a particular texture or appearance. The paper that makes sense for that piece does not have to be the one you use for repeated drills.

Judge the result after the ink has dried

The workbook includes a dried writing sample on Oxford paper, alongside examples of finished pieces. The dry result is useful to examine: look at the line edges and the details that remain in the hairlines and shaded strokes.

If a combination behaves poorly, consider the paper, nib and ink together. In my own India-ink experiments, excess dilution could cause feathering even on paper I normally used successfully. A familiar paper does not remove the effect of a change in ink behaviour.

Choose according to the job

• Repeated exercises: choose a surface that lets you observe the movement and make clean, controlled strokes.
• Envelopes or individual pieces: test the actual paper with the ink you plan to use.
• A textured finish: decide whether the appearance justifies using that paper for the project.

The physical Copperplate workbook provides printed exercises on supplied paper, so you can start with the setup lessons and practise directly on the page. Test your nib and ink on a small area first, and let the page dry before turning it.

For the rest of the setup, see the tools I use for Copperplate calligraphy.