The Calligraphy Pen

Here at The Calligraphy Pen the main topic of conversation has been the calligraphy pens, brushes and nibs themselves, understandably so. But there are other calligraphy supplies that play a major part in creating calligraphy work of lasting quality. The calligraphy paper you choose will have a major impact on the presentation of your work, not to mention how it’s going to look years down the track.

Choosing Calligraphy Paper

Quite simply, any medium at all is suitable to use and sometimes it depends on the project in front of you as to which medium you choose. But knowing what type of calligraphy paper you should be buying, particularly when buying it in bulk, will save you money (and perhaps a little despair) in the long run.

For practising, all you really need is a good quality bond copier paper. This will generally be a medium grade, inexpensive paper that can be bought in the supermarket or grocery store. For your quality work though, you need to have an understanding of the weight of paper in order to decide which is suitable for you. Paper will be labelled or packaged with a weight on the outside, such as 20 pounds or 75 gsm. In the case of the 20 pound label, this indicates how much 500 sheets weigh. GSM stands for Grams per Square Meter, the higher the number, the heavier the paper. The two examples listed here are about the minimum weight you would be looking for.

You next need to take into consideration whether the paper you’re deciding on is acid free. Paper that has been treated with many kinds of acids will discolor very quickly when exposed to sunlight. Pastel paper is an example of a high quality calligraphy paper that is made without the use of acids ensuring that your fine calligraphy will remain as fresh as the day you touched your calligraphy pen to it.

Feel the Calligraphy Paper

If you can, feel the calligraphy paper you’re planning to use before you buy it. Ensure that it’s smooth without being too glossy. Does the paper feel flimsy? Can you see a watermark on the page when you hold it up to the light? Generally speaking paper of better quality will contain a watermark and the side the watermark is on will usually be the smoother of the two sides.

Calligraphy Paper Texture

The rougher the texture of the paper, the more likely your calligraphy pen nib will be diverted from its path making your pen strokes ragged and less even. Conversely, if the surface of the paper is too smooth and glossy the ink can pool as it takes longer to be absorbed into the weave. A medium grade weave paper that is made from cloth, as opposed to wood pulp, will provide you with the most ideal, general purpose paper.

Ultimately the choice of paper is up to the individual calligrapher and the level of proficiency with which they work, not to mention the project that is being worked on. Whether it be flimsy rice paper with a Chinese calligraphy brush or thick cardboard with a poster pen, the quality of the calligraphy paper will play a large role in how long your calligraphy work will last.

Now the paper’s sorted, you just need to decide on a quality calligraphy pen.