This is the most comprehensive explanation I've ever come across concerning understanding the mystery behind those paper labels! THANKS TO BOTH OF YOU!!
This is one of the most informative and lucid videos I have ever seen! Every Artist will tell you their preferred paper but few will explain the advantages and disadvantages so clearly.
I’m having a hard time trying to figure out what paper I need it’s really confusing I have some card stock that’s rough on both sides and then I have some which must be the Astro right that smooth on both sides and then someone told me that one side of the page should be Roth and one side should be smooth but I don’t know which they are I’m very confused
I never thought about these kinds of printing details, but listening to all of this, I'm looking back and realizing how many of my past printing issues would have been solved if I had this information back then. Thank you for making this video, it's super useful and informative and I know for a FACT I'm going to be paying MUCH closer attention to what I buy for paper from now on.
I have been a card maker for 25 years, but just really am trying to learn about all mediums. I have so many colored pencils and never really used them that much. Thanks to you I am really using them now and the paper information is invaluable. Thank you for all your hard work.
liked the inforative video, but I have one big point to criticize: It's no surprise that you get a rougher look on the left placed cardstock than on the right placed, if you want compare paper you should always test them on the same surface. It hasn't much "more" tooth, your surface is simply harder and rougher than on the right paper where you have the other cardstock in between, which buffers the hard table and you get a much smoother result. If you switch them, the result will be the other way around. The heavier cardstock may give you a bit smoother result because it buffers the hard surface a bit more by itself but the difference is not as big as shown. Do you remember back in school, when you copied / traced different structures like leaves, concrete, bark etc with paper and pencil? Just place the paper over the surface and color it with a pencil, the background is automatically pushes through. This is exactly what happed in your test to the left paper. So please always make sure you test and compare paper on the same surface. Lay all flat on the table, or a mat, or lay the same kind of paper underneath etc
Thanks for this. Have been trying to find something similar at this price point in the UK but without much success. In the end, I purchased 3 reams of the 67lb paper you recommend from Amazon USA (via Amazon UK), which means my shipping is free - a huge saving! Thank you for a very helpful video, helping me to understand the differences between the various paper types and what paper type will probably work in my laser printer.
Are you just not the coolest person on the planet!!!!???? As a new Colorist the light just came on that the paper makes the difference in my coloring adventures! Well, duh! I sat here dumbfounded as you answered literally every question I had about paper weight, etc. But dummy me jumped the gun and bought all of this cardstock paper before I saw this video and Thank God it hasn't jammed in my copier -- yet! So thank you for this very informative video. It seems as if you are constantly holding my hand while I "grow up" in the coloring world! Maybe one day you'll even let me cross the street! Yippee!
I thank you for bringing Steve on to explain the whole GSM pound mess that I have been trying to figure out for years. I like to think I'm smart about paper and pencils and all of that, but honestly I have never known the difference and I always thought poundage was important. Mostly because I thought grams was metric and being American I just thought it was European and it didn't matter because it was conversion LOL. Shows what I know hahaha. So thank you for clearing that up, I've been coloring on Neenah White Index heavyweight heavy cardstock, and I like it, but it's way too smooth for pencils, and I had switched to tearing pages out of my spiral bound sketch pad from Strathmore, because I'm an artist and I always have tons of sketchbooks on hand. So I know what a difference tooth makes when it comes to colored pencil, but of course I wasn't going to rip up my Canson blocks and pads and stick them in the printer to print off coloring pages. Having watched this video, however, I've just gone ahead and ordered some cover stock and cardstock with lower poundage and different GSM which should have better tooth, also in different tones, and I plan on being very happily occupied with the thousands of coloring images that I've been buying on Etsy and artist websites and been miserable trying to color with pencils on the slick cardstock that I've been buying. I mean it works great for markers, and other media, and I've been happy with watercolor paper doing watercolors because it fits in my printer if it's cold press, but I love pencils. So really Jen., thank you so much for doing this video I learned a lot. And thank you Steve
Hi Jennifer! I finally watched this whole video yesterday and now I understand what this paper thing is all about. I decided I wanted to get some so I went to Office Depot this morning and got a package of the 67 lb. Vellum Bristol card stock. I asked the guy in there to help me out and told him what printer I have (a Canon) and he pointed out exactly what I needed. Whew! I love my Canon printer and so glad I can put this paper through it. When I got it home and opened the paper I immediately loved the feel. So I printed out the grid I had made (sorry, I'm kind of a do it yourselfer here LOL) and started applying my colored pencils immediately. WOW! I love it. My Prismacolors work so well on it and the colors come out so nice. This will be my go to paper from now on. So now I have 3 perfect things for doing my art - I love the Canon printer, I love my Prismacolors and I love this new paper. Wonderful. I hope you see this because I know it's been a while since you posted this and I want you to know that we go back and look at all these videos. Cheers from cloudy but warm Northern California.
Right?? Canon seems to be the nicest/best temperamental-ly printers. My Canon still makes me work for it but it's handling my 80lb (220 or something GSM) cover paper, and my 100lb cardstocks too. Phew. Because I'll admit it was a bit on the cheaper side not the cheapest but def. Not that pricey! Yay Canon! Lol
This was SO helpful. I had just printed the 150 color swatch template and was going to do the swatches for my Prismacolors but I had printed it on Smooth Cover not Vellum! So I will save that template for my markers and will get some Vellum Bristol Cover(67lb!) and do my swatches on that. You just saved me so much work, thank you!!!
Hi Jennifer, I'm not sure if you are aware of this, but the Amazon link in the description for the Springhill Bristol Vellum 67 lb. actually takes you to a listing for the 80 lb. Granted, the 80b. is about half the price of the 67 lb., but as you demonstrated in the video, the 67 lb seems to have more tooth, hence is probably better for colored pencil for most people. Just thought I'd let you know in case you wanted to check the link and make changes. I figure some people might just click & order without really looking at the item description and then possibly be disappointed if they receive the paper and then it doesn't fit their printer. I've watched and referred to this particular video numerous times and finally feel pretty knowledgeable and confident about different papers and which ones better suit my needs. Thanks yet again for producing such helpful and informative content. I am a long-time subscriber who keeps returning to you for advice and suggestions for art materials and watching your videos is like coming home. Wishing you and your family a safe, healthy, happy and prosperous new year! .
The Pound weight of paper or card stock refers to the weight in pounds of 1 Ream - that is 500 full imperial sheets as cut from the roll or in fine art papers the standard mould screen size ... "GENERALLY" and here's the rub, there are other ""standard sizes" within the imperial system - or depending on the production equipment - Elephant, Double Elephant, Crown and so on and the "pound weight" were accordingly different for each of them. they were not extrapolated down to a standard size. Most manufacturers do now base the weight on the common 30" x 22" imperial sheet but they don't have to. I recently saw an advert for 1000 lb watercolour paper, I imagined something resembling a plank but in fact it was just a really large sheet of 300 lb paper. Under the metric system in GSM you have a standardised value in Grams for 1 square meter of a single sheet of that paper or card stock. This value will be consistent be it for a Post-it note or a 50 meter roll.
Thank you so much Jennifer (and hubby) for taking the time to do this video. I have just started coloring and rely on you tube-rs as my teachers. I have heard a lot of artists talk about the tooth of the paper, you have done a very good job of explaining this. Your video is to the point and easy to understand. I will definitely be checking out your website!!
Thank you for sharing this information!. I've heard all of the terms you used to describe the different papers but I did not understand the need for using a paper with tooth when using color pencils. Very informative video!
Thanks, Jennifer and Steve! I always learn so much from your videos! Purchased my ream of paper from Amazon and it really is not that expensive and worth every penny. So happy with my purchase!
Hi Jennifer, I'm new at coloring mostly books or down loads and I have been trying to find paper to use for coloring that would fit in my printer. Your video is right on time. the copy paper just does not give the same feel as the paper in coloring books. I purchased the Springhill Vellum Bristol White 67# Cover paper and I love it. My printer didn't have an issue with the paper. Again thanks so much I love watching your vidios!
Thank you Jennifer and Steve, excellent as usual! I was getting a headache trying to figure this all out and you two have solved it for me in one terrific video. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and talent.
Hello. This was very informative. I'm sort of surprised that many artists who share their tips for coloured pencils don't talk about paper. I've been researching and testing for a few weeks and learned little bits here and there, but there were still pieces of information missing. This video helped me to better understand and fill in the gaps. Thank you. I just would like to clarify a couple of things. 1. I now know that vellum and smooth tell about the tooth of the paper and that this can vary for each and every paper. 2. Within either category of tooth would it be correct to list paper from thinner to thickest in the following way (I'm basing this on something your husband said)? 1-Copy/Text---2-Bristol---3-index---4-card I ask because I was shocked to see Bristol as thinner than index and even card. I have a Strathmore artist pad that is bristol and it is thicker than any paper or cardstock that I have. The weight is obviously higher (gsm = 140) and I know that seems to be the best number to correctly categorize paper. I'm trying to make my question make sense, but this subject is tricky. Thanks for your help. As for printers I've searched for straight-feed printers, but I haven't had much luck finding anything. Any suggestions?
As usual you have the best, most informative videos of all. I make a copy of a picture in most cases before I color it just in case I mess up and need to start over and because some coloring books have the thin basic copy type paper that is awful to try to color on. I've been using Multi Media paper to make these extra copies and I would like to know your opinion on this kind of paper. I take mine to a copy shop to have copies made since I haven't invested in a printer yet. On the Multi Media paper, I find I have to use a colorless blender to fill in all the white spots that are still there even after I've finished the page. Please tell me what you think about this Multi Media paperband in the meantime, I will be ordering the paper you gave the link to. Thank you 😊
+Jana Dean, I'm glad you enjoyed the video 😊. I am a fan of mixed media paper. Most of the sketch books I purchase are mixed media. That paper has a good tooth and just enough weight to handle some creative abuse 😉. Sounds like the issue you are having is that the paper has almost too much tooth for your liking. You could try either a smoother paper or a different kind of blender...like an odorless mineral spirits or even a base layer of marker, watercolor, or highlighter to disguise the white before you begin. I hope this helps. Have fun!
Wow thanks so much. I now know why color pencils didn't look right when coloring. I was using a card stock but it was smooth. And I can't tell you how many I have torn up and threw away because I didn't like the look. Going out tomorrow and get the right paper. I just couldn't get the right blending look and threw so many away. Thanks so much!!
i accidentally bought hobby lobby masters touch hot press w/c paper 140 lb (thouight it was cp) and decided to try it in my small canon straight feed. printer --it went through without a problem. i also like that paper for colored pencils. --i only ran one sheet and do not plan to run other than 1 -2 at a time, not heavy use. btw, love this channel and all that i have learned.
Jen & Steve I really do appreciate how y'all take the time to explain things like this that can be quite complicated to most people. Y'all always make it easy to understand & remove the "intimidation factor" as well as make it interesting & Fun! I'm so glad you do what you do, you are a great teacher! It's double the fun when your hubby make videos. Always great content as well, you & Steve are awesome! I'm a fellow Chronic Pain & Fatigue Sister, as it seems many in your "Bliss Community" happen to be. So it's kinda like having an Art & Pain Support Group together, it's 2 for 1 special! ; ) Sorry if my PainBrain was repetitive or wonky. I'm sure you'll understand tho. Did you make a video similar to this for your paper recomendations to use with Markers & Gel Pens specifically? If not do u have a time frame of when you plan to do so? Thanks in advance!😃 Once again thanks to you & Steve for all y'all do & please continue to put out such helpful hints enjoyable content!
Sorry Jen, I found the Hammermill paper with the frog on it. Realized I could do a search on your website & there it was! With a magic link ; ) & everything! Yay, now I can order them at the same time!
Thank you so much for your informative video. I was trying to really research papers specifically for colored pencils and it is good to have an artist review and explain papers. Thanks.
+S Werner, you're welcome. So much to learn! I want to go to my local art store soon and film there so we can learn more about art papers. Oooooo...so many pretty papers there!
Hi Jennifer! Hello from Beautiful Bluff Country in south east Minnesota. You and Steve should definitely visit this area you would love it ! I just wanted to say ,YOU ARE SO SWEET!!! YOUR content is AWESOME! I have learned so much from you!! Thank you for sharing your time and knowledge!! You have a very pleasant and positive personality! God Bless, Ronnie
hello.. new member here 🎶 thanks for sharing all the information that u do.. loved this one about paper.. who would HV known? I can now tell that I've been using the wrong paper, too thick and jammed up my printer in the worst way . I have to get a new printer now and I was just wondering which new printer did u end up purchasing?. Also, wanted to share how wonderful of a teacher you are. I enjoy watching each and every one of your videos and appreciate all the time that you take to explain everything. You're both fabulous.. and do a wonderful job. I'm really thrilled to hv come across your video's... and now a fan and expect to become a supporter of your channel soon.. Thank you for all that you do and share. ~Kaitlyn
Terrific video and exactly what I needed. While you say 67# Bristol Vellum has better tooth for colored pencils, I prefer a smooth paper. Do you know what Createspace paper is? That paper is terrible IMHO I've stopped buying any CS books for that reason. Again, excellent video. Thank you
Can I just say from UK I have fallen in love with your channel and thank you, i am still a colouring newbie and have bought the paper ream recommended here. Even with global shipping the cost is fantastic, only thing I wonder When will you review the arteza watercolour pencils plzzzzz 🙂🙂🙂🙂
Thank you, Jennifer! I always thought it was pounds that I needed to go by so the last time I bought card stock I bought the heaviest I could find. Next time I'll know. Thank your husband for me too. Now what I'd like to ask is about the ink in the printer... I've had problems with the lines smudging when I'm coloring, especially if I use marker on my coloring page. Do you have any suggestions?
+Phyllis Stuart, yes I've had the same issues with printer ink. I have tried workable fixative spray with some success. But, the fixative does leave a bit of a tooth on your paper so it may not be appropriate for markers. Good luck!
Such great information! Now it’s been 3 years... Are your recommendations still the same or have you found something you like more? Ty for your hard work!
This is a much needed subject in Colortube. Please do one for Alcohol markers ,watercolor and a suggestion for multimedia. Papers we can easily purchase on Amazon.thanks for this!!
Awesome review. Thanks so much. I’m just starting to print off my colouring pages as I’ve previously just bought the colouring books. I have a Laser printer and I checked the weight of the paper it will take up to 165gsm. Just wondering if the paper you recommended for coloured pencils is available in Australia 🇦🇺? In Oz we refer to Vellum as that thick transparent paper used in card making.
This is a great video thank you 🙏 for doing it it really make sense I new aboutvv be the gsm but didn’t no about the printer thank Steve very much for explaining this to us as am looking for a printer 🖨 but a good 👍 one thanks 🙏 Wendy uk 🇬🇧 xx
Well no wonder I was having such a hard time with layering! I have some Hero oil based pencils and thought i had the perfect paper! (110lb index) Going to try the paper you recommend and maybe I'll like my pencils better!
I like a lot of fine detail and (smooth) shading when I draw with graphite and know my favorite paper for that medium. Can I get the same fine detail with colored pencil on this Vellum Bristol paper? I’m new to colored pencils.
Actually - most professional artists recommend using a Watercolor style paper because they are a higher quality for layering. If you aren't going to be using 30 layers or a blending medium like Gamson - then the Bristol or Vellum for colored pencil use is probably ok. Also, you should use Hot Press paper because cold press just has too much tooth. In general, the heavier the paper - the better off you will be. If you really want to treat yourself: Fabriano paper - 140lb Hot Pressed Cotton! Of course - it still matters more what type of pencils you are using... crayola will not work well on any paper.. while Luminance will work ok even on that yucky cardstock!
+pesto12601, very true. Unfortunately most home printers can't manage those amazing art papers. Maybe someday they will make better printers for us...a girl can dream. 😊❤️
Coloring Pages Bliss I throw watercolor into my Canon Pro 100 all the time - use it to print watercolor style photos. Just have to use the flat feeder and not the normal one to ensure it works its way through. The Pro 100 can be found on craigslist for about $125 since so many of them were given away as free after rebate.... Enjoy!
+pesto12601, good to know! My flat feeder printer would have a heart attack if I tried to put watercolor paper in it. We researched printers not too long ago and couldn't find any reasonably priced laser printers that would take a heavy stock paper.
Coloring Pages Bliss Yes.. laser printers are going to give you trouble... but a nice photo printer with pigment ink works well... especially if you print it with a light grey... enough to see the outline to color with but ok if it washes away with watercolors or even pencils and a blending medium. The other option is to just print out the item on vellum transfer paper using a normal laser printer and then using a graphite pencil to transfer the drawing.. be sure to reverse it in the software before printing so it is oriented correctly when transferred to the heavier paper.
Coloring Pages Bliss I by sheer luck bought a laser printer that seems to be at the higher end of the paperweight scale but I can't put anything "proper" through it I do cut out my art notebook pages print on them and then tape it back in I also print for card making For proper things if I can't draw I use a projector I got one for £20 from Amazon it has a usb port so much easier than tracing paper and cheaper in the long run Love how you have your pencils sorted all the reds together I tried that but my brain tried to explode because I had broken up sets which for some reason is a sin in my head no matter how much easier it is
I'm devastated, was ready to buy cause even though 20~£ was a lot to me, the no. Of sheets was the best value I seen, but they won't ship to Northern Ireland from the UK 🥲 I'm gonna continue hunting for similar papers with the same specs of the one you recommend
Thank you so much Jen and your hubby, Steve! The video was extremely informative. I have noticed the difference in coloring books that I've purchased. The books that are less expensive seem to have weak or low tooth paper. Whereas most books that are a wee bit more, seem to have a better quality of paper. Do you happen to know what high end coloring books use for printing their books? Once again, thank you for sharing and providing valuable information.
+T. Reynolds I don't know what paper they use...they get printed all over the world. When we were getting my book printed they brought out stacks of different paper samples. Crazy! Thanks for watching.
Hi Jennifer, the link you added for the "Springhill Vellum Bristol White 67# Cover 8.5"x11" 250 sheets:" brings us to the "Springhill Cardstock Paper, White Paper, 80lb, 175gsm, 8.5 x 11, 92 Bright, 1 Ream / 250 Sheets - Vellum Card Stock, Thick Paper " Where is the "Springhill Vellum Bristol White 67#..." ??
Really interesting, Unfortunatelly in my country we don´t have most of those papers. I think I will have to do a similar test than the one that you did but with the materials that are easyly available here.
OK here’s my question I printed a schpirrer farben swatch page on neenah cardstock ( both sides rough) And all my swatches had so much white showing through they looked terrible so I got the polychromos out and tried to swatch them and they did the same thing so I told Ash use one with a smooth side but what I’m reading here is a smooth isn’t for color pencil so I’m a little confused what to get
most super videos I've watched by you.... I have learned sooooo much! "! please don't stop!! I watch, I color, run in to a problem, & look for yr videos & there you r explaining it.. tk u sooo much... I would like to ask about paper since you just talked about it.... how do you know what stock of paper it is if u are using a book you purchased at a store?? tks again.. I am on fbook.. u can c my very first Page I colored, it's not professional , just fun, relaxing & I practiced on it.. made mistakes.. Cathie Medlin Falls. also u can messenger tks again for loving this art!
+Eddie & Catherine Falls, thanks for watching my videos and I'm so glad you are finding so much joy from them! Most books don't provide information about the paper they print their books on. Maybe if you took the book to a supplier...they could make an educated guess. Keep coloring for fun...that's the best way to do it...the learning and getting better will come naturally as you enjoy yourself. 😊❤️
Just found this video, but I have been using the HP Desk jet 3630 for the last 3 years and running 250 gsm watercolour paper through it without any real issues, just thought this might help.
+Colette Horsburgh, most mixed media paper has tooth and is heavier weight. All the sketchbooks will have similar details on the front when you are purchasing them so you can find the right paper for your art tools.
Thank you so much , I just subscribed to your RU-vid, Facebook ... Would you be so kind to give me advice on what is the best printing paper I can use to print my PDF coloring book and color with prisma pencils or Copic Markers? Do I have to make 2 books one for markers and one for pencils ?
Which paper would you recommend for polychromos and markers as I like to use both in my colorings. I use markers for backgrounds and very small things.. thanks
can the vellum paper you liked be put through a laser printer? want to print some pdf colouring pages with a laser printer so ink does not bleed if using wet media
OH OH OH! I think I found you at just the right time! I'm only about 1/2 way in the video, but I forget. AGE! UGH!!! I JUST, YESTERDAY bought a hopefully, very nice set of colored pencils set, from Caran D' Asch? something like that. I had COMPLETELY FORGOTTEN that of course, paper was important also.
I have a laser printer but I had a terrible problem with the toner smearing before I even colored. (I did not have this problem with regular copy paper.) I spraying the picture after printing with workable fixatif helped a lot. I'm thinking of trying some gesso to see how that works. Has anyone else had this problem or any suggests for me to try?
Your videos are very informative. I recently purchased the Faber Castell polychromos and the 67 lb paper above. Are both sides of the paper Bristol vellum? I can't tell if there is a difference.
+Edna Sheffield, I recently asked the paper company this question. I believe he said that paper doesn't have two different sides. Have fun with your awesome coloring supplies. 😊
+Nancy Fielder, yes! I believe I have their Colorista line and their ColourBlend line for the colored pencil review series. So much fun to get to tryout all these tools
Jennifer, your link to the paper you like best for colored pencils takes me to the 80lb instead of the 67 lb. Is the 67 lb the paper you like best for colored pencils?
Im having a question i have astrobright smooth which Im assuming not Bristol vellum? Im believing my pkg of Neenah is smooth on one side tough on other Are all brustol vellum rough and smooth?
While I do not have the astrobrights paper, I have the 67lb,147gsm bristol vellum, I can see one side has more tooth from results of colored pencils, which if you touch with very light pressure you can feel. For me, the one side has too much tooth, and takes too long to color in all the white valleys with colored pencils. So it is quite possible your paper is different on both sides also.
Hi Is there a different technique when using prismacolour and polychromos . Here in the UK a well respected youtuber comments that polychromos are best suited to a smoother paper. I only have polychromos.
Yes of course! Prismascolors are wax based colored pencils, they will blend much easier and are smoother, polychromos are oil based and they are harder and better for layering and details!
