Best Paper For Markers

Drawing and coloring is a great way to switch off, relax, and close the book on a stressful day.

However, if you don’t have the right type of paper, you can end up with messy, feathered lines and bleeding colors staining the next page that just make you want to start again!

Paper that is suitable for markers can be game changing to your creative supplies.

However, with a range of different options out there, how can you know which is the best paper for markers? You needn’t look any further, we’ve got the answer for you.

We’ve compiled a list of the best paper for markers, alongside a buyer’s guide of factors to consider when looking for paper.

Also, we’ve answered some frequently asked questions you may have thought of.

Say hello to bleed and feather proof paper and goodbye to needless waste!

Check out our top pick below!

Strathmore 300 Series Drawing Pad, Medium Surface, 11″x14″, Wire Bound, 50 Sheets

The Strathmore 300 Series Drawing Pad is a medium weight student grade drawing paper perfect for artists of all levels.

This pad is multifunctional! Ideal for pencil, colored pencil, charcoal, and sketching stick applications alongside marker, mixed media, soft pastel, and oil pastel.

The 70 lb. / 114 gsm acid-free medium surface allows for good pencil erasability, so you don’t need to worry about making mistakes!

Pros:

• This 11″x14″ wire-bound pad with micro-perforated sheets comes with 50 Sheets per pad.
• The Strathmore 300 series drawing pad is available in multiple sizes for your convenience. Work on the go, at your desk, or around your home!
• Made in the USA.

Cons:

• One customer claimed that this particular drawing pad had a thinner cover than they were expecting.

VIEW ON AMAZON

Canson XL Series Bristol Pad, Heavyweight Paper for Ink, Marker or Pencil, Smooth Finish, Fold Over, 100 Pound, 9 x 12 Inch, Bright White, 25 Sheets

The Canson XL Series Bristol Pads are a heavyweight, bright white, Bristol paper for high contrast with excellent erasability.

This paper is multifunctional! The smooth surface finish is great for scanning and printing.

The Canson XL Series Bristol Pads work well with pen & ink, marker, pencil, and colored pencil.

Pros:

• Premium quality! This paper has a smooth finish, making it a premium choice to draw and color on.
• 9 x 12 inch 25 sheets for your drawing and coloring needs.
• 100 pound/260 gram, acid-free paper.

Cons:

• A couple of customers claimed that this paper arrived bent in places.

VIEW ON AMAZON

Canson XL Series Marker Paper Pad, Semi-Translucent for Pen, Pencil or Marker, Fold Over, 18 Pound, 9 x 12 Inch, White, 100 Sheets

The Canson XL Series Marker Paper Pad is a semi-translucent, white paper perfect for drawing on with markers.

L Marker works beautifully with pen, pencil, and alcohol and solvent markers which won’t bleed through.

Suitable for drawing or design from rough sketch to finished form.

Pros:

• Excellent value for money! This 9 x 12-inch pad contains 100 sheets of paper for you to draw on, so create without worry that you’ll run out of materials too soon.
• Suitable for drawing or design from rough sketch to finished form.
• Fold over bound, acid-free, and 18lb / 70 gram paper.

Cons:

• A few customers noted that they struggled to blend on this particular paper.

VIEW ON AMAZON

Bianyo Bleedproof Marker Paper Pad, A4(8.27inX11.69in), 50 Sheets, 70GSM，White

The Bianyo Bleedproof Marker Paper Pad is a high-quality paper that is designed to be bleed proof for your convenience.

This ultra-smooth sheet has an excellent surface for use with pen and ink, technical pens, water-based, and permanent markers.

This paper is of excellent quality that you can put your trust into for all your creative needs!

Pros:

• Bianyo offers a 1-year warranty on all of their products, meaning that you can get a refund should you feel dissatisfied with your purchase.
• Ultra-smooth, acid-free, PH neutral.
• 50 sheets per pack!

Cons:

• One customer stated that this paper has a tendency to stick to the marker as you draw.

VIEW ON AMAZON

Art-n-Fly 9×12 Marker Paper Pad Bleedproof for Drawing

The Art-n-Fly 9×12 Marker Paper Pad is smooth for easy blending!

This marker paper is thin enough that very little ink is needed to saturate an area and is treated on the reverse so it won’t bleed onto the next page.

This paper pad is designed to be bright white so that your colors come out vibrant and true.

Pros:

• Art-n-Fly prioritizes making the best tools possible and sells them directly to consumers for high-end tools created by and for real artists.
• Good value for money! 60 sheets per pack.
• Fold over opening, acid-free.

Cons:

• A few customers struggled with this paper’s thinness as it is on the sheer side.

VIEW ON AMAZON

Buyers Guide

There are a few things to consider when purchasing the best paper for markers, but it mainly comes down to its durability, its quality, and whether it is bleed proof and feather proof.

Don’t be tempted into buying a lower quality paper, as it is often cheaper for a significant reason.

Although you may initially think you’re getting more for your money by saving on the cost of the paper, in the long run, it is better to purchase high-quality paper that is less likely to bleed and feather.

You’ll be able to produce much more quality work and are less likely to experience smudged writing or bleeding colors with better quality paper, so it is worth investing in some for your creative art supplies.

Take a look at the features below before buying the best paper for markers.

Durability

Something to weigh up when purchasing paper is its durability.

In general, thicker paper is much more likely to be durable as it is stronger, and you run less risk of altering it by loading it with layers of marker ink.

Thin paper is generally inexpensive and best to use for practice and sketching, but a downside is that it can be less durable than thicker alternatives such as marker paper and card.

When purchasing your paper, you need to weigh up which qualities are the most important to you and prioritize accordingly.

Quality

Something you should consider when buying paper for markers is quality. To know that you are buying good quality paper, there are a few things to look out for.

Smooth finish. Does the paper have a smooth feel to it? Smooth paper will not only look good quality but it will feel smooth to touch.

However, you don’t want it to be overly coated, such as a magazine would be, as it’ll be harder to write and draw on.

High opacity. This relates to how thin your paper is, as the lower a papers’ opacity is the more the ink will bleed through the other side of the page.

Minimal feathering and bleeding. Feathering is when the ink smears on the page, especially at the edges of your writing.

Bleeding is when the ink from your marker bleeds through to the next page. This usually results from low grade or thin paper that absorbs too much of the ink.

Acid-free and archival quality are attributes you should consider when looking for the best paper, especially if you are creating art that you want to stand the test of time.

Both prevent the paper and ink from yellowing, fading, and aging and protect your work. This is especially important to consider if you intend on gifting your creation, selling, or displaying your art.

If you’re a beginner, student quality paper will suit you fine in most cases.

Not only will it meet your needs, but it is generally a much cheaper alternative than higher quality papers designed for finished artwork.

To find out whether the paper you’re looking at is of good quality, it is always important to check the product reviews.

The product reviews are a good indication of the quality, as people are likely to voice their opinions and complaints (if they have any) which is helpful for you when it comes to choosing a product from a brand you’ve never purchased before.

Bleed proof & feather proof

Arguably one of the most important factors to consider is whether the paper you are buying is bleed proof.

After all, the last thing you want is your writing to smudge or worse, your marker ink running through to the next page and spoiling it!

Generally speaking, bleed proof paper is of higher quality than paper that allows your ink to bleed through to the other side when you use marker pens.

Bleed proof paper is particularly good at separating water based paints and pens so they don’t run into areas where you don’t want them, and are important to use when it comes to presenting high quality work.

Feathering is also a problem that you may face with lower quality paper.

Feathering occurs when the ink spreads when it is laid down on the page in question, as opposed to bleeding through to the next page.

In order to prevent this happening, surface sizing agents are commonly used to provide water-resistance and prevent paper from blurring with water or ink.

This ensures that the surface has the right qualities to allow ink to sit on the surface rather than soak in, meaning that your ink is less likely to feather.

Size & portability

Something you should think about when purchasing paper is the size and portability of the pad.

The size and portability of your paper are important because you need a paper that is suitable for you and your lifestyle.

Ask yourself: how do you plan to use your paper and where do you plan to use it?

Do you like to sketch on-the-go, out and about, or do you prefer to work at your desk?

Perhaps you’d prefer to draw on the couch and would rather not have a huge marker pad to get in the way, and instead would like a more compact size.

Marker pads are available in a variety of sizes, making certain ones more suitable for different uses.

Imagine what size you want your final work to be, or alternatively imagine how you plan to use your paper before you purchase your pad to ensure that it meets your preferred method of working and fits in with your lifestyle.

Sheets per pack

Something important to think about is how many sheets of paper there are per pack, as this will contribute to how good value for money the choice of paper is.

However, you’ll quite often find that cheaper quality paper comes with more sheets in a pack as it is much cheaper to make, so always remember to take this into consideration and weigh up what you value more.

Thinner pages can lead to significant bleeding and feathering when it comes to using marker ink.

Although you might not get as many pieces of paper, a high quality pad is much more likely to be bleed proof, meaning that you won’t be wasting the extra pages you would get with a worse quality paper.

Finish

Something important to note when purchasing paper is the finish that you choose, and which finish is the most suitable when it comes to using marker pens on paper.

The paper finish essentially refers to the texture or surface of a piece of paper.

The finish can affect the look and feel of the paper, but most significantly the finish can affect printability and the absorbency of the paper by controlling how the sheet will take ink.

You want the paper that you purchase to have a smooth finish, but not so smooth that it feels like magazine paper. This is because it needs to be easy to write on and the ink needs a surface that it can dry on quickly to prevent any smudging.

You’ll also want the paper to be marker paper, as it’s specifically designed for that purpose.

Papers manufactured specifically for use with markers are generally made with the right properties that will help the sheet to act as a barrier and allow for more layers before bleeding starts.

Keep your lines sharp and your paper clean with marker paper!

Recycled content

Something important to consider when buying paper is its recycled content, as we should all be aware of, and striving towards a more sustainable lifestyle for our planet and future generations to come.

This starts by making small, yet achievable changes in our daily lives.

Many brands create papers with the minimum requirements of recycled contents, while others are continually aiming to produce papers with higher recycled contents, so it’s always worth checking where the paper you’re looking at falls on the scale.

Do your own research, and find out if the company sustainably sources their paper. If a company is sustainable, it’s likely that they’ll tell you so, and is the gold-standard that we should all be aiming for.

Find a paper brand that not only fulfills your creative desires but one that also aligns with a sustainable lifestyle, too.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a good quality paper brand?

There are lots of reputable brands to choose from when it comes to buying paper. Which brand you choose will largely depend on what you hope to achieve, and your intended use for this paper.

Look for a brand that specializes in drawing paper that is suitable for finished artwork in most media, but most importantly, look for paper that is suitable to use with marker pens.

A few reputable brands that we found for paper suitable for markers are:

• Strathmore.
• Canson.
• Bianyo.

However, there are many more out there, and we recommend that you do your own research to find the best fit for you!

It is likely that over time and through trial and error you’ll work out what works best for the type of markers that you use, so experiment and have fun with it!

How do you keep a marker from bleeding on the paper?

How to prevent a marker from bleeding through paper comes down to a few factors.

Namely, the paper that you choose will need to be of high quality and suitable for marker pens specifically.

This is because, depending on the purpose of the pad, high quality paper is designed to withstand layered ink without the risk of the color bleeding.

Secondly, you will want to ensure that your paper is of thicker quality.

If you aren’t using a marker paper, a thicker or heavier paper will be more likely to stand up to more layers of marker without bleeding.

Lastly, a good precaution to take when using marker pens is to have a barrier paper beneath the piece of paper that you’re coloring.

Many experienced marker artists understand that with many layers, eventually the pigment has to go somewhere (through the paper, sometimes causing holes if the piece becomes saturated with wet ink).

This is why they use a piece of barrier paper, which is simply a sheet of scratch paper that goes underneath the sheet being colored in order to protect the next sheet from ink.

RELATED ARTICLES:

Looking for your next Watercolour Sketchbook?