Stationerie Handmade Paper

Handmade paper made in Kolkata by Stationerie — sheets and pads couched and dried by hand rather than rolled off a machine. That is what gives the surface its irregular tooth and its deckled feel, and it is why two sheets from the same batch never behave identically under a wash.

The ranges

• Rough — 300 GSM, the heaviest surface we make, for watercolour that needs texture and can take repeated lifting. A3, A4, A5 and full 30 x 20 inch sheets.
• Dot — 265 and 300 GSM, a finer, more even grain for mixed media, ink and journaling. A4, A5 and 30 x 22 inch sheets.
• Net and Net Matt — 250 GSM, a flatter matt finish that suits line work and gouache better than a rough tooth does.
• Black and Dual — 300 GSM black sheets, and mixed packs of black and white, for gel pens, metallics, pastel and white ink.
• Cartridge — 240 GSM, for dry media and light washes.

Choosing a weight

GSM is the single number that decides whether paper cockles. Below about 200 GSM a wet wash will buckle unless the sheet is stretched; 300 GSM takes a full wash flat. Texture is a separate decision from weight — a rough surface breaks the brushstroke and holds granulating pigment, a matt or fine surface keeps an edge crisp. The paper guide goes through both in detail.

See also our Dot handmade range, all papers and pads including Arches, Fabriano, Canson and Baohong, and the full Stationerie range.

Made in Kolkata by Stationerie, art material makers and dealers for 25 years. Shipped across India.