Category: General discussion
Later topic: Heidelberg Manual for pre 1954 Blackball
Earlier topic: Creating type using a Pantograph

Choosing paper for stationery

Hi all,

I’m trying to sort out all the paper options for making cards to write on. I assume that super squishy and absorbent letterpress papers would not make great stationery since regular ink would bleed if you wrote on them with a fountain pen or something like that. Does anyone have advice or specific paper recommendations for me?

Thanks,
Emma

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I produce a small (7x5) letterpress magazine (hand stitched, 16 pages plus cover) and for the past few years have used Zerkall extra smooth white 145 gsm. paper, which prints beautifully on both sides on my 1890s vintage “Peerless” treadle jobbing press manufactured by Cropper, Charlton & Co. of Nottingham, England.

The leftovers and offcuts I use as notepaper and stationery, and I find that a Parker rollerball ink pen writes really well on said offcuts with very little bleed.

Thanks! This is good advice, which I’ll file away for regular writing paper, books, letterhead etc. But what I need to make right now are folded cards. I think this would require paper a little thicker than would be suitable for magazine pages, no? I’m new to this and not well versed in all the metrics and terms in which people talk about paper (lbs, gsm, etc). I guess that’s part of why I’m finding it a little overwhelming to just look at all the options online!