Paper
Paper is the basis of many traditional mediums and a complex tool. Various terminology and the vast number of options available may be daunting for newcomers to the medium. Our hosts share their knowledge and expertise about the wonderful world of paper.
Where do you start when picking your paper?
Let’s start with some terminology you may encounter during a walk down the paper aisle. Acid-free, or archival, is a term you may find, and it denotes that the paper will be long lasting. Acid is what causes the paper to deteriorate and fall apart over time. Acid-free paper is a must have for any piece intended to be saved for a long time, such as inked comic pages that you want to have available for the future.
Next is the weight of the paper. Weight is denoted in grams or pounds. In a factory, stacks of 500 are weighted and this is the weight of the paper. Lower weighted paper is good for projects like sketching or inking, while heavier weighted paper is ideal for mediums like watercolors or anything that requires a lot of layering.
Texture is another important quality to consider when picking your paper. DIfferent surface textures can work better with specific mediums. Often these papers will be advertised with suggestions for their use, such as cold-press watercolor paper, to help in identifying the perfect pair of paper and medium.
Sizing is the process of imbuing the paper with a sort of filler to allow it to properly interact with a medium, often including how the paper will absorb when dry. Typically paper is sized for mediums like ink or pencil. Papers with no sizing are suitable for printing with an inkjet paper, but you’ll see a lot of run off from your pen if you write on it by hand. Sizing is a more obscure term and may require actually testing the paper to be certain it will perform as desired.
What is the best paper to use for comics?
Varethane starts us off by sharing their experience. With their first comic, the priority when choosing paper was a consistent size for each sketchbook. Testing the paper took a back seat to the appearance of the notebook and often each notebook’s paper tended to be unique. As they evolved their process, they were able to find how to make the paper work, even if it wasn’t ideal for the medium. For recent projects, Varethane has opted for Bristol paper, a heavier paper with lower absorbency that works well for comics. It’s also very smooth on one side so your pen or pencil will flow smoothly. When it comes to comics and the common mediums used, Bristol is a good mixed media paper that works with those common mediums.
Krispy opted for a Canson Mixed Media paper for their comic. It worked with the various mediums they used and held up against the process, from penciling and inking to scanning. When they picked their paper, weight was important as their comic has a lot of heavy inks, which can buckle and cause issues scanning on lighter paper.
Another option to consider when working on comics specifically, you can find paper, primarily Bristol, that have gutter lines printed onto the paper so you don’t have to measure your bleed area. Renie utilized that when starting because it was advertised specifically for comics so it simplified the choices as a starter paper. If you want an easy template for your comics, prelined Bristol is a great way to go, though it does lock you in to specific sizes.
Krispy interrupts this program to say that newsprint is acidic paper and should not be used for comics. It will not last long, it’s easy to smudge, and should not be used for more than practice. Varethane also adds that printer paper should also not be used for long lasting pieces. A good rule of thumb is to ask if you’re going to be sad if something does not last, make sure to create it with archival paper.
But what kind of paper makes for a good sketchbook?
Sketchbooks are typically less permanent, so it is important to get the best kind? Krispy shares that typical sketchbooks are filled with sketch paper, that is often good for most mediums, but it’s again important to know what your primary medium will be when picking a notebook. Varethane adds that with sketchbooks, they appreciate something that feels good in their hand and that they would enjoy drawing in. You can opt for a perfect bound sketchbook, which is similar to a hardcover, that is good to keep the drawings and sketches in good condition, whereas spiral bound sketchbooks are more flexible, but can allow pages to rub together easier.
Krispy and Varethane both enjoy perfect bound sketchbooks and decorating them to break them in and prepare them for the creativity about to fill them. Now we listen to these paper lovers rave about their favorite papers. Krispy always suggests feeling the paper and if sample packs or sample pieces are available, try it out. Varethane agrees that you should test and take advantage of any options you have to sample it before you buy.
Varethane’s favorite paper is Bristol, for comic pages, illustrations, and more. It’s held up to the many mediums they use and is very versatile. Krispy also loves Bristol, but their favorite is Arches Papers for watercolors, though they don’t recommend it for comic work. Cold Pressed paper, like most watercolor papers, typically has more texture while hot pressed is smoother. It’s important to keep in mind that the more texture a paper has, the less it stands up to heavy erasing.
Also important to consider when making comics traditionally, if you plan to scan them (which you’ll likely be doing if you’re making a webcomic), be sure to plan for fitting the pages into a scanner and keep in mind. Additionally, whatever your paper choices are, you’ll likely need to store them long term and should plan accordingly as physical paper can take up a lot of space.
Paper has so many uses, from simple sketches to painting to papercrafting, there’s paper for any occasion. So get out there, feel the paper, and unleash your creativity!
Relevant Links
Paper Brands mentioned:
Paper types mentioned:
Bristol - versatile, recommended for dry media and light wet media work
Mixed Media - good for a variety of mediums
Sketch Paper - found in perfect bound or coil bound sketchbooks, usually best for dry media
Watercolor - usually best for wet media, textured/cold press can be damaged/smudged by erasing
Newsprint - non archival, cheap, good for low pressure impermanent sketches
Printer paper - non archival, cheap, good for low pressure impermanent sketches
Paper qualities glossary:
Acid-free/Archival - paper made with less acidity, prevents drawings from yellowing over time, recommended for comic pages you want to preserve
Weight - heaviness of the paper measured in grams or pounds, 60 lbs recommended for dry media (pen/pencil/pastels/charcoal), 90-200lbs recommended for wet media (ink/watercolor)
Texture - bumpiness of the paper, more textured can be good for charcoal
Sizing - a control for absorbency for wet media
Cold Press - processing for watercolor paper that gives a more rough texture
Hot Press - processing for watercolor paper that gives a more smooth texture
Deckled Edge - rough “torn edge” look for watercolor paper
Paper stores mentioned:
Jet Pens
The Paper Place
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Episode Release Date: October 13, 2021
Episode Credits:
Kristen Lee (@feathernotes) she/they, ghostjunksickness.com lunarblight.com
Renie Jesanis (@renieplayerone) - she/they, kateblast.com
Ally Rom Colthoff (@varethane) - she/they, chirault.sevensmith.net wychwoodcomic.com
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The Intro "DO IT (feat. Shia LaBeouf)", and the Outro "It's Good To See You Again!!", both by Adrianwave, have been used and modified in good faith under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Licensed. Edits include: Fade IN/OUT, and a repeat added to the beginning of "It's Good To See You Again!!". For more information on this creative commons use, please reference https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.