Experimenting with Copics: Choosing Cardstock

In researching all things Copic, I’ve realized the importance of the cardstock you use with your markers.

As with any tool used by scrapbookers and stampers, there are varying opinions as to what is the best cardstock.  From what I’ve read, it seems to come down to personal preference, but there are some important qualities to consider when making your choice.

Why Cardstock Choice is Important with Copic Markers

Copic markers bleed through paper and feather easily.  They also blend better on some papers than others.  This is important because we know what makes Copics special is their ability to blend colors.  To get the most effective blend, you need to choose paper that can give you the best results.

Additionally, you want to look for matte paper that is bright white and has a smooth surface.

Check out this post from Marianne Walkers’ I Like Markers blog for how to test cardstock.  She’ll explain bleeding, feathering and ink absorption in depth.

Popular Cardstock Choices for Copic Markers

As I mentioned before, Copic users are all over the map in terms of their favorite cardstock, but it seems these are the most popular brands:

• Georgia Pacific (GP)
• Papertrey Ink
• Gina K 80#
• Neenah Classic Crest 80#

My Experience

When I first started using Copics, I purchased a Bristol pad from Michael’s because I read that really heavy cardstock was best and that you didn’t want something that would bleed through.  That’s not entirely correct as you’ll see when you read Marianne’s post (see link above).  I like that the Bristol surface is smooth and how the markers move over the paper.  However, I only use it to practice coloring and blending.

In a Copic class, I tried Georgia Pacific and Neenah.  They were okay, but I didn’t like that the ink feathered outside of the lines on both papers.  I didn’t think the surfaces were that smooth and I wasn’t that impressed with the blending effects.  I know I was using the right type of ink, so perhaps I was coloring too quickly?  I’ve learned everyone has a different coloring style and you have to compensate for that depending on the paper you use.  In any case, GP and Neenah are popular choices, so I figure they’re probably good papers.

I’ve been using Papertrey Ink white cardstock.  It has a smooth surface, it blends well and the colors don’t bleed outside of the lines.  I’ve used it successfully on several projects.

Of course, stamping ink also plays a role in all of this and I will discuss that in a future post.

What cardstock have you used with Copic markers?  Which ones do you prefer?