Let’s talk PAPER AWARENESS!!! What exactly does that mean? It means that all paper is not the same when using Copics.

Choose your paper wisely!!

For example:

• Stampin’ Up! Whisper White is not a good choice for Copics. SU’s paper is made for water-based markers and your Copics will just make a complete mess if you try and use them with it. Been there, done that!
• Neither is water color paper. It is also made for water based products (hence water color!! lol) and your Copics are just going to absorb into the paper wasting your high dollar ink.
• I like PaperTrey Ink’s white paper. This has been my “go-to” paper for quite some time now.
• I also like Neenah Solar White 80 lb paper.

Neenah Solar White is now being stocked in the Stamp Happens Shop!

How do you know if your paper is going to work well for you? Test it.

Testing your paper is simply the easiest way to know if you’ll be frustrated and disgusted…or happy. In fact, some paper might work well with certain images but not others. Your best bet is to just test the paper.

I recommend testing your paper by:

• Printing a digi image on it.
• Stamping an image on it (use all inks you plan to use).
• Use both a simple image and a detailed image for each. This is incredibly important!!!
• Take one sheet of your paper and do all these tests on it. Label the bottom of the paper with the brand name so you’ll remember which kind it is.

I’m not sure if you can really tell that there is a slight shade difference here. But there is.

This difference is precisely why you need to print your Copic color chart on a piece of the white card stock you normally use.

The paper will slightly affect your ink!

Here are two circles I’ve drawn with Copic Multiliners.

You will notice that the finer the image is, the more prone the Copic ink is to spreading.

Neenah paper is great with thicker lines, but you can possibly run into issues with finely drawn images.

BE CAREFUL.

Practice coloring finely detailed images so you can figure out where to stop coloring.

I would be better off stopping the coloring right before I get to the edge.

The ink can then spread on it’s own to the edges.

JUST PRACTICE!

You’ll note, I don’t have the same problem with PTI.

PTI is a heavier weight paper which may be the key. I’m not a paper “expert” so I’m not certain.

I’m used to coloring on PTI so I need to practice using the Neenah.

A final word of caution.

I added another color to the middle of the Neenah ink circles above.

Note how the ink spreads even further.

This is incredibly important for those finely detailed drawings!

You will get spreading! Make sure you account for it!

Stop your coloring before you get to the edge!!

Neenah is a great paper.

It just takes some practice if you are used to PTI.