Watercolor Paper


Watercolor paper is uniquely suitable for watercolor paint, though it can also accept a variety of mediums. It’s heavier than other papers and is lightly treated with an invisible layer of glue, called sizing, designed to quickly absorb water without warping or disintegrating. All these characteristics provide a stable surface for your watercolor paintings.


Key Features of Watercolor Paper

There are several features to consider when choosing the best watercolor paper for your artwork.


  • Texture: The surface texture plays a vital role in how paint behaves. There are 3 common textures for watercolor paper:
  • Hot press paper is the least textured surface. The paper is pressed between hot metal rollers creating a smooth even surface. Colors appear vibrant and intense on hot press paper. It’s also perfect for achieving fine details and precise lines but demands a confident hand as mistakes are less forgiving.
  • Cold press paper has a slightly textured surface from being pressed between cold metal rollers. This paper is the most popular paper for watercolors. Cold press paper is more absorbent than hot press, making it ideal for artists of all experience levels, and it accommodates a wide range of watercolor techniques.
  • Rough paper has the most textured and absorbent surface. The paper is pressed between texture felt during the drying process. This paper is best for granulation and expressive techniques but not as great for detailed work.
  • Materials: Artist-grade watercolor paper is typically made from 100% cotton and comes in heavier weights. It provides better absorbency, durability, and an even texture. It is also less prone to warping and buckling. Student-grade paper is often made of wood pulp and comes in lighter weights. The texture is often irregular and is more prone to warping and buckling.
  • Weight: The weight of the paper corresponds to its thickness. Thicker watercolor paper is less prone to warping and requires less stretching, but comes at a higher cost. The four common weights of watercolor paper are 90lb (190gsm), 140lb (300gsm), 300lb (640 gsm), and 400lb (850gsm). 140 lb (300 gsm) is the most popular standard weight for versatility.

Watercolor Paper & Surface Formats

Watercolor paper comes in a range of formats, each with its own unique advantages and uses.


  • Loose Sheets: Perfect for large-scale projects or custom sizing, sheets offer maximum flexibility. However, they may require stretching and cutting.
  • Pads: Watercolor pads are a collection of watercolor sheets that are bound together on one edge with glue, tape, or a wire spiral. They come in a variety of weights, textures, and sizes, and are a popular choice for beginners and professionals alike due to their portability and ease of use.
  • Blocks: Watercolor blocks are pads of watercolor paper that have been glued together, usually on all four sides. This negates the need to stretch your watercolor paper since you can paint directly on the block and then remove sheets with a palette knife or other flat tool when done.
  • Sketchbooks and Journals: Similar to pads, watercolor sketchbooks and journals feature a collection of watercolor sheets that are either spiral-bound or glue-bound on one side.
  • Cards & Envelopes: Watercolor cards and envelopes are made from absorbent, heavyweight watercolor paper and meet domestic size requirements for standard U.S. mail. They can be customized with your own message or design, adding a personal touch to your correspondence.
  • Panels and Boards: Watercolor panels and boards provide a rigid support that won’t warp or buckle. They’re a practical choice for plein air or other settings where painting on sheets or blocks would be inconvenient.
  • Synthetic Paper: Synthetic paper is a great alternative to traditional watercolor paper. It’s made from polypropylene or other plant-free materials and doesn’t require any stretching or preparation.

Watercolor Paper Stretching

It’s important to note that while many brands take steps to minimize warping when working with loose sheets of watercolor paper, it can still be a common issue due to the nature of watercolor painting (which involves using a significant amount of water) and the quality of the paper (depending on grade and manufacturing process). Artists can use stretching boards to stretch the paper and make it less prone to warping and buckling. It involves first soaking the paper, securing it to the board with tape or staples, and letting it dry completely so that the paper shrinks and tightens against the board.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What surfaces are suitable for watercolor painting?

    The most common is watercolor paper, but other surfaces such as vellum, parchment, clay mineral panels, sumi rice paper, or thin fabrics such as silk can be used.

  • Why do artists "stretch" watercolor paper?

    Watercolor paper generally has to be stretched before use. This is especially true of lighter weight paper, which will otherwise buckle after absorbing water. Watercolor painting boards are helpful tools for stretching your paper. They provide a hard surface on which to mount the paper in preparation for painting. After wetting and then stretching the paper, allow it to completely dry before painting to prevent it from rippling.

    You can paint directly onto paper without stretching it, but it would be better to try this using a heavy paper that can absorb a fairly large amount of water without wrinkling.

  • Why use a professional-grade watercolor paper?

    Stronger and more enduring, professional-grade papers are acid- and lignin-free and made of cotton fiber rather than cellulose. With proper treatment, a painting on high-quality professional paper can last hundreds of years. The paper's texture and surface is brought out by the transparency of watercolor paints — one of the desirable qualities of a fine watercolor painting.

  • Why use a special watercolor paper rather than ordinary paper?

    Watercolor paper is specially made to be resilient and to absorb water evenly and slowly. Because watercolors are transparent, the surface takes on enhanced importance. Watercolor paper comes in many weights in smooth (hot press) and textured (cold press) surfaces. The type and amount of sizing in the paper controls water absorption and paint flow.

  • What’s the difference between hot press and cold press watercolor paper? And what does it mean when a watercolor paper is sized?

    Hot press watercolor paper has a smooth surface, while cold press watercolor paper has a slightly raised, bumpy surface. Rough watercolor paper has a surface that has even more texture. A "not" watercolor sheet is “not hot press,” and the term is often used instead of cold press. The decision comes down to which surface you prefer for the type of watercolor painting you practice. Sizing is often added to make a watercolor paper more water-resistant, keep it from absorbing too much moisture or pigment, and maintain the brilliance of watercolor paints or inks. Internal sizing is added while the paper pulp is still in a liquid state, while external sizing is applied to the surface of the paper after the sheet is formed and dried. Some papers are both internally and surface-sized.