COPIC FAQ Part 2: What is the Best Cardstock to Use with Copic Markers?

This post is part two of a Copic Marker FAQ’ Series of posts from May of 2014.   Part one be found here and part three here.

We’ve been discussing this topic in one of my Facebook groups and I thought it would be helpful to compile a list of the most widely recommended copic quality cardstocks in one place for reference.

When stamping and coloring with copic markers, you need three things to achieve a high quality image:

• The right markers 
• The right Ink
• The right Cardstock

Because alcohol markers (copics) tend to bleed and feather, it is imperative that you choose the right cardstock.  Qualities that you will want to look for when shopping for cardstock include smoothness, brightness and tight paper fibers.  Please note that although I’ve tested many different papers myself, I have not tried every paper in this list.  I’ve researched and scoured the web to find the most highly recommended papers for you and here they are listed in no particular order.  *If I have personal experience or information about the paper, I’ll list it. If not, you will just see the product name and a link to where you can find it.*

• Gina K Designs Pure Luxury – This is a very popular cardstock which I use for both card bases and with copic coloring.  It is very thick and high quality paper, as a matter of fact it is, in my opinion, the highest quality available.  You can purchase it here.  This is my personal favorite for copic coloring.
• X-Press It Copic Blending Card – This cardstock has a silky smooth surface soaks in ink without feathering, keeping lines crisp and colors vibrant. This is one of the most used cardstocks for stampers.  You can find this cardstock here.  This is my 2nd personal favorite for copic coloring.
• CC Designs Copic Quality Cardstock.     It comes in 80# as well as 110# and I find that my copics blend extremely well on this paper. If you are printing digital images you will want to choose the 80# as it is thinner and will go through most printers.  If you are coloring directly onto the card front you will want to use the 110# paper as it is less likely to bleed through.  CC Designs also offers 80# copic quality cardstock in Ivory.  You can find these cardstocks here.
• Papertrey Ink Stamper’s Select cardstock – This 110# cardstock is a sturdy, bright white cardstock that is another favorite among stampers and very affordable as well.  You can find it here.
• Neenah Classic Crest Solar White – This is one of the Copic recommended cardstocks and you can find it here.
• Heavenly White Premium Cardstock – This brand includes the following types of copic quality cardstocks:  Ultrasmooth 80#, White 100# Extended Archival Cardstock, and 120# big thick.  You can find them all here:
• Xpedx Hammermill – Color Copy Digital Cover 100lb – A durable cover weight sheet designed specifically for color copiers and color laser printers.  Comes in 60#, 80# and 100#.  You can order samples here and you can purchase it here. 
• Flourishes Classic White cardstock – This cardstock is bright white, has a smooth surface and blends well.  It is a heavy weight cardstock in, 270gsm/110lb. You can find it here.
• Copic Stamping Illustration Paper – This is a thinner, off-white paper that blends and is often used in layering.  This paper is recommended by Copic and you can find it here.
• Make “it” Colour blending cardstock – This cardstock is from Australia and is very similar to the X-Press It cardstock.  It is great for beginners, it blends well and has very little feathering.  You can find it here.  (It’s difficult to find online)
• Hammermill’s Color Copy Digital Cover Cardstock, Must be the 100# kind (green frog on the front) – This was recommended to me by a blog subscriber who says alcohol markers blend like butter and it is much less expensive than other brands.

Copic recommends the following cardstocks on their website:

• Gina K. Pure Luxury
• Copic Stamping Paper
• Neenah Classic Crest Solar White
• Bazzill’s Smoothies and Simply Smooth
• Couture Cardstock
• Papertrey Ink Stamper’s Select

Choosing the right cardstock to use with copic markers all comes down to personal preference so I would suggest choosing a few different types, buying a small sampler size pack of each and giving them a try.  Also, there is a blog post here that explains how to test your cardstock to see if it is Copic quality or not.

Next Up:  

• COPIC FAQ Part One:  Copic Marker FAQ’s for Beginners Part 1
• COPIC FAQ Part Three:  What inks can be used with Copic Markers?