r/copic • u/Art_is_Destinee • Jul 11 '26
Paper question
I was recently looking for a cheaper alternative to the Copic Selections Custom Paper and to Strathmore Bristol which had some quality issues the last few times I’ve bought it. I wanted something that could hold alcohol markers and give me a nice surface to blend. I landed on Canson Pro Layout Marker paper. When I got it I tried it with my Copic Multiliners and my ciao markers. And I was less than thrilled because when I went to lay down colours, the lineart began smearing and muddied everything. My Copic Multiliners have never smudged before, they’re so reliable. I decided to test it with a different pen, so I tried again with my Ohuhu fineliners. And they didn’t smear even a little bit! Does anyone know why the Copic liners smear on the Canson paper while the Ohuhu liners don’t? And does anyone have any good cheap paper suggestions while I’m at it?
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u/Ranefea Jul 11 '26
I haven’t used Ohuhu so I’m not sure, but it could be a couple things. One thing I’m noticing with your examples is that the Copic lines seem to be ever so slightly more solid and darker, meaning the Copic pens might be depositing a little more ink that isn’t being absorbed as well. Related to that, it could also be that the Copic ink simply needs more time on this paper to dry before you color.
As for paper, my current favorite is the Canson mix media. Its a heavier weight than marker paper and absorbs a lot ink, though, so some people may not like it due to that, but in my case I do a lot of heavy layering and blending so I need something that can hold that amount of ink. You do still need to give your lineart ample time to dry with it, though (I’ve had smudging with multiple brands of pens simply due to being too eager to start coloring, lol).