Strathmore

As an artist, your choice of paper is super important. After all, it will impact the outcome of your artistic endeavors. No matter whether you are working with watercolors, pastels, charcoals, pen and ink, or pencil, quality paper is important. That’s why Strathmore artist paper has become so popular. Strathmore has built a long-standing reputation for quality and performance with their line of artist papers, specialty papers, matting and presentation papers and more. Strathmore offers canvas paper, palette paper and boards, as well as inkjet paper, cards, and postcards. From parchment to decorative sheets, calligraphy paper to colored paper, Strathmore is a top choice among many artists, and there’s no small wonder why. Strathmore’s rich history has cemented them into the minds of artists around the world.

Picture it: Saint Patrick’s Day, 1892, West Springfield, Massachusetts. The first Mittineague paper mill opens for business with Horace Moses at its helm. A few years later, Moses would take a trip to Scotland and visit the Valley of Strathmore, known for its abundant beauty. He would return to Massachusetts and name his paper mill in honor of that valley, with the thistle growing there a symbol for the company. A legend was born, and an icon began to grow.

The Strathmore Paper Company quickly became known as a premiere brand within the art circle. Leading artists of the time began to rely on Strathmore papers. Initially, Strathmore offered only Charcoal, but soon added Bristol. The brand grew rapidly and today is still sought after by artists’ who demand quality. Notably, Strathmore has been offering recycled sketch pads since the early 1970s, long before the “green” movement hit other companies.

The Strathmore logo, the thistle, has taken on different looks over the years; Strathmore’s quality, however, has remained unchanged. Strathmore is known as the top choice among artists. For art that lasts, choose quality Strathmore papers.

Strathmore produces both cotton papers as well as rag paper. What’s the difference between the two? Many folks use the terms “cotton” and “rag” interchangeably, but the truth is that they are referencing two different types of paper.

Rag paper refers specifically to paper that is manufactured using cotton-textile remnants. At one time it was very common for most papers to be made up totally of cotton. Nonetheless, as time passed, the supply for use in making paper became tight, especially when the use of manmade fibers became commonplace in textile fabrication. Most art paper today is made from a combination of cotton linters and cotton rag. Cotton linters are a byproduct of the process of making cotton. Both “rag” paper and “cotton” paper are strong, durable, long-lasting and great for archival needs. If you want to try cotton or rag paper, try the 500 series papers from Stathmore, both in Bristol, illustration board and drawing surfaces. The papers in this series have been made the same and have the same makeup that they did since the late 1800s.

Acid Free-Buffered

Acrylic Painting Paper

All-Media Papers

Artist Watercolor Papers

Bristol Boards

Canvas Papers

Canvas Textured Papers

Cards and Postcards

Charcoal Papers

Cold Press Illustration Board

Drawing Papers