Paper　紙張

In this lesson, we explore paper — the surface that decides how every pen, brush, and ink behaves. You will learn what gsm (weight) means, how sizing and coating affect absorbency, why some sheets welcome fountain pens while others bleed or feather, and how to choose paper for writing, calligraphy, and sketching. Understanding paper turns “mysterious ink failures” into predictable, useful choices in the Pierre Cardin Writing Instruments / I-WAY Academy toolkit.

本課探索紙張——決定每支筆、每支刷、每滴墨如何表現的表面。您將了解 gsm（紙重）、施膠、塗層與未塗層、滲開與透背，以及如何為書寫、書法與速寫選紙。

Why Paper Matters　為何紙張重要

Ink does not sit in empty space. It meets fibres, fillers, and surface treatments. The same fountain ink can look crisp on one sheet and fuzzy on another. Brush-pen washes can glow on heavy sketch paper and soak straight through thin notebook stock. Choosing paper is not a luxury detail — it is part of tool care and part of learning good technique.

墨水並非停在虛空。它遇上纖維、填料與表面處理。同一支鋼筆墨在一張紙上清晰，在另一張卻會蜘蛛網般散開。

Weight (gsm)　紙重（gsm）

gsm means grams per square metre — how heavy (and usually how thick or substantial) a sheet feels for a given size.

gsm 指每平方米克重——同一尺寸下紙有多重（通常也反映厚薄或紮實感）。

Light papers (rough guide)　輕紙（粗略指引）

• Around 60–80 gsm: Common office and thin notebook paper. Fine for pencils, ballpoints, and many roller pens. Fountain ink and wet brush work often show show-through (you see writing on the reverse) or bleed-through (ink soaks to the other side).
• Around 80–100 gsm: Better everyday writing paper. Many fountain-friendly pads live here or a little higher. Still test wet media carefully.

• 約 60–80 gsm：常見辦公室與薄筆記簿紙。適合鉛筆、原子筆與許多走珠；濕潤鋼筆或毛刷可能吃力

Heavier papers　較重的紙

• Around 120–160 gsm: Comfortable for fountain pens, brush pens, and light washes. Less show-through; more “cushion” under the tip.
• Around 180–300+ gsm: Sketch, mixed-media, and watercolour-adjacent sheets. Support wetter techniques, ink washes, and repeated layering.

• 約 120–160 gsm：鋼筆、毛刷筆與輕渲染較舒適。透影較少；更耐濕技法

Higher gsm is not automatically “better for everything.” A heavy but very absorbent paper can still feather. Weight is one factor among several.

較高 gsm 並非自動「樣樣更好」。又重又極吸水的紙仍可能滲開。紙重只是因素之一，須與施膠及紋理一併看。

Sizing — The Hidden Gatekeeper　施膠——隱藏的守門人

Sizing is a treatment (in the pulp or on the surface) that slows how fast water-based liquids soak into the fibres.

施膠是（在紙漿內或紙面）減慢水性液體渗入纖維的處理。

• Well-sized paper: Ink sits nearer the surface longer, edges stay sharper, colours look brighter, and dry time is more controlled.
• Lightly sized or unsized paper: Ink rushes into the fibres — great for some traditional calligraphy and expressive washes, risky for fine fountain writing if you want crisp hairlines.

• 施膠良好：墨較久留在近表面，邊緣更利、顏色更亮，滲開較少
• 施膠不足：墨迅速喝入纖維——線條軟化、顏色變淡

When a fountain pen “feathers” (ink spiders along fibres) on a sheet that feels thick enough, sizing — not only weight — is often the reason.

當鋼筆在「夠厚」的紙上仍「滲開」（墨沿纖維蜘蛛網散），問題往往在施膠——不只紙重。

Coated vs Uncoated　塗層與未塗層

Uncoated　未塗層

Most writing and sketch papers are uncoated: you feel the fibre texture. Ink absorbs into the sheet. Quality uncoated papers with good sizing are the everyday home of fountain pens, fineliners, and many brush pens.

多數書寫與速寫紙屬未塗層：您能感到纖維紋理。墨吸入紙中。施膠良好的優質未塗層紙，可兼顧清晰線條與舒適手感。

Coated　塗層

Coated papers have a smoother or sealed surface layer (common in some printing and photo papers). Ink may sit on top longer, dry more slowly, or smear. Some coatings are poor partners for fountain pens; others are designed for specific printers. For Academy practice, prefer papers marketed for writing, calligraphy, or sketching rather than glossy print stock — unless you are deliberately testing a surface.

塗層紙有更光滑或封閉的表面層（常見於部分印刷與相片紙）。墨可能較久停在表面、乾得不同，甚至在某些書寫墨下容易弄污。

Fountain-Pen Friendly vs Bleed and Feather　鋼筆友善 vs 透背與滲開

Feathering　滲開（毛邊）

Ink spreads sideways along fibres, softening or blurring stroke edges. Common on absorbent, poorly sized, or very fibrous sheets.

墨沿纖維橫向散開，令筆畫邊緣變軟或模糊。常見於吸水、施膠差或纖維很粗的紙。

Bleeding / bleed-through　透背／滲透

Ink soaks through to the reverse (or onto the next sheet). Common with wet nibs, heavy ink flow, and thin paper.

墨滲到背面（或下一張）。常見於濕筆尖、大出水量與薄紙。

Show-through (ghosting)　透影（ghosting）

You can see writing from the other side without the ink actually soaking through. Annoying for double-sided notes; less fatal than bleed.

可從另一面看見字跡，但墨未必真的滲透。雙面筆記討厭；殺傷力通常低於真正透背。

Fountain-friendly clues　鋼筆友善的線索

Look for papers described as fountain-pen friendly, “ink resistant,” or popular in pen communities for crisp lines. Smooth-to-lightly-toothy surfaces with decent sizing usually perform well. Always test: one line, one swatch, one reverse-side check on a scrap or corner.

尋找標明鋼筆友善、「抗墨」或在筆友社群以線條清晰見稱的紙。光滑至輕紋理、中等紙重、施膠良好的紙往往表現較佳。

Papers for Different Practices　不同練習的用紙

Everyday writing　日常書寫

Smooth or lightly textured pads around 80–100+ gsm with good sizing. Comfortable for roller pens, fountain pens, and study notes.

約 80–100+ gsm、光滑或輕紋理、施膠良好的本子。適合走珠、鋼筆與學習筆記。

Calligraphy practice　書法練習

Heavier, smoother sheets help pointed and broad work stay clean. Some learners use layout paper or dedicated calligraphy pads. For brush calligraphy, a paper that accepts water-based ink without wild feathering is ideal.

較重、較光滑的紙有助尖筆與闊邊保持乾淨。部分學員用描圖紙或專用書法本。中文書法練習紙另有吸水特性——與鋼筆紙不同。

Sketching and drawing　速寫與繪畫

• Sketch / drawing paper: Often lightly textured (“tooth”) so graphite and ink have grip. Weight varies; mid-weight sketch pads suit fineliner and dry brush-pen work.
• Mixed-media / heavier sketch: Better when you add washes.
• Newsprint: Cheap, absorbent, short-lived — excellent for warm-up gesture drawings and quantity practice, poor for finished ink work or archival pieces. Expect feathering and yellowing over time.
• Quality sketchbooks: Cost more, reward finished urban sketches and ink+wash studies.

• 速寫／繪畫紙：常帶輕紋理（「齒感」）讓石墨與墨有抓力。紙重各異
• 書法練習紙：可能更吸水，服務毛筆動態

How Paper Changes Ink Behaviour　紙如何改變墨水表現

• Dry time: Sized, smoother papers may dry slower; absorbent papers drink ink fast but may blur detail.
• Sheen and shading: Some fountain inks show sheen or colour variation more clearly on certain smooth, well-sized sheets.
• Line sharpness: Fineliners look precise on smooth paper; on rough tooth they may skip or look broken — sometimes a desired sketch texture.
• Brush and wash: Heavier, appropriately sized paper holds a wash in a controllable pool; thin paper buckles and blooms unpredictably.

• 乾透：施膠、較滑的紙可能較慢乾；吸水紙喝墨快但細節可能糊
• 鮮豔度：白而施膠良好的紙往往令染料更跳
• 手感：紋理改變筆尖「咬紙」感——尖筆與針筆偏好較滑表面

Matching tool + ink + paper is a core I-WAY Academy habit: when something “fails,” change one variable and observe.

工具＋墨＋紙的配對是 I-WAY 學院核心習慣：當「失敗」時，只改一個變數並觀察。

Practical Tips for Academy Practice　學院練習實用提示

1. Keep a paper test strip in your kit: label gsm and brand if known; stroke fountain, fineliner, and brush pen across it.
2. Use a writing pad / underlay under thin sheets (covered in the next lesson) to reduce pressure marks and ghosting onto the desk.
3. For wet techniques, work on one side only unless the paper is proven double-sided friendly.
4. Do not assume “expensive” equals fountain-safe — test anyway.
5. Store paper flat and dry; humidity warps sheets and changes absorbency.

• 在工具包放一條試紙：標明 gsm 與品牌（若知）；用鋼筆、針筆與毛刷各畫一筆
• 重要作品前先試新紙
• 薄紙下方加書寫墊（下一課）

Common Mistakes　常見錯誤

1. Blaming the pen first: Often the paper is the real culprit.
2. Using newsprint for fountain “final” pages: Fine for drills; disappointing for keepsake writing.
3. Heavy wash on thin notebook paper: Buckling, bleed, and stuck pages.
4. Skipping reverse-side checks: You discover bleed only after filling a whole spread.
5. Mixing paper types mid-project without notes: You lose track of what worked.

• 先怪筆：紙往往才是真兇
• 用新聞紙寫鋼筆「成品」：預期滲開
• 在極吸水紙上用很濕的墨卻期望髮絲線：先換變數

Conclusion　結語

Paper weight, sizing, coating, and texture decide whether ink looks sharp, soft, rich, or messy. Learn to read gsm as a starting clue, respect sizing and surface, test before committing, and match sheets to writing, calligraphy, or sketching goals. With that awareness, every Pierre Cardin Writing Instruments tool performs closer to its best.

紙重、施膠、塗層與紋理決定墨看起來是銳利、柔和、豐潤還是凌亂。把 gsm 當起點，並學會讀滲開與透背。選適合練習的紙，您的筆與墨才真正有機會發光。

In our next lesson, we will explore Writing Pad & Copybook — why an underlay matters for thin paper, and how guided copybooks support handwriting and stroke practice.

下一課我們將探索《書寫墊與字帖》——為何薄紙需要襯墊，以及有指引的字帖如何支援書法與字跡進步。