Cartridge paper is also commonly found in flip books used by animators too!
In essence, cartridge paper is well known for being a thick, textured, high-quality paper type that’s used by artists working in a range of mediums. As it’s most likely to be used by visual artists and designers or concept artists, cartridge paper is also often referred to as ‘drawing paper’, but there are other valuable uses for cartridge paper.
Of which, in today’s article, we will be exploring some of these uses. Scroll down to find out all there is to know about cartridge paper and how you can experiment with this innovative paper type.
– What is cartridge paper used for?
As we mentioned earlier, cartridge paper is most commonly used in the production of paper-based visual arts. The unique, grainy texture of this paper type makes it an ideal surface for a wide variety of pigments, including charcoal, lead, watercolours, calligraphy inks, and oil paints amongst others. In a lot of ways, cartridge paper has come to be viewed as a highly convenient alternative to the traditional easel and canvas.
While you won’t find cartridge paper inside laser printers, you will certainly find this paper at your nearest art studio or creative rooms. Alongside being heavily utilised by artists, illustrators, and animators, cartridge paper may also find its way into creative agencies, like architecture firms, interior design agencies, and software development companies to name a few.
– What GSM is cartridge paper?
As this paper type has been developed for heavy-duty work in studio spaces and on workbenches, and generally has a higher surface area than traditional printer paper (due to its heightened texture) cartridge paper generally has a higher GSM (or grams per square meter) than a lot of other paper types. It’s common for cartridge paper to be at least 100gsm, however, most sketchbooks and drawing pads will be fitted with cartridge paper that’s at least 130gsm or even a thicker 160gsm.
– Can you print on cartridge paper?
And now to answer the question that all you avid printer users may be eagerly awaiting an answer to: can you print on cartridge paper? Considering how thick cartridge paper can be, you may very well be thinking that this paper type won’t meld well with your home or office printer. You may be surprised to hear, however, that many printer models are perfectly capable of printing on cartridge paper with minimal fuss. The heightened texture of cartridge paper can actually provide printer users with an impressively high-quality print job that looks and feels superb.
– Getting started with cartridge paper
If you would like to get started with printing on cartridge paper, all you need to do is dig up your printers user manual, or flip through your printer menu in order to find your printer mode’s dedicated print mode for heavier paper. This can most likely be found in the ‘Print Settings’ or ‘Print Dialog’ tabs of your printer’s user menu. From these tabs, simply search for a ‘Paper Type’ window and select the paper you would like to print with as it’s listed, or an approximate estimate of its gsm as provided.
