Cold Press Watercolor Paper Vs Hot Press

The term cold press originates from the process used to manufacture the paper.

Cold press watercolor paper vs hot press.

A sheet of paper is basically a thin mat of tangled cellulose fibers to make cold pressed paper sheets of cellulose pulp are pressed through felt covered metal rollers at cold temperature hence the designation cold. Watercolor paper that feels smooth to the touch similar to mixed media or drawing paper just way way way thicker is called hot press paper. Cold press paper has tooth aka texture. This is why the watercolor paper is such a personal preference.

To keep this straight i like to think of the paper being hot ironed flat. It tends to be a little thirstier in my experience. Paint tends to sit a little more on its surface and may take a little longer to dry. The difference between hot and cold press watercolor comes at the end of the papermaking process when the paper passes through large rollers called calender rolls.

Hot press paper has a soft surface. Bumpy texture watercolor paper however that has a bumpy feel to the touch is known as cold press watercolor paper. I ve actually been on the search for a months now for a cold press paper that has the texture similar to hot press. I am an absolute fan of.

For comparison i used arches hot pressed watercolor paper and arches cold pressed watercolor paper. For reference i used winsor newton professional artist watercolors on both cards. When it comes how much water each kind of paper can hold without breaking down i found them very similar. Because personally i like the smoother.

These are the two main watercolor paper types. Cold pressed watercolor paper has a slightly textured surface somewhere in between rough and hot pressed paper. A hot press watercolor is made with the same watercolor felt as a cold press watercolor in the papermaking process. Rough watercolor paper compared posted on april 23 2019 august 11 2020 by sudarshan kar disclaimer this article may contain affiliate links this means that at no cost to you we may receive a small commission for qualifying purchases.

It is the paper used most often by watercolor artists because it is good for both not only large areas of wash but also as fine detail. Cold press watercolor paper is labelled cp or in england not meaning not hot pressed. The watercolor felt is what imparts the texture onto the sheet.