How do I choose the best paper for my project?

Enter: Paper Rabbit Hole 🕳️🐇

One day, I heard whispers—mystical, papery whispers—about a magical alternative: Neenah Paper. David Grimes and another calligraphy friend both mentioned it, so I did what any calligraphy nerd would do. I opened Neenah’s website, ready to uncover the secrets.

Big mistake. (Or, big adventure.)

The search results came back with 7 full pages, even after setting it to show 144 papers per page. Yes, that’s over 1,000 types of paper. At one point, I’m pretty sure my browser sighed audibly.

Even narrowing it down to the “Neenah Classic Crest” line felt like trying to order coffee in a foreign country when all you know how to say is “espresso.” It was overwhelming—but I wasn’t ready to give up yet.

Paper Paradise… In My Backyard?! 📍✨

And then: plot twist.

While scouring the Neenah website, I noticed they had distributors. Not just any distributors—a full-on PAPER HUB in Dallas, complete with a showroom where you can touch the paper. (Tactile people, you get me.)

Even better? They had a helpful staff member, and satellite centers around the metroplex so I could pick up samples closer to home. The Dallas location felt like walking into a creative supply utopia—like something exploded into a warehouse of smooth, crisp possibility.

And yes, there was a whole second room. A secret elbow-shaped hallway leading to more shelves. I gasped. I gawked. I was handed a goody bag full of labeled paper samples, and I may or may not have held it like it was sacred scripture.

Notes from a Paper Nerd in Training 📓

Most of the samples were clearly best suited for pointed pen, which was perfect, because I have been needing to revisit that tool for more practice. I think I fumbled a bit trying to explain brush pen blending needs (and probably scared the nice Neenah lady with my enthusiasm), but I did manage to snag two coated sheets that might work for brush pens and ink layering blends.

Naturally, I now have a new goal: enroll in Neenah’s “Paper School” because apparently, that’s a real thing, and yes—I absolutely want to understand paper at a molecular level. I am also excited to explore this adventure with my sister very soon!

I hope that my shared adventures will inspire you to set out on and share your own adventures!  I look forward to being able to share the things I know, things I learn, and realize all the things I did not know that I don't know!