Blotting Paper: The Melodrama!

[twigletzone]

I am seriously about to throw a hissy fit over blotting paper. What is it with all these idiot retailers who don't understand the basic law of nature that blotting paper should never be white? (Except the stuff that goes in desk blotters, that's allowed to be tidy-looking, but it's not blotting paper if it isn't the same shade of pink your granny's bloomers used to be. Or any colour except white, bascially.)

 

I thought I'd managed to buy a lovely vintage book of different coloured blotting paper on Ebay, but it looks like my stupid internet connection ate the payment and I've missed out as a result of leaving it too late. And the only reasonably priced blotting paper I can find that's not white is a surprisingly dark blue. J Herbin make it the right colour but 54p a sheet is a bit rich.

 

*sigh* I'm crushed, I tell you. Crushed. *collapses into a fainting couch*

[mivox]

Zeller sells reasonably priced (compared to J. Herbin) green blotting paper... Might go look when you peel yourself off the fainting couch! lol

[Orpilorp]

Why must blotting paper be pink?

 

If you tolerate white blotting paper until pink is found, Blick Art Materials sells 24" x 38" white sheets for $2.73

[pepsiplease69]

Yes I'm also curious about why blotting paper must not be white.

 

Please enlighten us.

[rafapa]

Yes I'm also curious about why blotting paper must not be white.

 

Please enlighten us.

 

Why must blotting paper be pink?

 

If you tolerate white blotting paper until pink is found, Blick Art Materials sells 24" x 38" white sheets for $2.73

Maybe to avoid confusions with normal paper?

[grainweevil]

I still have nightmares about the look of blue ink on the horrifically pink blotting paper we used to be supplied with at school. My deep loathing of pink probably stems from it.

 

Anyway, I was going to triumphantly find a link to the mid-blue blotting paper I bought quite recently, only to find it now leads to... white. Clearly a conspiracy is afoot to drive you to blotting despair, twigletzone. My commiserations.

[twigletzone]

Well strictly speaking it just shouldn't be white. On the grounds you end up writing on it by mistake. Underwear pink was always the color we had at school - I have vivid and abiding memories of the awful combination of pink blotting paper with huge blobs of washable blue Parker ink on it. Truly a thing that fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down, but it's home, you know?

 

It seems to be a UK thing (which is alas why Zeller and Blick are no good, the shipping cost would be crazy) - when I complained about it on Facebook other folk said they'd had it in yellow or green rather than pink, but never white.

[twigletzone]

I still have nightmares about the look of blue ink on the horrifically pink blotting paper we used to be supplied with at school. My deep loathing of pink probably stems from it.

 

Anyway, I was going to triumphantly find a link to the mid-blue blotting paper I bought quite recently, only to find it now leads to... white. Clearly a conspiracy is afoot to drive you to blotting despair, twigletzone. My commiserations.

 

Hah, a kindred spirit I see! I have found I can get mid blue directly from Dalton Manor's website for a much more reasonable price than Herbin, but my subconscious is having a hard time adjusting to it being such a dark colour for some reason. Google found various out-of-stock links to Dalton Manor blotting paper in nine different colours sold on Amazon, I emailed them to ask if they're still making it or not... picky, me? Never.

[dapprman]

You must be older than me - at school we used white blotting paper, in fact never knew you could get it in other colours (aside from unbleached) until recent years when I tried to buy more.

Edited September 6, 2016 by dapprman

[twigletzone]

I was born in the late 70s...

[grainweevil]

I have found I can get mid blue directly from Dalton Manor's website for a much more reasonable price than Herbin, but my subconscious is having a hard time adjusting to it being such a dark colour for some reason.

 

I'm not sure if mine was from Dalton Manor although I suspect it was (it's packaging was wordless), but it's not that dark, I don't think. And it certainly goes better with blue ink. Anyway, this is rapidly becoming a crusade, and I did manage to find packs of 12 coloured sheets (mixed and unspecified) by Canson here. Alternatively you could render the likeness of white blotting paper to regular paper irrelevant and use a rocker blotter perhaps? Although proceed with caution; like so many things FP-related, they also tend to breed...

[Mr. Pink]

The toilet paper roll I use for blotting is white. It's the best blotter I've ever used. And I seriously doubt you will be tempted to use it to write a letter.

[dapprman]

I was born in the late 70s...

(bleep) I'm about 10 years older ......

[Diderot]

The toilet paper roll I use for blotting is white. It's the best blotter I've ever used. And I seriously doubt you will be tempted to use it to write a letter.

 

I use kitchen paper/towel cut to size - works for me, although toilet paper is fine as well.

I believe you can get them in different colours; just imagine, you'd be spoilt for choice .

[dapprman]

 

I use kitchen paper/towel cut to size - works for me, although toilet paper is fine as well.

I believe you can get them in different colours; just imagine, you'd be spoilt for choice .

And textures ...

[twigletzone]

But you can only use Andrex if your letters are very, very long? You lot are dreadful...

 

 

Grainweevil, I do appreciate your crusade on my behalf! I've seen that same stuff somewhere else, I swear... question is was it in France...

[tinta]

I'd love to be able to get the olive green blotter paper that was school issue (60-80s) for teacher's desk sets.

[Barkingpig]

I'd love to be able to get the olive green blotter paper that was school issue (60-80s) for teacher's desk sets.

 

THAT was the color I sought out when I wanted to replace a desk blotter, alas the "office supply store" of my youth sold me stuff that was slick & useless, altho it was the same green color. I did find WONDERFUL paper @ Blicks in the US & it was available in BLACK or white. I chose the black for replacing the desk blotter & have been happily using the blotter atop the desk surface since. I use rocker blotters with Herbin White, because I was amazed to find them offered in PINK! I had never HEARD of such, but as an American, why would I, when all blotters atop desks had been that dull green?

 

It is interesting to read about the colors of blotters being a age related color shift; I must say I am intriqued by the brighter green ones offered @ ZELLER, but I am happy with "me black," if I can't have the "normal green."

 

For what it is worth I chose the Black when a poster had said his wife preferred it as a security measure, if blotting account information, it was less likely to be "picked up" by later" browsers," looking about for info on her accounts. I accepted this as a reasonable excuse for the explanation of Black as a color choice for blotting papers. I am also amused by the reference of "pink, the color of your Gran's bloomers, "mine" were obviously not that daring, I never say any "pinks" on the laundry lines of my youth.

[tinta]

I have no idea where the Board of Ed. sourced our green blotters, but these were soft & absorbent. At one point a marbled green blotter paper was also available. About five years ago I sourced some off-white blotter paper in large sheets, from Pendemonium.

[stonezebra]

I've gotten blotting paper from Pendemoniun, Goulets, Dick Blick, and most recently Dacasso who offer it in 4 or 5 colors. (my favorite is mustard green) It came as 5 big sheets (deskpad size), more than I'll use in a lifetime. I've been very happy with it. They'll send you a sample if you ask for it.