How to Surface-Size Handmade Paper for Fountain-Pen Journaling

Sizing is a material added to paper to change its resistance to liquid penetration. Surface sizing is applied after a sheet has formed and dried; internal sizing is mixed into pulp before sheet formation. For a small run of finished sheets, surface sizing is the practical method to test. Gelatin and starch are traditional surface sizes, while modern internal sizes are intended to be incorporated during papermaking. Hand Papermaking explains the distinction.

Feathering is ink spreading sideways beyond the strokes; bleed-through is ink passing through to the reverse. A size can reduce how quickly an aqueous liquid enters the fiber network, but it cannot remove every cause of spreading. Paper porosity and structure also affect absorption, and changing the pen or ink can change the amount of liquid deposited. The paper-science review describes both surface wetting and capillary penetration within the sheet, so treat sizing as one control in a combined system. J. C. Roberts, “A Review of Advances in Internal Sizing of Paper”.

Gelatin is one documented option for surface sizing handmade paper. A papermaking specialist describes a 3% solution—30 grams of dry gelatin in one liter of water—as a preparation used to make paper tougher and stronger. That is a reference recipe, not a proven fountain-pen optimum. Starch is another traditional surface-size option, but the source recommends experimenting with diluted paste rather than specifying one universal concentration. Timothy Barrett’s sizing discussion.

Before treating a journal’s worth of paper, reserve several similar sheets from the same batch. Include one untreated control and label the others with the size concentration or treatment method. If your handmade paper is precious or already decorated, test a spare sheet first: applying a wet treatment can change its feel, appearance, flatness, or surface. A conservators’ reference notes that sizing affects liquid resistance and other sheet properties, and that paper characteristics and future use matter when considering treatment. The Paper Conservation Catalog’s “Sizing/Resizing” chapter.

For a reproducible first trial, use the documented 3% gelatin solution as a baseline rather than assuming it is ideal for writing. The cited papermaking method calls for soaking gelatin in water, warming it until dissolved, and keeping the solution warm rather than hot; it gives about 50°C (122°F) as a working temperature. It also describes adding alum at 1% of the dry gelatin weight, but this is a feature of that specific recipe, not a requirement to achieve a particular fountain-pen result. Follow the full method and ingredient details in the original source if you choose that formulation. Barrett’s recipe and process.

Dip each test sheet briefly in the warm solution, then let excess liquid drain. The source describes stacking the treated sheets between designated felts or applying size with a wide brush to one side, allowing it to lose stickiness, then treating the other side. For a small home trial, brushing both sides over blotter gives you more control over how much solution reaches the sheet; this is an adaptation of the source’s brush method. Use a light, even application and keep the sheet supported so it does not tear while wet. Separate sheets promptly if stacking, since they can stick together, and hang or otherwise dry them fully before testing.

Once dry, test the treated samples and untreated control with the pen, ink, and nib you use for journaling. On each sheet, write the same short lines, including a few loops, quick strokes, and a filled-in mark. Use comparable writing pressure and ink flow. Check the front for fuzzy edges, then turn the sheet over to inspect show-through and actual bleed-through. Record whether the ink dried comfortably and whether the surface feels too slick, stiff, rough, or tacky for your preference.

If the first treatment still feathers, try a second sample with a more concentrated or more thoroughly applied size; if the line stays on the surface too long or feels unpleasant to write on, try a lighter application. These are controlled adjustments, not measured performance guarantees: the sources establish that sizing changes liquid resistance, but do not establish a concentration that suits every fiber, sheet, pen, and ink. Change one variable at a time so you can tell which result came from the paper treatment.

If one area feathers while another does not, suspect uneven sizing or uneven paper formation before treating the entire batch again. Try brushing a fresh sample with overlapping, consistent strokes, or dip and drain another sample evenly. Barrett notes that surface size can be applied locally and that surface sizing may be combined with internal sizing; for journaling sheets that are already formed, focus on even surface coverage. Hand Papermaking’s discussion of application choices.

If both sides feather, the sheet may be highly porous or the test may involve a particularly wet pen-and-ink combination. Test another pen or ink on an untreated control before concluding that the sizing alone failed. If the sheet becomes excessively stiff, curls, or develops a changed surface feel, reduce the amount applied on your next sample or stop if those properties matter more than ink control. Longer beating can also make fibers tougher and paper more resistant to liquid absorption, but it can increase shrinkage; that is a choice to make when forming a future batch, not a fix for already-dried sheets. Barrett on beating and sizing tradeoffs.

Use the least intensive treatment that gives you acceptable writing on your chosen pen and ink. If the sample’s line edges look clear and the reverse remains usable, repeat the process on a few more sheets before treating the full batch. If you want to preserve the original texture or absorbency for drawing and collage, size only the sheets or areas intended for fountain-pen writing; surface sizing can be applied selectively. Hand Papermaking describes localized surface sizing.

Keep a simple note with the paper batch: fiber or pulp, size type and concentration, application method, drying conditions, pen and ink tested, and what you observed. That record turns each small trial into useful information for the next batch. The practical target is a balance: enough resistance to keep your everyday writing legible, while retaining the look and feel that made the handmade paper worth using.

• Timothy Barrett, “Sizing Terminology and Practice”, Hand Papermaking.
• J. C. Roberts, “A Review of Advances in Internal Sizing of Paper”, The Fundamentals of Papermaking Materials.
• “17. Sizing/Resizing”, Paper Conservation Catalog, Book and Paper Group, American Institute for Conservation.