Earlier this summer I revamped the "Hierarchies of Fountain Pen Friendly Paper" site resource, and one major change I made was to add Graphilo paper as a top-tier option. Graphilo has assumed something of a cult-favorite status due to how difficult it was to obtain in the United States (and when you could find it, how expensive it could be). As it becomes more easily available outside of Japan, I strongly recommend Graphilo as an option for anyone looking for ink friendly paper with exceptionally good color reproduction.
I’ve been using an A5 Slim Graphilo Notebook in my Roterfaden TGS_25 to log all of my currently inked pens.
Graphilo is made by Kobeha, a paper company located in Kobe, Japan. Specifically formulated for fountain pens, Graphilo has survived several different iterations, with each new release fine-tuning the paper formulation. In my opinion, all of them have been excellent, with the last two batches qualifying as superb.
The Herbin shimmer inks combine shading, sheen, and shimmer, so they offer an excellent example of what Graphilo is capable of.
Even with growing distribution, Graphilo is still relatively expensive, so why splurge? It’s a combination of factors: Most people enjoy this paper not just for its ability to handle any ink you throw at it, but also for its superior color reproduction. You will always get sharp lines without feathering and bleedthrough, but many feel that no paper showcases fountain pen ink properties better than Graphilo, particularly shading and multi-chromatic inks. Color is very subjective - I personally prefer how my fountain pen inks look on MD Cotton Paper and Graphilo, so I tend to use notebooks containing one of these two papers whenever I'm experimenting with new inks or writing out my "currently inked" lists to keep track of what inks I have in which pens.
Herbin’s Opale Nocturne is one of my favorite shading inks with subtle shimmer. I love how it looks on Graphilo paper.
Another reason that I love Graphilo is that you get the ink friendly performance of Tomoe River in a heavier paper (81.4g) with slight texture for those who dislike the onionskin-like feel of Tomoe River. That said, the biggest downside to Graphilo is the dry time - like most paper intended to showcase fountain pen ink, it's not absorbent, so it may take some time for the ink to dry when writing with especially wet nibs. If you plan to use Graphilo in a context where you are having to turn pages quickly, you may want to use blotting paper.
Extreme shaders like the Sailor Ancora Rainy Day Ink (Sorry, it’s a Japan Store Exclusive) really show off their properties on Graphilo!
Takeaways and Where to Buy
Personally, I find Graphilo paper among the most fountain pen friendly paper I have ever used. For those who dislike the ultra thin feel of Tomoe River and similar paper, Graphilo is high on my list of personal recommendations. I have yet to find a fountain pen ink that bleeds or feathers, and I even know people who have pushed this paper with sharpies and alcohol markers and had decent results.
Though Graphilo is not an inexpensive paper option, the price has gradually aligned over time with other high-end Japanese writing papers. Kobeha has increased production while also making the paper available in a wider range of formats, including A5 Slim, A5 Square, and standard A5, as well as looseleaf, memo blocks, and letter pads. We currently stock all of them in our own shop.
The Graphilo A5 Slim (right) which will be coming back in stock in the hopefully near future.
The Gentleman Stationer carries most varieties of Graphilo paper, though because this paper is imported directly from Japan, specific items may not be in stock at the same time. We regularly order so if the particular paper you are looking for is not showing as available, keep checking back.