Cold Press Watercolor Paper Vs Hot Press

To keep this straight i like to think of the paper being hot ironed flat.

Cold press watercolor paper vs hot press. In a nutshell the terms hot press and cold press refer to the paper s surface finish or texture. Personally i like to think of this paper being hot ironed flat. I am an absolute fan of cold press. Hot pressed has nearly no tooth compared to the other two.

On the other hand feels bumpy to the touch. It s not as hard to get color into the paper but more than most prefer. Cold pressed watercolor paper has a slightly textured surface somewhere in between rough and hot pressed paper. So what is the difference between hot and cold press watercolor paper.

Bumpy texture watercolor paper however that has a bumpy feel to the touch is known as cold press watercolor paper. To keep this one straight i like to think of the paper have goosebumps due to the cold. What is the difference between hot press cold press watercolor paper. This watercolor paper comes in five different weights of 185 300 356 640 and 850 gms along with different height and length variations.

Arches watercolor pad hot press 9 x12 check price on amazon arches watercolor paper pad 140 pound cold press 9 x12 check price on amazon arches water colour block 300 lb 640gsm cold pressed 9 x 12 check price on amazon for larger sheets with a deckle edge. But hot pressed paper has a smooth surface finish. This is one of the most common paper types used for watercolor though. Cold pressed paper has a slightly bumpy textured surface.

In the making of rough watercolor papers the sheet is just crafted from the fibers and then it is left in the sun to dry up. Hot press paper has a soft surface. Paint tends to sit a little more on its surface and may take a little longer to dry. Cold pressed is going to have less tooth than the rough but still more than most like for colored pencil graphite or airbrush.

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. And that s a short explanation of the difference between. Unlike the hot press in the cold press the fibers are turned into a sheet by the sheer pressure of a metal slab. Thus having no bumps at all.

Cold press paper has tooth aka texture. These are the two main watercolor paper types. It somewhat smoothens the fibers but overall is not as smooth as a hot press paper. It tends to be a little thirstier in my experience.

Moreover the manufacturer will also allow you to pick between hot pressed cold pressed and rough paper textures depending on your needs and the artwork that you re going for.