Traditionally, vellum refers to a specific parchment made from animal skin—typically of a calf, goat, or sheep—that has been carefully cleaned, scratched, and cured. As the papermaking industry evolved, so did the term, which has today also come to refer to paper surfaces that are translucent, not unlike tracing paper. Thin and smooth, modern vellum is typically designed to withstand redrawing and erasing and can be used for drafting, tracing, and overlays. As our picks below show, it’s important to pick the right type to suit your needs.
ARTnews RECOMMENDS Canson Vidalon Vellum Designed to take a variety of mediums, Canson’s vellum presents a stunning writing and drawing surface. Each 55-pound sheet—noticeably sturdier than typical tracing paper—has a uniform translucency and feels super smooth. You can draw on this archival vellum with pencil, pens, and ink—and even use gouaches without the surface buckling—and it captures subtle details, such as shading and texture, very well. It even stays crisp after repetitive erasures. We also like the versatility of format: Choose from single sheets in two sizes or pads in four sizes.
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WE ALSO LIKE Borden & Riley #90 Vellum Sheer Trace With a 55-pound weight, these papers are similar in sturdiness to our top pick but are a touch less expensive. They are satisfyingly transparent—you can see through them even without a lightbox, making them ideal for overlays and transfers. This vellum is also flexible enough to feed into inkjet or laser printers. It also presents a smooth surface that holds both pen and marker inks beautifully without warping or rippling, but we do find Canson’s to be slightly more durable. Choose from four sizes.
Buy: Borden & Riley #90 Vellum Sheer Trace $21.48–$52.61
Buy: Borden & Riley #90 Vellum Sheer Trace
ANOTHER GOOD OPTION Strathmore Laser Vellum Inkjet Paper If you mainly need to print designs with a laser printer, this is the best vellum to feed into your machine. Once inked, the letter-size sheets dry quickly, and while they have smooth surfaces, these aren’t prone to smudging as they move through the printer. The vellum also has a good amount of translucency to show any inked message on its surface while still allowing details of anything placed beneath it to come through. Results might vary slightly depending on your printer, but these sheets are generally resistant to curling as they get inked. Each pack comes with 50 sheets of vellum.
Buy: Strathmore Laser Vellum Inkjet Paper $13.98
PROFESSIONALS’ CHOICE Clearprint Design Vellum Pad Architects swear by this vellum, which presents a clean and satisfying translucent surface to draw on. Made of 100 percent cotton, the 16-pound paper stands up to erasing and holds ink with no ghosting, feathering, or warping, so your lines always look sharp and crisp. Acid free and archival, it offers a flawless and uniform surface every time. Available in sheets and rolls in a range of sizes.
Buy: Clearprint 1000H Drafting Vellum $8.38–$261.77
Buy: Clearprint 1000H Drafting Vellum
ALSO CONSIDER Canson Vidalon Vellum Roll Our top choice in roll format, this vellum is a must for artists seeking expansive surfaces for drafting or panoramic work. Each roll measures 36 inches wide and 10 yards long and presents superior visibility for frustration-free tracings. The 50-pound paper can be used with technical pens, inks, and fiber tips as well as for microfilming, offset, and letterpress. Even if you’re working with large sheets, it holds up well, resisting crumpling and tearing. And, just like Canson’s sheets, it can handle a lot of vigorous erasing.
Buy: Canson Vidalon Vellum Roll $69.25
Buy: Canson Vidalon Vellum Roll
Brought to you by the oldest and most widely circulated art magazine in the world, ARTnews Recommends helps you make the choice that suits you best from products in hundreds of art and craft supply categories. Our offerings are based on intensive research, interviews with artists and craftspeople, and the accumulated experience of the site’s editors and writers. We provide trustworthy and helpful advice about materials to artists ranging from beginner to professional.
Designed to take a variety of mediums, Canson’s vellum presents a stunning writing and drawing surface. Each sheet—noticeably sturdier than typical tracing paper—has a uniform translucency and feels super smooth. You can draw on this archival vellum with pencil, pens, ink, and even use gouaches without the surface buckling, and it captures subtle details, such as shading and texture very well. It even stays crisp after repetitive erasures.
Buy: Canson Artist Series Vidalon Vellum Paper Pad
This is an economical pack of vellum paper that’s well suited for DIY projects. It is very thin, so while not the best for drawing on, it is easy to cut and makes for excellent tracing paper or a decorative surface. The waxy feel of the sheets can add an elegant touch to invitation cards, for example. Should you want to write or draw on them with ink, we recommend taking extra care to let your message dry before touching. And keep it simple, as these sheets are prone to curling with moisture.
Buy: Paper Junkie Translucent Vellum Paper
This festive pack of vellum features sheets in 10 colors, from light-blue to scarlet. As the sheets are quite thin, almost akin to tracing paper, they are best used as decorative accents rather than drawing surfaces. Use them as bright overlays to jazz up a card or to add pops of color to your scrapbooking projects. Their flimsiness makes them easy to cut and fold, but they are still relatively durable, so they won’t inadvertently rip.
Buy: Shynek Colored Vellum Paper
Architects swear by this vellum, which presents a clean and satisfying translucent surface to draw on. Made of 100% cotton, it stands up to erasing and holds ink with no ghosting, feathering, or warping, so your lines always look sharp and crisp. Clearprint also offers consistently top-quality products, and you can rely on each roll to present a flawless and uniform surface all the way through.
Buy: Clearprint 1000H Design Vellum Roll
If you need to print designs with a laser printer, this is the best vellum to feed into your machine. Once inked, the sheets dry quickly, and while they have smooth surfaces, these aren’t prone to smudging as they move through the printer. The vellum also has a good amount of translucency to show any inked message on its surface, while still allowing details of anything placed beneath it to come through. Results might vary slightly depending on your printer, but these sheets are generally resistant to curling as they get inked.
Buy: Strathmore Laser Vellum Inkjet Paper
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