Hot-Pressed vs Cold-Pressed Watercolor Paper: Which One to Use?

If you’re new to watercolor painting, you might be wondering what the difference is between hot pressed vs cold pressed watercolor paper.

Both types of paper are suitable for watercolor painting, but they have distinct differences that can affect the outcome of your artwork.

Let’s talk about it!

Defining Watercolor Paper

When it comes to watercolor painting, the type of paper you will determine the result of your masterpiece.

The two main types of watercolor paper are hot-pressed and cold-pressed.

We use watercolor paper because of its weight and thickness, versus using regular everyday paper. We need this type of paper to keep the water usage from seeping all the way through. Plus everyday paper, like computer paper, is not meant to hold the amount of liquid used vs. ink to print it out.

What makes watercolor paper stronger, better, and different than everyday paper is that they use sizing, which is a type of glue, when they make the paper, to bind it together.

With that said, you could use a heavy cardstock, but may not have the results you would with watercolor paper.

Hot Pressed Watercolor Paper

Hot-pressed watercolor paper has a smooth surface created by pressing the paper between hot metal rollers. The hot pressing eliminates the texture of the paper. This results in a paper that is ideal for detailed and precise work.

The smooth surface allows the paint to sit on the paper, creating crisp lines and sharp edges. Hot-pressed paper is often used for botanical illustrations, portraits, and architectural drawings.

Cold Pressed Watercolor Paper

Cold-pressed watercolor paper has a textured surface created by pressing the paper between cold metal rollers.

This results in a paper ideal for creating texture and depth in your work. The texture allows the paint to seep into the paper, creating a more organic and natural look.

Cold-pressed paper is often used for landscapes, abstract paintings, and other works that require a more loose and expressive style. I love loose style painting especially when I do florals. Of course, my love of landscapes is perfect for this watercolor paper.

Overall, the type of watercolor paper you choose will depend on your personal preferences and the style of your work.

Most of my paintings are done on cold-pressed watercolor paper. I have tried hot-pressed and found that it did not match my style of painting. It is too precise and unforgiving for me.

When we do our paint along with Laurie, it will always be done with cold-pressed watercolor paper. I may consider doing one on hot-pressed, just to show the difference in technique and overall look.

Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.

Pablo Picasso

Absorbency Characteristics

One of the main differences between hot-pressed and cold-pressed watercolor paper is its absorbency.

Hot-pressed watercolor paper has a low absorbency rate, which means that the watercolor paint sits on the surface for a longer period. This allows artists to work with the paint for a longer time, giving them more time to work on blending and layering.

In contrast, cold-pressed watercolor paper has a higher absorbency rate, which means that the watercolor paint is absorbed into the paper more quickly. This could make it more difficult to blend and layer colors, as the paint dries faster on the surface of the paper. Although, I find that Canson, which I use, is pretty forgiving for me when it comes to blending and layering. I do know that sometimes I need to work quickly if I want to blend, but layering isn’t too bad.

I have had other cold-pressed watercolor paper that was not as forgiving and that is why I promote Canson.

The higher absorbency rate of cold-pressed watercolor paper makes it perfect for creating a range of textures and effects, as the paint is absorbed into the paper and creates unique patterns and marks. It gives it more character, like me.

The choice between hot-pressed and cold-pressed paper depends on your preference and the type of painting you want to create. If you want a smoother surface and have fine details and delicate washes you would prefer hot-pressed.

If you’re like me, cold-pressed is ideal since it gives me a wide range of textures in my artwork.

Impact on Painting Techniques

When it comes to painting techniques, the type of paper you use can impact the outcome of your artwork. Here are a few ways that hot-pressed and cold-pressed watercolor paper can affect your painting techniques:

Detail Work and Layering

If you enjoy creating fine details in your watercolor paintings, hot-pressed paper would be your choice. As stated earlier, its smooth surface allows for precise brushwork and crisp lines, making it ideal for intricate details and layering.

I know many artists that prefer hot-pressed as that is all they use. When I followed along with them in my journey of learning to paint, I used cold-pressed and was still satisfied with my results. They used hot-pressed and I used cold-pressed. Of course, mine did not look like theirs, but I did like my results.

It gave me more interesting textures and patterns. I will agree though that detailed, precise lines can be a bit of a challenge, but I still love my cold-pressed watercolor paper.

Washes and Gradients

If you want to create washes or gradients in your watercolor paintings, then cold-pressed paper may be your best option.

Its textured surface allows the paint to spread and blend easily, creating beautiful washes and gradients. I love how my washes blend into each other when the wet-on-wet technique is used.

Hot-pressed paper, on the other hand, has a smoother surface that can make it more difficult to achieve smooth washes and gradients. This is why I became frustrated with hot-pressed as I do a lot of landscapes and love to create a variety of washes and gradients in my skies and seas and landscape overall.

Overall, the type of paper you choose will depend on your preferences and the techniques you use in your paintings. You may need to try different brands because, in my experience, one brand of cold-pressed paper can be different than another brand. Some are more textured than others.

As far as hot-pressed, I have only tried one brand. With that said, I do not do intricate style watercolor. I like messy, flowy, wispy, and all over the place. Which pretty much sums up my personality.

For more reading about watercolor techniques, I wrote a whole post about this very subject.

Durability and Longevity

Resistance to Damage

When it comes to durability, hot-pressed paper is more resistant to damage.

This is because hot-pressed paper is smoother and has fewer bumps and ridges. This means that the paint can be applied more evenly and smoothly making it less likely for the paper to become damaged due to rough handling or rubbing.

With that said, cold-pressed paper has a rougher texture, which makes it more susceptible to damage. The bumps and ridges on the surface of the paper can cause the paint to pool and collect in certain areas. It can also tear very easily when trying to lift paint if you feel you made a mistake.

So you have to be very careful about how lightly you use your brush to lift the paint. A gentle touch and a few tissues do work wonders.

One thing I learned when taping my watercolor paper down is to take the strip of tape, lay the sticky side over my clothing, and pull it off before taping my papers. Even painter’s tape can rip your paper if pulled the wrong way. I find that removing some of the sticky before taping down helps with this. You need to be very careful when pulling up the tape once your piece is finished. So take heed.

Lifespan of Artwork

In terms of the lifespan of your paper, both hot-pressed and cold-pressed watercolor paper are designed to last a long time.

However, hot-pressed paper is generally considered to be less likely to yellow or deteriorate over time. The heating process helps to remove impurities and acids from the paper, which can help prevent it from yellowing or deteriorating.

The best practice for keeping your watercolor paper long-lasting, no matter if it is hot-pressed or cold-pressed, is to avoid storing it in damp areas or direct sunlight.

I like to store mine in acid-free plastic sleeves in a binder. I also have many framed in my home for wall art, but I do make sure that they are never in direct sunlight and one’s that I painted 5 years ago, still look like the day I painted them.

Popular Brands and Options

When it comes to hot-pressed and cold-pressed watercolor paper, there are several popular brands and options available to choose from.

Professional Grade Choices

If you’re looking for high-quality watercolor paper that is perfect for professional artists, then you might want to consider the following brands:

• Arches: This French-made paper is considered one of the best watercolor papers in the world. It’s available in both hot-pressed and cold-pressed options, and it’s known for its exceptional quality and durability. It is a great choice, but pricey.
• Fabriano: Another popular brand among professional artists is Fabriano. Their watercolor paper is made in Italy, and it’s available in a wide range of sizes and weights. It’s known for its excellent color retention and its ability to handle multiple washes. I have this brand and have used it.
• Saunders Waterford: This British-made paper is another popular choice among professional artists. It’s available in both hot-pressed and cold-pressed options, and it’s known for its exceptional quality and texture.

Student Grade Selections

If you’re a beginner or a student, then you might want to consider the following brands:

• Canson: Canson is a popular brand among beginners and students. Their watercolor paper is affordable and available in a variety of sizes and weights. It’s my watercolor paper of choice, as it is affordable, works well, and I am used to it.
• Strathmore: Strathmore is another popular brand among beginners and students. Their watercolor paper is available in both hot-pressed and cold-pressed options, and it’s known for its affordability and quality. I have used this brand and found that it was more textured than Canson. it was a little too much for me, but maybe you would like that.
• Winsor & Newton: Winsor & Newton is a well-known brand in the art world. It’s available in both hot-pressed and cold-pressed options, and it’s known for its affordability and quality. I have never tried, but I do love their watercolor paints. Winsor & Newton is a pretty good choice.

Another great brand is Arteza (as an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases) I have used Arteza cold-pressed watercolor paper and also have been very satisfied with the brand.

So there you have it. There are many options available when it comes to hot-pressed and cold-pressed watercolor paper. Always try more than one brand, because they are not all the same.

When it comes to cost, cold-pressed paper is the better option. I like to recommend it for beginners, since you are bound to, well, mess up and throw your painting in the trash now and then. I may or may not have done this on many occasions. You should though, try hot-pressed as you may like it and want to be more of a detailed watercolor artist.

Personal Preferences

My Testimonial

As I stated earlier, since I began five years ago with watercolor, I have tried several different brands and types of watercolor paper.

I have used Arches, but it is quite pricey, but I will say, it is a favorite. I use Canson though, because I paint a lot. I don’t sell my artwork, as I usually give it away as gifts, etc. So, I don’t generate income to pay for my hobby by selling them. Maybe one day! I have had offers though. I ended up just giving it to them.

I also prefer cold-pressed because it suits my style. When I used hot-pressed, I found that I could not blend easily and I did not like how the watercolor lay on the top of the paper. I still have my original pad of Fabriano hot-pressed because I only painted a few paintings, which have been since disposed of. Like I said earlier, I will give it another try since I want to do tutorials on different styles of painting.

Don’t let that deter you though. Once you find your style and what you like to create, you may prefer hot-pressed. I am not saying it’s bad, I am saying it’s not for me at this time. You do you! I am just giving my opinion and testimonial.

I have seen beautiful artwork done on hot-pressed paper and my favorite watercolor artist, Louise De Masi, uses it a lot in her paintings. She is very detailed in her work and I just love her. Her technique and style are beautiful. I encourage you to check her out. She offers classes on Patreon.

I can’t wait to paint along with you! Don’t forget to subscribe to stay in the loop when I have Paint Along With Laurie sessions scheduled. Subscribe button is near the top of the page! We will have fun and easy sessions and if you are a beginner, all the better!

If you are new to watercolor, you can start your reading here where I wrote Watercolor For Beginners: Your Guide To Getting Started

Stay Colorful, Stay Creative and HAVE FUN!

~Laurie

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