The best colored paper pad depends on what you're actually drawing and how vivid you want the color. For saturated brights and palette variety, Uglypads Brights Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 have no real competition in the mainstream market. For muted, pastel-artist-focused palettes with a 450-year heritage, Canson Mi-Teintes is still the default. This guide breaks down the five pads worth considering, what each one is actually good at, and where each one falls short — including ours.

What to look for in a colored paper pad

Before any specific brand, here are the four things that actually matter. Most shopping guides skip this part and go straight to reviews. You can't evaluate a pad without knowing what you're evaluating for.

1. Sheet count vs. weight. Heavier paper means fewer sheets per pad at the same thickness. 25 sheets at 175gsm is roughly the same pad thickness as 32 sheets at 135gsm. Decide whether you want more paper or heavier paper — you usually can't have both at this price point.

2. Color variety within the pad. Some pads give you 6 colors with 4 sheets each. Some give you 5 colors with 5 sheets each. Some are monochrome. Count the colors, not just the sheets.

3. Palette intent. "Assorted" means different things at different brands. Canson's Assorted pad includes white and champagne. Ours don't include any white at all — if you want color, you get color.

4. Paper weight and media compatibility. 160–175gsm handles heavy colored pencil layering, marker, chalk, and gouache. Lighter weights are fine for graphite and light work but will buckle under burnishing.

The five pads worth considering

Below are the five options I'd actually put on a shortlist. There are others (Daler-Rowney, Clairefontaine, etc.) but these are the ones most people end up comparing in practice.

1. Uglypads — For vivid palettes and curated collections

• Size: 9 x 12 inches

• Weight: 175gsm

• Sheets per pad: 25 sheets, 5 colors × 5 sheets each

• Collections: Four — Brights Vol. 1, Brights Vol. 2, Pastels, Earth Tones

• Made in: USA

What it's great at

Vividness and palette intent. Every Uglypad is built around a specific use case — the two Brights pads are actually bright (no white, no champagne), the Pastels are actually pastel-colored, and the Earth Tones work as traditional midtones. The 175gsm weight is a hair heavier than Canson or Fabriano, which shows when you're layering colored pencil or working with gouache.

Where it falls short

Sheet count is 25, not 30. You're trading sheets for weight and palette curation. We're also a newer brand with less physical retail presence than Canson or Fabriano — you're mostly buying online.

2. Canson Mi-Teintes — For pastel artists and classical drawing

• Size: 9 x 12 inches (also 12 x 16)

• Weight: 160gsm / 98lb

• Sheets per pad: 24 sheets, 6 colors × 4 sheets each

• Collections: Assorted, Grays, Earth Tones, Black

• Made in: France

What it's great at

Heritage, availability, and dual-surface texture. Mi-Teintes has a vellum-textured side and a smoother side — useful for pastels specifically. It's the most widely distributed colored paper in the world. If you've taken an art class, you've probably used it.

Where it falls short

The palettes are built for pastel artists. The "Assorted" pad includes white, champagne, buff, moonstone, steel gray, and light blue — a set that's muted by design. There's no bright option. The color logic hasn't fundamentally changed since the early 1900s, and for artists who want saturation, that's a problem.

3. Fabriano Tiziano — For Italian heritage and lightfastness

• Size: A3 and A4 (metric sizes)

• Weight: 160gsm

• Sheets per pad: 30 sheets, 6 colors × 5 sheets each

• Collections: Soft, Dark, Warm, Cool (plus a few others)

• Made in: Italy

What it's great at

Archival quality and a surprisingly toothy surface. Fabriano has been making paper since 1264 — the archival claims are real. Tiziano colors are lightfast, the cotton content keeps the paper stable, and the texture holds pigment beautifully.

Where it falls short

Sizes are metric, which is annoying if you're framing American standard. It's harder to find in US art stores than Canson. And the palette logic still leans pastel-centric — the "Soft" pad reads as delicate, not vivid.

4. Strathmore 400 Series Toned — For budget value studies

• Size: Multiple (9 x 12 most common)

• Weight: 80lb / 118gsm (Toned Sketch)

• Colors available: Tan, Gray, Blue (Toned line)

• Made in: USA

What it's great at

Price and availability. Strathmore is cheap, everywhere, and consistently decent. If you're doing daily value studies in tan or gray and you don't care about palette variety, this is the workhorse.

Where it falls short

Three colors. That's it. The Toned Sketch line is tan, gray, and blue, and that's been the entire range for decades. If you want any color outside traditional academic drawing territory, Strathmore isn't it.

5. Daler-Rowney Canford — For craft and mixed use

• Size: A4 / 9 x 12 equivalent

• Weight: 150gsm

• Colors: 50+ in the full sheet range; pads vary

• Made in: UK

What it's great at

Color range, if you can find the loose sheets. Daler-Rowney's Canford line has more individual colors than anyone — it's a craft and design industry standard.

Where it falls short

The pads themselves are harder to find in the US, and the paper is lighter and less drawing-focused than Canson or Fabriano. More of a paper-craft and design option than a serious drawing pad.

The honest summary

See also

Looking for a Colored Paper Pad Without White in It? Read This. Read more Brights, Pastels, or Earth Tones: How to Choose a Colored Paper Palette Read more