Clairefontaine Notebook Guide
October 13, 2020 - Posted by Zoe to Guides, Paper, Notebooks
The Clairefontaine Paper Company, founded in the city of Étival-Clairefontaine, has gone from making the first school notebooks in France to paper goods prized across the world. Clairefontaine notebooks are filled with plush paper that sets the standard for writing with fountain pens. Read on to learn more about what makes Clairefontaine exceptional.
Table of Contents
- Characteristics of Clairefontaine Notebooks
- Clairefontaine Product Lines
- Clairefontaine Basics Life Unplugged Notebooks
- Clairefontaine Collection 1951 Notebooks
- Clairefontaine Collection Neo Deco Notebooks
- Clairefontaine My Essential Notebooks
- Clairefontaine Triomphe Notepads
- Clairefontaine Test Results
- Clairefontaine History and Background
- Conclusion
Characteristics of Clairefontaine Notebooks
Paper
Clairefontaine paper is made for writing with fountain pens.
Silky smooth Clairefontaine paper eradicates feathering with a special ink-resistant coating. It’s a perfect match for fountain pens, as their wetter writing can easily feather on regular paper. We tested all Clairefontaine notebooks for dry time and ink showthrough and discovered that the cream-colored paper in the more deluxe notebooks has the longest drying times and the faintest showthrough. Full results are shown in the testing section.
All Clairefontaine paper is acid-free and sourced from PEFC-certified forests.
Page Styles
From left to right: 8 mm ruled cream paper, 8 mm ruled white paper, 7 mm ruled white paper, and blank white paper.
Almost all Clairefontaine notebooks are lined. Lines on white pages are a delicate purple, while lines on cream pages are gray. These lines have an 8 mm rule, which is halfway between American “medium” and “wide” rule and suitable for bigger or airily-spaced handwriting. In the smallest notebooks, line spacing shrinks to 7 mm.
If you would like to use Clairefontaine paper for drawing or to lay out your own lines, blank paper is available in notepads.
Binding
Clairefontaine notebooks have a range of bindings.
Clairefontaine notebooks come in a variety of bindings, including clothbound (glued), stapled, and stitched. Select a stitched binding if you want to someday donate your notebook to a historical archive. Unlike staples, stitches will never rust. All binding options are sturdy and durable for day-to-day use.
Size
Most, but not all, Clairefontaine notebooks are A5-sized.
Most Clairefontaine notebooks are a convenient A5 size, easily tucked into a bag or kept on a bedside table. Two Clairefontaine product lines add sizes beyond A5. The Triomphe Notepad is available in A4 for verbose letters, while the smaller Basics Life Unplugged Duo notebooks come in a compact pocket size (3.5" by 5.5", a little smaller than A6). Check our Guide to Paper Sizes if you want to understand more about paper sizing.
Clairefontaine Product Lines
Whether you need simplicity, glamor, or smart organizational features, read on to see which Clairefontaine is the best option for you.
Clairefontaine Basics Life Unplugged Notebooks
Clairefontaine Basics Life Unplugged Notebooks
Writing sample and showthrough.
The Clairefontaine Basics Life Unplugged Notebooks are the perfect introduction to Clairefontaine’s fine paper goods. This notebook is available in clothbound or lightweight staplebound styles, both filled with crisp white paper. The clothbound A5 notebook has an elastic band that keeps it securely closed even when tossed into a backpack.
The staplebound Duos, so named because they’re sold in pairs, feature both A5 and pocket sizes. The smaller Duos are fantastic for writing with a fountain pen on the go.
Clairefontaine Collection 1951 Notebooks
Clairefontaine Collection 1951 Notebooks
Writing sample and showthrough.
Clairefontaine Collection 1951 Notebooks possess a charming vintage look reminiscent of a school composition book, and are available in both bright and classic colors.
This style features both clothbound and staplebound bindings. The clothbound option has 96 pages, compared to the staplebound’s 48 pages. Staplebound 1951s are the most affordable Clairefontaine notebook we carry, though the Basics Life Unplugged are a close competition.
Clairefontaine Collection Neo Deco Notebooks
Clairefontaine Collection Neo Deco Notebooks
Writing sample and showthrough.
The metallic covers of the Clairefontaine Collection Neo Deco Notebooks are stunning works of art, and their smooth cream-colored pages will enable your writing to be just as glamorous. Pair them with a unique ink color, such as a shimmering J. Herbin 1670 Anniversary Ink, for a notebook that’s beautiful inside and out.
Their durable stitched binding and acid-free paper make these notebooks archival quality. Neo Decos are a great pick to fill a bookshelf with and look back on as the years go by.
Clairefontaine My Essential Notebooks
Clairefontaine My Essential Notebooks
Writing sample and showthrough.
Clairefontaine My Essential Notebooks combine fountain pen friendly cream-colored pages with all of the smart organizational features you could wish for. Their ribbon bookmarks, page numbers, and blank index page will keep you organized, while the inside pockets allow you to tuck away mementos or notes.
Clairefontaine Triomphe Notepads
Clairefontaine Triomphe Notepads
Writing sample and showthrough.
Sit down with a Triomphe Notepad and your favorite fountain pen and spend an evening writing letters to your loved ones. These notepads are filled with silky white paper in blank and lined styles, both available in A5 and A4 sizes. Blank notepads come with a guide sheet lined in 8 mm rule that can be placed under an empty page to enable neat writing, and pages tear out with no fuss from the glue bindings.
Write your letters in a beautiful ink by L'Artisan Pastellier, and finish by folding them into high-quality Clairefontaine envelopes. Just remember to use water-resistant ink for your addresses.
Clairefontaine Paper Test Results
Our fountain pen tests on Clairefontaine paper revealed that, although all Clairefontaine products in this article have a paper weight of 90 gsm and ink-resistant coatings, they do not behave identically.
We found that cream-colored notebook paper was slightly plusher, with fainter showthrough and a longer dry time. The exception to this rule is the paper in the Triomphe notepad, which behaved more like cream paper. All Clairefontaine papers had visible, though faint, showthrough. We found writing on either side of the page to be perfectly readable.
All tests were conducted with Pilot Namiki cartridge ink in a fine-tipped Pilot Metropolitan fountain pen.
| Name | Page Color | Dry Time (sec) | Showthrough |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clairefontaine Basics Life Unplugged Clothbound | White | 10 | Faint, may bleed through with inky pens |
| Clairefontaine Basics Life Unplugged Staplebound Duo | White | 10-15 | Faint, may bleed through with inky pens |
| Clairefontaine Collection 1951 Clothbound | White | 30 | Faint, may bleed through with inky pens |
| Clairefontaine Collection 1951 Staplebound | White | 30 | Faint, may bleed through with inky pens |
| Clairefontaine Collection Neo Deco | Cream | 50-60 | Faint |
| Clairefontaine My Essential | Cream | 30-40 | Faint |
| Clairefontaine Triomphe | White | 30-40 | Faint |
Clairefontaine History and Background
Étival-Clairefontaine is located in northeastern France.
Clairefontaine, best known for making the first school notebooks in France, is currently the only European brand that manufactures the papers for its own products. The original paper mill has been located in Étival-Clairefontaine since 1858.
Clairefontaine uses only pulp from forests which are 100% certified for their environmental management. They manage a forest in the Vosges mountains and source additional pulp from across the world to get an ideal blend of fiber length. Clairefontaine prides themselves on their products being entirely recyclable.
Clairefontaine has owned Rhodia since 1997, explaining the fantastic paper quality in both brands.
Conclusion
Clairefontaine is committed to high-quality paper and a smooth writing experience. Treat yourself to one of their products and discover how delightful writing with a fountain pen on Clairefontaine paper can be.
| Name | Sizes | Ruling | Page Color | Cover Colors | Binding | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clairefontaine Basics Life Unplugged Clothbound Notebook | A5 | 8 mm | White | Black, Blue, Green, Red, Tan | Glue | 96 |
| Clairefontaine Basics Life Unplugged Staplebound Notebooks Duo | Pocket, A5 | 7 mm, 8 mm | White | Black and Tan, Red and Green | Staple | 48 |
| Clairefontaine Collection 1951 Clothbound Notebook | A5 | 8 mm | White | Black, Blue, Green, Red Coral, Turquoise, Violet | Glue | 96 |
| Clairefontaine Collection 1951 Staplebound Notebook | A5 | 8 mm | White | Black, Blue, Green, Raspberry, Red Coral, Turquoise | Staple | 48 |
| Clairefontaine Collection Neo Deco Notebook | A5 | 8 mm | Cream | Constellation, Diamond, Honeycomb, Peacock, Pearl Grey, Powder Pink, Sea Green, Shell, Vegetal | Thread | 48 |
| Clairefontaine My Essential Notebook | A5 | 8 mm | Cream | Black, Blue, Green, Red, Tan | Thread | 96 |
| Clairefontaine Triomphe Notepad | A5, A4 | 8 mm, Blank | White | White | Glue | 50 |
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