Midori MD versus Tomoe River — choosing between them
Both Midori MD and Tomoe River are considered premium Japanese fountain pen papers, but they serve different needs. Tomoe River is the ink-performance paper: its extreme thinness and slow absorption maximise shading and sheen visibility, at the cost of significant show-through and slow dry time. Midori MD is the practical daily writing paper: 80gsm cream-toned stock absorbs ink slightly faster, shows shading well but less dramatically, has minimal show-through, and dries faster. The cream tone adds warmth to the page — dark inks look slightly different on cream than on white, which some practitioners prefer and others find inaccurate. The choice is a function of use: if your priority is seeing your inks at their maximum potential and you accept show-through and dry time trade-offs, use Tomoe River. If your priority is a premium daily writing notebook that performs beautifully with fountain pen inks without the trade-offs, use Midori MD. Many practitioners keep both for.
Blank, ruled, or grid — which format
Blank is the most versatile: accommodates writing, sketching, and mixed use without constraint. For a journalling notebook that will contain primarily writing, ruled provides line consistency and allows faster, more comfortable sustained writing. Grid is for systematic, structured use — planning, layouts, grids, and any application where the grid reference is actively useful rather than just a constraint. If in doubt, start with blank.
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUSTIONS (FAQ)
What is the difference between blank, ruled, and grid?
Blank: no markings — the most versatile, accommodates writing, sketching, and mixed use on the same spread. Ruled: horizontal lines at standard writing spacing — better for sustained writing where line consistency matters. Grid: 3.75mm squares — for structured layouts, planning, and systematic use where the grid reference is actively useful. If you are using the notebook for general journalling with both writing and non-writing elements, blank is the right choice.
Does the cream tone affect how inks look?
Yes — inks look different on cream paper than on white. The cream background adds warmth; cool blue and grey inks can look slightly greener or warmer. Dark inks show less obvious contrast. This is a characteristic of cream-toned paper generally. If accurate colour representation of your inks is important to you, Tomoe River on white or Rhodia Velin on white will give a less colour-shifted result.
Should I choose Midori MD or Tomoe River?
If seeing your inks' shading and sheen at maximum intensity is the priority — Tomoe River. Accept the trade-offs (show-through, slow dry time, one-side writing for most people). If a beautiful, practical daily writing notebook with good but not extreme ink performance is the priority — Midori MD. The two are not competing products; they are optimised for different things. Many fountain pen enthusiasts keep both.