Manila File Paper review

Buff (traditional, manila-file color) and white are the only manila file paper colors that are really conducive to writing. 

Introduction

Earlier this summer, I began using Manila File cover-weight paper for my index cards.  I also became very interested in the text-weight paper from the same brand, which seemed like a potential replacement for Tomoe River paper in my Levenger Circa notebook.  (Tomoe River's light weight means it slips out of Circa rings rather easily.)  Although I ultimately did not choose to use the text weight paper, I thought it might be of interest to others.  It certainly beat out other non-Tomoe printing paper I had used in the past, like HP 32-lb paper or Double A paper, in terms of fountain-pen friendliness.  The cover-weight paper, however, has been adopted as my preferred index card paper.

Previously used cards -- Moleskine & Exacompta

Prior to Manila File paper, I had been using Exacompta and Moleskine index cards, but had never been completely satisfied. Exacompta was very fountain-pen friendly but I could only ever find it in the four-pastel-color grid options, although it was supposed to be available in white as well. Moleskine cards were beautiful but expensive.  A pack of 20 cards cost $8 on Amazon, and I only ever used half-a-pack, the square-ruled cards, because I disliked the vertical orientation of the lined half.  Finally, the coating on Moleskine cards repelled my everyday ink, Noodler's bad-black moccasin, so I had to keep a separate pen inked up with a different black ink just for writing on index cards. So earlier this summer I began to seriously look into manufacturing my own index cards, and Manila File cardstock won out amongst various brands I sampled.

About Manila File Paper

Manila File paper is recycled paper.  It comes in only two weights: a 70T text weight and an 80C cover weight. It comes in a variety of attractive, vintage-looking colors, but only two colors are suitable for writing: the white color, and a traditional manila-file color called buff.  Buff does not look as luxurious as other cremes and ivories, and I ultimately decided not to go with buff-colored cards, even though I initially set out to find a creme-colored card. 

Manila file paper is available in vintage colors.

My fine-to-medium nibs laid down extremely smooth and wet lines on both the text weight and cover weight paper, although the text weight was much smoother.  There is quite a bit of show-through on the text-weight paper, but no bleed-through. There is of course no show-through on the cover-weight cardstock, unless you hold a single card up in front of a light source.

Both the text weight and card paper have a rather long drying time.  You must be very careful to blot a card before turning it over. However, I believe the Manila File text-weight paper has a slightly better drying time that Tomoe. By the time I get to a 5th line of text, the first four are basically dry, except for the periods at the ends of sentences and the dots on top of the i's and j's.  If I press another paper to the text to test for transfer, only the afore-mentioned dots and the last two or three words I wrote transfer over.  I write mostly with fine-to-medium nibs so I'm not sure how well this holds up with broader nibs. 

Manila File 70T paper, front

No bleed through on back of 70T paper

In Summary ...

Overall, I have been satisfied with Manila File paper and hope others will be as well. Although I decided to go with white Manila File cardstock for my index cards, I eventually decided against using the text-weight paper because I miss the softness of paper that is intended for writing.

I now offer Manila File Folder index cads on my Etsy Store. The cards 3.5" x 5.5" are available for $7.49 for a 50-pack of lined or squared cards.  The text-weight paper, for anyone who is interested, is available at the Paper Mill Store.