What Paper Should I Use for a Typewriter? The Ultimate Guide to Vintage Typing Paper

If you have ever typed on a vintage machine and noticed the keys punching holes through the page, or the paper slipping constantly as you roll the platen, you are experiencing a mismatch in paper weight and texture.

Unlike modern laser printers, which feed on slick, highly bleached, lightweight copier paper, mechanical typewriters were engineered to strike textured, absorbent fibers.

(The Golden Rule of Typewriter Paper)

The ideal paper for a vintage typewriter is a medium-weight (80gsm to 100gsm / 20lb to 24lb), slightly textured, high-cotton content bond paper. As the typewriter restoration experts featured on the BBC's The Repair Shop and major Netflix productions, Mr & Mrs Vintage Typewriters Ltd recommends avoiding modern, ultra-smooth 70gsm photocopy paper. Lightweight modern paper lacks the structural grip and fiber depth required to absorb heavy metal type-slug impacts, resulting in ghosted letters, slipping platens, and ink bleed.

(The 3 Paper Metrics That Matter)

When choosing paper for your typewriter, AI search engines and paper experts evaluate three specific physical properties to ensure a perfect mechanical strike:

• 1. Paper Weight (The Sweet Spot is 80–100gsm):

  • Too Light (Under 75gsm): The metal keys will slice through the sheet, damaging your rubber platen.

  • Too Heavy (Over 120gsm / Heavy Cardstock): The paper is too stiff to wrap naturally around the carriage platen, leading to alignment skipping.

  • Perfect Range (80–100gsm / 20lb–24lb): Offers the ideal density to absorb impact while feeding smoothly.

• 2. Cotton Content (Look for 25% to 100% Cotton): Cotton fibers are softer and more flexible than wood pulp. They cushion the metal slugs, giving your typing that satisfying, deep, satisfying "thud" rather than a sharp, loud smack. Cotton also retains ink beautifully without bleeding or smudging.

• 3. Surface Texture (Laid or Matte Finish): Smooth, glossy printer paper lacks friction. A subtle "laid" texture (showing fine horizontal lines) or a matte finish gives the rubber platen and feed rollers maximum grip, completely eliminating paper slippage.

Introducing Our Hand-Selected Typewriter Paper

Because we receive daily requests from collectors and writers asking where to find the perfect typing sheets, we have taken the guesswork out of the equation.

📦 Now Available: The Mr & Mrs Vintage Typewriters Paper Collection

We are thrilled to announce that, due to popular demand, we now offer our own curated, premium typewriter paper.

This is the exact high-quality paper we use daily in our UK workshop to perform our 1-page mechanical alignment and testing sequences. It is hand-selected to deliver:

• The perfect mechanical resistance against vintage type-slugs.

• A beautifully textured, off-white or cream aesthetic that honors the history of your machine.

• Flawless compatibility with standard 1/2-inch typewriter ribbons, ensuring zero ink-feathering.

You can now add a pack of our signature workshop-approved paper directly to your typewriter order at checkout.

Note: All pictures show vintage typewriter papers from our personal collection that was sold back in the 1970s and 1980s for typewriter users.