Paper Tested
A paper field guide

Paper Tested / Best for

Filofax and ring-binder paper

Refillable paper for Filofax notebooks and organisers and for ring binders, rated low for bleed-through and feathering by reviewers. Only a few refill papers have been properly tested with fountain pens, so this is a short list.

How this list works

I don’t rate paper myself. Every rating here comes from an independent reviewer’s published test, and each notebook below shows its sources. Shop and brand marketing copy doesn’t count.

The rule: Paper made for a Filofax notebook or organiser, or for a ring binder (going by the cited reviews), with bleed-through and feathering both rated Very Low or Low.

3 of the 116 notebooks in the database qualify. They’re listed by how many independent sources we cite (most first), then by the ratings in the rule, then alphabetically. That order isn’t a verdict on which is better.

The Filofax Notebook isn’t strictly a ring binder: its pages clip into a wire binding and can be moved around. The Clipbook uses Filofax’s traditional six-ring binding, and Plotter is a 6-ring binder system. The Gentleman Stationer, who tested both Filofax papers, found the Notebook’s 100gsm paper held up better than the Clipbook’s 80gsm. Ratings use one five-step scale, from Very Low to Very High. Here’s how we label them.

  1. 1
    • Bleed-throughLow
    • FeatheringVery Low
    • GhostingMedium
    • Dry timenot rated
    • Sheennot rated

    Why it’s here: bleed-through Low, feathering Very Low.

    Format: Filofax Notebook: movable pages in a wire binding (The Gentleman Stationer)

    UK shops: Filofax UK (£18.00)

    Sources: The Gentleman Stationer, Ink Xplorations, rolandmillward.com, inkyimaginings.com, allaboutplanners.com.au

    Full ratings, verdict & shops →
  2. 2
    • Bleed-throughVery Low
    • FeatheringVery Low
    • GhostingHigh
    • Dry timeHigh
    • SheenMedium

    Why it’s here: bleed-through Very Low, feathering Very Low.

    Format: Plotter: refill paper for a 6-ring binder (The Pen Addict)

    Sources: Fountain Pen Love, The Pen Addict

    Full ratings, verdict & shops →
  3. 3

    Filofax · 80 gsm

    Filofax Clipbook (80gsm)

    • Bleed-throughLow
    • FeatheringLow
    • GhostingMedium
    • Dry timenot rated
    • Sheennot rated

    Why it’s here: bleed-through Low, feathering Low.

    Format: Filofax Clipbook: Filofax’s traditional six-ring binding (The Gentleman Stationer)

    UK shops: Filofax UK (£21.00)

    Sources: The Gentleman Stationer, The Well-Appointed Desk

    Full ratings, verdict & shops →

Data as of 20 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell me.