Rhodia has been making notebooks and notepads in France since 1934, when brothers Henri and Robert Verilhac founded the brand in Lyon. The name comes from the Rhône river. For nearly a century, Rhodia has been the quiet constant on the desks of architects, designers, writers, and anyone who takes their paper seriously - beloved not for novelty, but for consistency. The orange cover is one of the most recognisable things in stationery.
What Makes Rhodia Paper Special
Rhodia's signature is their Clairefontaine paper - 80gsm, acid-free, and exceptionally smooth. It is one of the benchmark papers for fountain pen use: ink sits on the surface cleanly, dries without feathering, and shows shading and sheen better than almost any other paper at the price point. Bleed-through is minimal even with very wet nibs and saturated inks. If you're new to fountain pens and wondering what good paper feels like, Rhodia is the answer.
The Range
Rhodia's core product is the Classic Stapled Notepad - available in a range of sizes with the iconic orange cover and micro-perforated pages for clean tear-out. The grid is Rhodia's distinctive 5mm dot or square grid, printed in a restrained violet-grey that disappears under most inks. Pages are micro-perforated for clean removal.
The format is deliberately simple: a stiff card back, a stapled binding, and pages that lie flat. There is no unnecessary design. Rhodia's confidence is in the paper itself.
Rhodia and Fountain Pens
Rhodia is one of the most recommended papers in the fountain pen community, and for good reason. The smooth Clairefontaine surface rewards every type of nib, from extra-fine to broad and handles shimmer inks, iron gall, and heavily saturated pigment inks without complaint. Shading inks show their full range. Sheening inks produce their best results. If you want to see what your ink actually looks like, write on Rhodia.
For more on choosing the right paper, see our Fountain Pen Paper Guide and our roundup of Fountain Pen Friendly Notebooks.
Shop Rhodia at Pure Pens
Browse the full Rhodia range at Pure Pens.