Beware Strathmore heavyweight paper now has a new texture

As a half-French person, it pains me to say this, but if you're buying Strathmore watercolour paper, you're best off getting the ones that are made completely in the USA and not in France. I know, I know, it's very unpatriotic of me, especially these days when we need to be careful about what we buy from the USA, but hear me out.

On the front of the watercolour sketchbook, the belly band says it is: "Made in the USA with materials from France". You'd think this wouldn't make a difference, but somehow this has caused a change to the texture on the reverse of the paper. It now has a grid-like pattern embossed through it, which is really noticeable when you're using fluid acrylics or watercolour, as the paint pools in the divots.

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The USA/France paper (the new way they're making the paper): (left) the texture on the front of the paper like normal, (right) the grid-like texture on the back.

Strathmore paper made solely in the USA without French materials has a different texture on the reverse side which means you can paint on either the front or the back of the paper easily, without too much difference.

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Strathmore 500 Series paper made in the USA only. (left) front of the sheet, (right) back of the sheet. As you can see from these images, although the back has less noticeable texture through it, it isn't in a grid-like pattern, so is still usable.

This isn't a huge problem once you're aware of the situation, because you know what to look out for, and you just make sure you paint on the correct side of the paper. However, the way the paper is bound in the hard- and softback books means that an unsuspecting user might use every side of the paper the same, or just use the right-hand side pages, without realising there is a clear front and back side of the paper.

If you're using thicker paint, then perhaps the grid-like pattern won't matter to you, but if you're after smooth cold-press paper, make sure you check you're using the right side! And for those who actually like that grid-like texture... well... you're now in luck!

UPDATE:

I wrote to Strathmore to ask them what had happened to their paper, and this is their reply:

"A little while back, we moved our Watercolor and Mixed Media paper production to another facility within our company, in France. The pads are still bound here in the USA, which is why you're seeing that "Made in USA with materials from France" language on the newer belly band.

While we changed mills, we haven't changed the specifications or our quality standards for these papers. The papers are meant to perform as they always have. That said, a shift in production location, even within the same company and to the same specifications, can introduce small natural variances. Things like the specific machinery or water source at a given facility can subtly affect the finished sheet, even when everything else is unchanged.

Based on the samples you sent, this kind of natural variance is likely what you're experiencing with the granulation and dullness.

We test regularly to keep the paper as consistent as possible, because we know artists like you are relying on it to behave the same way every time, especially when it's part of your business. We plan to continue production in France. However, please know that we are committed to continually improving the performance and consistency of these papers. Your feedback is helpful."

In the mean time, I'm off to try out some other papers!