Rhodia: A Comprehensive Guide
In 1934, a dynamic duo of brothers consisting of a marketer and engineer established what would become a universally beloved paper brand—Rhodia. The Rhodia notepad has since become a darling of the paper world, respected for its cleverly scored covers and smooth, durable paper. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the unique features of Rhodia notebooks and recommend product lines for different applications.
Similarities Across All Rhodia Paper
Rhodia logo.
Aside from its double tree logo and classic black and orange colors, what makes Rhodia special? Here are some noteworthy characteristics found in all Rhodia paper.
- Rhodia paper is acid-Free and pH-Neutral. When exposed to light or heat, the molecules in acidic paper break down faster over time. This causes the acidic paper to degrade and lose its integrity. Contrastingly, acid-free paper lasts longer and allows your artwork to keep its true colors for a long time.
- Rhodia paper is fountain pen friendly. Rhodia paper facilitates a fast drying time relative to other pen friendly paper, feels smooth, is bright, and generally resists bleedthrough and showthrough. Drying time is important since fountain pen ink may smear if it does not absorb into the paper fast enough. Excellent fountain pen paper must also exhibit a degree of smoothness—rough paper may create more friction with the fountain pen nib and cause skipping. Brightness is also a highly desired quality for fountain pen inks since bright paper will contrast with different color inks. Lastly, good fountain pen paper resists bleedthrough and showthrough.
- Rhodia paper is PEFC-Certified. The Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) is an NGO that promotes sustainable forest management. Certification indicates that a product meets the standards issued by the PEFC.
Considerations
Rhodia notebooks and pads come in many different forms. Here are some characteristics to consider when selecting a Rhodia product.
Page Styles
Rhodia paper is available in different sheet styles. Rhodia page ruling is typically a pale violet color, although sometimes dark gray or brown depending on the product line. It spans between 5-8mm. Consider wider ruling if you have bigger handwriting. Below, we explain the different page styles.
Page Styles.
- Blank: Blank paper suits free-form thought or illustrations.
- Graph: Graph paper gives structure for creating symmetrical boxes and planning out the spacing between letters.
- Dot: Dot guides are great for designs and illustrations since they offer structure without being too noticeable. Rhodia’s main line for dot paper is the DotPad.
- Lined: Lined paper works best for textual notes. Some horizontally lined Rhodia paper has a left-aligned vertical line that indicates the margin.
Paper Weight
Paper Weight.
Paper Weight: A paper’s weight does not necessarily correlate with the quality of the paper, but we did notice differences between Rhodia’s 80 gsm and 90 gsm paper. Pure white 80 gsm paper is standard for most basic Rhodia pads. It feels relatively smooth to the touch and is a medium that facilitates fast ink drying time. The cream-colored 90 gsm Rhodia paper is distinguished as “premium” paper. It feels even smoother than 80 gsm paper and is not prone to bleedthrough or showthrough. Ink takes a slightly longer time to dry on this paper.
Binding
Binding.
The binding is the structure that holds any notepad or notebook together. Rhodia’s pads have high-quality binding that generally holds between 60 to 96 sheets of thick paper. Here are some characteristics of each binding type.
- Stapled: Stapled pads tend to be more difficult to lay flat and use. Rhodia’s stapled pads are a different story because of their clever design. The typical Rhodia notepad is bound with heavy duty staples and holds between 70 to 80 microperforated sheets. The staples do not go
through the back cover, so no accidental unbinding or finger injuries occur. The coated cardstock covers are flexible, and the front cover is scored so that it is easy to neatly fold back. Note that Rhodia Pocket Size notebooks, though stapled, do not have this folding feature and do not contain microperforated sheets.
- Twin Ring: Rhodia’s sturdy black twin ring binding is not cumbersomely bulky. It’s just big enough to snugly fit 80 sheets. It is easy to flip through and lays flat. Rhodia’s twin ring notebooks have microperforated sheets so that you can tear pages out without getting jagged edges.
- Stitched: Stitched Rhodia notebooks sport a secure thread and glue binding. They feature premium paper, more sheets (96 total), and luxurious leatherette covers. They also include an expandable pocket, page ribbon, and strap. One drawback of a stitched notebook is that you can’t tear out the sheets.
Size.
Size: Rhodia notebooks and notepads cover a range of sizes. The pad number usually indicates the size—the larger the bloc pad number, the bigger the notebook. For example, Rhodia No. 10 is 2 x 2.9” whereas the Rhodia No. 19 is A4+ sized or 8.75 x 12.4”. (The one exception is the Rhodia No. 80 notebook. 80 indicates Rhodia’s 80th anniversary.) Different sizes fit different needs. An A4 or A4+ pad accommodates large sketches or blueprints whereas a 2 x 2.9” pad is appropriate for jotting down a grocery list.
Now that you know a little more about the varying characteristics within Rhodia, read on for suggestions on how to use different Rhodia notebooks, whether you’re a fountain pen lover or an engineer.
Table of Contents
- Fountain Pen Lovers
- Adventurers
- Calligraphers
- Designers and Engineers
- Students and Teachers
- Office Professionals
Fountain Pen Lovers
All Rhodia paper is fountain pen friendly, but here are specific product lines for fountain pen novices, letter writers, and diarists.
Rhodia Classic Orange & Black Notebooks
Rhodia Classic Orange & Black Notebooks
Rhodia Classic Orange & Black Notebooks Sheet Styles
The Classic Orange and Black Notebook is essential for both seasoned and new fountain pen users. New fountain pen enthusiasts will especially appreciate its high quality. At 80 gsm, the bright white paper is thick, bleedproof, and smooth. Ink dries slightly faster on this paper as opposed to the more premium 90 gsm paper, which makes it easier for fountain pen beginners to write without smearing. The convenient fold-back front cover also allows novices to write fuss-free—it can be onerous to deal with a cover that keeps falling down when you want to solely concentrate on fountain pen practice.
| Notebook Size | Blank | Graph | Lined |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. 08 – 2.9 x 8.3 in. |  |
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| No. 10 – 2 x 2.9 in. | |
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| No. 11 – A7 |  |
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| No. 11 – Pocket Size | |
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| No. 12 – 3.3 x 4.7 in. | |
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| No. 13 – A6 | |
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| No. 16 – A5 | |
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| No. 18 – A4 | |
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Rhodia ColoR Premium Pad
Rhodia ColoR Premium Pads
Rhodia ColoR Premium Pad Sheet Style
Their dark gray lines, creamy paper color, and medium A5 size make the Rhodia ColoR Premium Pads perfect for letter writing. Available in vibrant colors, they are the vivid siblings of the beloved Rhodia R Premium Notepads, designated with quirky names such as Sapphire, Raspberry, Turquoise, Violet, Taupe, Red, Chocolate, and Anis Green. The stapled, scored covers have a rubbery matte finish that feels extremely soft to the touch. Each pad contains 70 microperforated sheets of ultra-smooth premium paper.
| Notebook | Color |
|---|---|
| Rhodia ColoR Premium Pads |        
|
Rhodia Webnotebooks
Rhodia Webnotebooks
Rhodia Webnotebooks Sheet Styles
Lovingly referred to as “Webbies” by Rhodia fans, these notebooks are perfect for serious diarists to chronicle deep thoughts. The covers are made from a luxurious Italian leatherette, the front elegantly embossed with Rhodia’s famous double tree logo. The notebooks include a ribbon page marker, elastic band, and expandable pocket. They lay flat as you write, which makes writing long passages easy.
| Notebook Size | Blank | Dot | Lined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 x 5.5 inches | |
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| 5.5 x 8.25 inches |
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| 5.5 x 8.3 inches | |
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Adventurers
If you are writing or sketching outdoors, you’ll need a notebook that can endure being carried around all the time, which can put notebooks through the ringer. The following Rhodia products are portable and built to last.
Rhodia Webnotepad
Rhodia Webnotepad
Rhodia Webnotepad Sheet Style
Rhodia’s small Webnotepad is a trusty companion for drawing sketches and writing down ideas on the go. The Webnotepad’s leatherette cover is wrapped with an elastic band that keeps the pages together. The Webnotepad has 96 sheets of 90 gsm ivory paper with dark gray dot guides. The pages are microperforated for easy removal. Do tear these pages gently, since they’re bound together by glue, not a sturdy staple. Tearing haphazardly may undo more pages than you intend.
Rhodia Unlimited Notebooks
Rhodia Unlimited Notebooks
Rhodia Unlimited Notebooks Sheet Styles
At 3.5 x 5.5”, the unassuming Rhodia Unlimited Notebooks are easy to slip into a shirt or pants pocket, convenient for those who are always on their feet. Their smooth velvety matte covers are wrapped with a stylish two-toned elastic band. With 60 sheets, the Unlimited Notebook indeed has an unlimited amount of uses—their denoted sections for the header and text are pragmatic for keeping track of expenses, reminders, ideas, and so on.
| Notebook | Color |
|---|---|
| Rhodia Unlimited Notebooks | |
Rhodia 80th Anniversary Limited Edition Gift Set
Rhodia 80th Anniversary Limited Edition Gift Set
Rhodia 80th Anniversary Limited Edition Gift Set Sheet Style
For its 80th anniversary year, Limited Edition Gift Set. This beautiful set is a great gift for hardcore Rhodia fans and fledgling stationery lovers alike. Lavishly presented in a copper box, the set includes a No. 80 notebook and HB pencil which are black and embellished with a shiny Rhodia logo pattern. The A5-sized notebook sports a smooth plastic fold-back cover and contains 70 sheets of smooth cream-colored paper with a brown grid pattern. Small enough to slip into a small bag, it is the perfect size for writing down tasks, ideas, and notes.
Calligraphers
Calligraphers love Rhodia paper for its buttery smooth surface and varying sheet styles. Here are a few product lines to help you create beautiful scripts.
Rhodia DotPad Notepads
Rhodia DotPad Notepads
Rhodia DotPad Notepads Sheet Style
DotPad Notepads are named after the faint violet dots that uniformly speckle their sheets. The geometric dot matrix gives structure to illustrations, designs, and notes. Calligraphers, especially beginners, will especially find the pattern handy for creating light lettering guides that stimulate hand muscle memory. The dots are noticeable enough to use but are light enough not to be too distracting. The DotPads have 80 gsm paper and come with either twin ring binding or black fold-back covers. Note that Rhodia’s Webnotepad and Webnotebook also include dot sheet style but feature premium 90 gsm paper.
| Size | Color |
|---|---|
| 3.25 x 4.75 in. | |
| No. 16 – A5 | |
| No. 16 – A5 – Wirebound | |
| No. 19 – A4+ | |
Rhodia Ice Pads & Notebooks
Rhodia Ice Pads & Notebooks
Rhodia Ice Pads & Notebooks Sheet Styles
For its 80th anniversary, Rhodia also released the Ice Pads & Notebooks series. These pads and notebook have the same sturdy cardstock covers and papers as the Classic line, but with a sleek twist. The covers are white with prominent silver lettering and accents. The 80 gsm paper has dark gray rather than violet sheet style print. Sophisticated and minimal, the gray guide color contrasts excellently with different ink colors.
| Notebook No. | Graph | Lined |
|---|---|---|
| No. 11 – A7 |  |
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| A7 Pocket Notebook | |
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| No. 12 – 3.3 x 4.7 in. | |
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| No. 13 – A6 | |
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| No. 16 – A5 | |
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| No. 18 – A4 | |
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Designers and Engineers
Designers and engineers gravitate towards notebooks that offer both structure for recording data and room for free-form thought. Whether you’re sketching a bridge or a brand logo, here are some choices for your pioneering designs.
Rhodia R Premium Notepads
Rhodia R Premium Notepads
Rhodia R Premium Notepads Sheet Style
With smoother paper and a slightly higher price tag than an average Rhodia notepad, Rhodia R Premium Notepads are, as their name suggests, premium. The stapled and scored covers have a rubbery matte finish that is soft to the touch. Each pad has 70 sheets of smooth 90 gsm paper. Because of their sturdy covers and excellent paper quality, these notebooks are great for doing work out in the field and keeping your designs secure for future reference.
| Notebook No. | Blank | Lined |
|---|---|---|
| No. 12 – 3.4 x 4.8 in. | |
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| No. 16 – A5 | |
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| No. 18 – A4 | |
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Rhodia Reverse Books
Rhodia Reverse Books
Rhodia Reverse Books Sheet Style
Because of their equilateral shape and square grid sheet style, it’s easy to keep your designs symmetrical and structured in the Rhodia Reverse Books. You can position the spiral binding off to the side or up top since the page arrangement is not constrained by horizontal line ruling. If you’re left-handed, writing with the notebook positioned up top is convenient because your hand will not irksomely touch the coil as you write. In case you want to share or toss your notes, the pages are also microperforated for easy removal.
| Notebook | Color |
|---|---|
| Rhodia Reverse Book – Graph | |
Students and Teachers
An attractive, lasting notebook can encourage students to stay on top of their notes. It can also motivate teachers to track lecture notes and class discussions. Buried under pounds of textbooks and school supplies, school notebooks can often come undone or get bent. Fortunately, these Rhodia notebooks are built to endure school life.
Rhodia Spiral Notepads
Rhodia Spiral Notepads
Rhodia Spiral Notepads Sheet Style
Keep your notes organized with the Rhodia Spiral Notepads. Because of their twin ring binding, these A5-sized notepads lay flat and are easy to flip through for studying with ease. Their binding also ensures that no sheets come undone unless you deliberately tear one out. What distinguishes Rhodia’s spiral notepads are their classic high-quality 80 gsm paper and steadfast coated covers. They also have study cardboard backings that make writing easy even as you tear out sheets or use a surface that isn’t hard.
| Rhodia Spiral Notepad | Graph | Lined |
|---|---|---|
| No. 16 – A5 – Wirebound | |
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Rhodia Rhodiarama Notebooks
Rhodia Rhodiarama Notebooks
Rhodia Rhodiarama Notebooks Sheet Styles
The Rhodia Rhodiarama Notebooks are the colorful siblings of the Rhodia Webnotebooks. These notebooks are tightly bound with glue, which curbs the tendency to tear out and lose notes. With features like a back pocket and elastic band, their quality exceeds that of generic composition notebooks and makes writing feel more special. You can choose between stiffer hardcovers and smooth softcovers. Depending on your handwriting size and ruling preference, you can also choose between 6 mm and 7 mm line spacing.
| Size | Color |
|---|---|
| 3.5 x 5.5 in. | 
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| A5 |
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Office Professionals
Behind every powerhouse professional are the right office tools. Having a reliable and top-notch notepad for ideas and notes can help you organize and communicate your thoughts better to your teammates.
Rhodia Meeting Books
Rhodia Meeting Books
Rhodia Meeting Books Sheet Style
Meeting Book was invented by the CEO of Clairefontaine for his own use. The Meeting book comes in a version with 80 gsm paper and two others with 90 gsm paper. Bound together by sturdy twin ring binding, each one of the 80 sheets has orange accents. The microperforated paper is opaque and not prone to bleedthrough or showthrough. Each page, both front and back, has sections for the date, notes, and actions to help you keep on top of tasks and projects. If you are using the Meeting Book with 90 gsm paper, we recommend using ballpoint pen or fine-tipped marker, since wetter inks do take longer to dry on this paper. You can also consider getting Rhodia’s very own HB pencil.
| Size | Notebook |
|---|---|
| A5+ | |
| A5+ (80 gsm) | |
| A4+ | |
Rhodia Clic Bloc Mouse Pad/Notepad – 7.5″ x 9″
Rhodia Clic Bloc Mouse Pad/Notepad – 7.5″ x 9″
Rhodia Clic Bloc Mouse Pad/Notepad Sheet Style
This novel mouse pad was designed so that you could jot down notes while using your computer. It has a nonskid back that can be firmly planted on your desk and includes 30 sheets of 80 g Rhodia paper. Each one-sided sheet features grid ruling and the Rhodia website and logo on the front side. The paper facilitates both smooth writing and smooth mouse navigation. The sheets are held together by a thin layer of glue on the sides, so they are easy to tear off. Be careful when you tear, since you can accidentally undo the consolidated pad form if you attempt to remove more than one sheet at a time.
Final Thoughts
Rhodia is widely recognized by its cleverly scored black and orange covers and high-quality paper. Over the years, it has branched out to include a range of different cover and paper designs. We hope that this guide helped you navigate all that Rhodia has to offer – if you haven’t already experienced it for yourself. Let us know what your favorite Rhodia notepads and notebooks are in the comments below!
| Notebook | Sizes | Ruling | Paper Weight | Binding | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classic Orange and Black Notebooks | No. 08 – 2.9 x 8.3 in., No. 10 – 2 x 2.9 in., No. 11 – A7, No. 11 – Pocket Size, No. 12 – 3.3 x 4.7 in., No. 13 – A6, No. 16 – A5, No. 18 – A4 | Graph, Lined | 80 gsm | Stapled | 24 – 80 |
| Clic Bloc Mouse Pad | 7.5 x 9 in. | Graph | 80 gsm | Glued | 30 |
| ColoR Premium Pads | A5 | Lined | 90 gsm | Stapled | 70 |
| DotPad Notepads | 3.25 x 4.75 in., No. 16 – A5, A4+ | Dot | 80 gsm | Twin Ring Binding, Stapled | 80 |
| Ice Pads & Notebooks | No. 11 – A7, No. 11 – Pocket Size, No. 12 – 3.3 x 4.7 in., No. 13 – A6, No. 16 – A5, No. 18 – A4 | Graph, Lined | 80 gsm | Stapled | 24 – 80 |
| Meeting Books | A5+, 6.5 x 8.3 in., A4+ | Lined | 80 gsm, 90 gsm | Twin Ring Binding | 80 |
| R Premium Notepads | No. 12 – 3.3 x 4.7 in., No. 16 – A5, No. 18 – A4 | Blank, Lined | 90 gsm | Stapled | 70 |
| Reverse Books | 8.25 x 8.25 in. | Graph | 80 gsm | Twin Ring Binding | 80 |
| Rhodiarama Notebooks | 3.5 x 5.5 in., A6 | Lined | 90 gsm | Thread and Glue | 96 |
| Spiral Notepads | No. 16 – A5 | Graph, Lined | 80 gsm | Twin Ring Binding | 80 |
| Webnotebooks | 3.5 x 5.5 in., 5.5 x 8.25 in., 5.5 x 8.3 in. | Blank, Dot, Lined | 90 gsm | Thread and Glue | 96 |
| Webnotepads | 3.5 x 5.5 in. | Dot | 90 gsm | Glue | 96 |
| Unlimited Notebooks | 3.5 x 5.5 in. | Lined | 80 gsm | Glue | 60 |
| 80th Anniversary Limited Edition Gift Sets | No. 80 – A5 | Graph | 90 gsm | Stapled | 70 |
Sources
Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification. Website: https://www.pefc.org.
SOURCE:https://www.jetpens.com/blog/rhodia-a-comprehensive-guide/pt/926