Canson XL Watercolor Pad: 140 lb Cold Press & Sizes
The Canson XL Watercolor pad holds 30 sheets of 140 lb (300 gsm), acid-free, cold-press watercolor paper. It comes in sizes from 7 × 10 in to 18 × 24 in, mostly with a fold-over cover and gum binding along the top edge; some sizes are wire-bound. It is a budget student pad for watercolor, gouache and ink.
On this page
Product facts
- Product
- Canson XL Watercolor Pad, 9 x 12 in, 140 lb (300 gsm), 30 sheets (100510941)
- Brand
- Canson
- Brand origin
- France
- Made in
- Not stated*
- Material
- 140 lb (300 g/m²) acid-free cold-press watercolor paper, without optical brighteners, mould-resistant treatment
- Price range
- $$$5–20 per ream or pad
Notes on these facts
- Made by Canson (Annonay, France). Country of manufacture not stated: Sources conflict. A mirror of the Amazon listing for the 11 × 15 in pad says it is made in France, while a marketplace listing for the 18 × 24 in pad gives the USA; school retailers describe the paper as French watercolor paper. Canson's US page doesn't state it, and its French site says only that Canson papers are made in France (Saint-Marcel-lès-Annonay). Check the back of the pad. Price: example listing.
- Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026.
Key takeaways
- Paper: 140 lb (300 gsm), cold press, acid-free, 30 sheets in every size we found.
- Sizes: 7 × 10, 9 × 12, 11 × 15, 12 × 18 and 18 × 24 in.
- The 9 × 12 in pad (100510941) has a fold-over cover with gum binding along the top; School Specialty also sells a side-wire 9 × 12 in pad.
- AS INSIGHT's July 2026 estimate puts the 9 × 12 in pad at about 3,000 Amazon sales a month, at 4.8 stars.
- At 300 gsm it is nearly twice the weight of the 160 gsm Canson XL Mix Media sheet.
What is the Canson XL Watercolor pad?
It is a budget pad of 30 sheets of 140 lb (300 gsm), acid-free, cold-press watercolor paper. Canson, the French paper maker based in Annonay, sells it in its XL line of student art pads.
It is one of the best-selling watercolor pads in the US. AS INSIGHT’s July 2026 estimate puts the 9 × 12 in pad at about 3,000 Amazon sales a month at 4.8 stars, and an Amazon listing snapshot shows the 11 × 15 in pad with about 7,300 ratings.
Canson XL Watercolor pad specs
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Brand | Canson (XL range) |
| Paper weight | 140 lb (300 gsm) |
| Surface | Cold press (textured) |
| Archival | Acid-free, no optical brighteners, mould-resistant treatment (Canson); ISO 9706 (Canson’s French site) |
| Sheets | 30 per pad |
| Binding | Fold-over cover, gum-bound at the top; some sizes wire-bound |
| Item (9 × 12 in) | 100510941 |
| Made in | Not stated consistently: France or USA, depending on the listing |
Weight, surface and archival details come from Canson’s US and French pages; sheet count from Quill, DeSerres, School Specialty and Opus Art Supplies. Canson’s US page also lists a lighter 90 lb (185 g) XL Watercolor paper, and in France the paper is sold in spiral albums and sketchbooks rather than fold-over pads. Opus describes the fold-around cover and gum binding along the top edge of the 9 × 12 in pad.
What sizes does the Canson XL Watercolor pad come in?
We found five sizes, from 7 × 10 in to 18 × 24 in, all with 30 sheets.
| Size (in) | Size (cm) | Item | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 × 10 | 17.8 × 25.4 | – | Wirebound (Amazon listing) |
| 9 × 12 | 22.9 × 30.5 | 100510941 | Fold-over; also a side-wire version |
| 11 × 15 | 27.9 × 38.1 | 100510942 | Fold-over |
| 12 × 18 | 30.5 × 45.7 | – | Fold-over (Quill) |
| 18 × 24 | 45.7 × 61.0 | – | Sold by School Specialty and DeSerres |
Centimetre values are converted from inches. We found no 5.5 × 8.5 in watercolor pad in the XL line; that size belongs to other XL pads.
What is a fold-over, gum-bound pad?
The cover wraps over the top of the pad, and the sheets are held by a strip of gum along the top edge instead of a wire. You fold the cover back behind the pad to paint, then peel the finished sheet away from the gum.
Because only the top is glued, a very wet sheet can lift and cockle while still in the pad. Many painters remove the sheet and tape all four edges to a board first. Wire-bound versions tear out at the binding instead.
How does it compare to Canson XL Mix Media?
Watercolor is the heavier, wetter-media pad; Mix Media is the lighter all-rounder.
| Pad | Weight | Surface | Sheets | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canson XL Watercolor | 140 lb (300 gsm) | Cold press | 30 | Watercolor, gouache, heavier washes |
| Canson XL Mix Media | 98 lb (160 gsm) | Fine texture | 60 | Markers, ink, dry media, light washes |
| Strathmore 400 Sketch | 60 lb (89 gsm) | Fine tooth | 100 | Graphite, colored pencil, charcoal |
Pound weights for different paper types use different base sheet sizes, so compare the gsm figures. For the same 140 lb weight in 100% cotton, glued on four sides, see the Arches watercolor block. The Fabriano Studio watercolor pad sits between the two, with 25% cotton at the same 140 lb.
Which size should you choose?
9 × 12 in is the usual first pad; go bigger for landscapes and smaller for travel.
- 7 × 10 in: swatches, studies and travel; the wirebound version flips like a sketchbook.
- 9 × 12 in: class work and everyday practice.
- 11 × 15 and 12 × 18 in: finished paintings; 11 × 15 in is a quarter of a standard 22 × 30 in watercolor sheet.
- 18 × 24 in: large work that needs a board and plenty of tape.
Where is the Canson XL Watercolor pad made?
Sources disagree, so we list it as not stated. A mirror of the Amazon listing for the 11 × 15 in pad says it is made in France, while a marketplace listing for the 18 × 24 in pad gives the USA.
School retailers describe the paper as French watercolor paper, and Canson’s French site says Canson papers are made in France at Saint-Marcel-lès-Annonay; that may explain both answers if US pads are bound in the USA. The country printed on the back of your pad is the reliable one.
Frequently asked questions
Is Canson XL Watercolor paper 100% cotton?
None of the retailer listings we found describe it as cotton paper; it is sold as an affordable 140 lb (300 gsm) cold-press pad. If you need 100% cotton, look for a pad that states it on the cover.
Does Canson XL Watercolor paper buckle?
Any 140 lb paper can cockle under very wet washes. The fold-over pad is only gummed along the top, so taping the sheet to a board before painting keeps it flatter.
What sizes does the Canson XL Watercolor pad come in?
We found 7 × 10, 9 × 12, 11 × 15, 12 × 18 and 18 × 24 in pads, each with 30 sheets of 140 lb (300 gsm) paper.
Is the Canson XL Watercolor pad cold press or hot press?
Cold press. Retailers list a textured cold-press surface, which suits most watercolor techniques; Canson's smoother hot-press papers are in other lines.
How do you remove a sheet from the Canson XL Watercolor pad?
On the fold-over pad, the sheets are gummed along the top edge, so peel a sheet away from the gum or slide a palette knife along it. The wire-bound versions tear out at the binding.
What is the difference between Canson XL Watercolor and XL Mix Media?
Watercolor is heavier: 140 lb (300 gsm) cold press with 30 sheets, against 98 lb (160 gsm) and 60 sheets for Mix Media. Mix Media suits markers, ink and light washes; Watercolor takes heavier washes.
Where is the Canson XL Watercolor pad made?
Sources disagree. One Amazon listing mirror says France and another marketplace listing says the USA, so we list it as not stated. Canson is a French company based in Annonay.
Sources
- Canson (French): XL Aquarelle (300 g/m², grain fin, FSC, acid-free, no optical brighteners, antifungal, ISO 9706; spiral albums and sketchbooks in France)
- Canson USA: XL Watercolor (cold press, 90 lb/185 g and 140 lb/300 g, acid-free, no optical brighteners, mould-resistant)
- Canson (French): Qui sommes-nous ? (papers made in France at Saint-Marcel-lès-Annonay)
- Opus Art Supplies: Canson XL Watercolour pads (9 x 12 in CAN100510941; fold-around cover, gum binding along the top)
- Quill: Canson XL Watercolor Pads, 9 x 12 in, pad of 30, pack of 3 (100510941)
- Quill: Canson XL Watercolor Pads, 11 x 15 in, pad of 30 (100510942; fold over bound, 140 lb / 300 gsm)
- Quill: Canson XL Watercolor Pads, 12 x 18 in, pad of 30, pack of 2
- School Specialty: Canson XL Watercolor Pad, Wireless, 9 x 12 in, 140 lb, 30 sheets
- School Specialty: Canson XL Watercolor Pad 9 x 12 in (side wire binding)
- School Specialty: Canson XL Watercolor Pad, 140 lb, 18 x 24 in, 30 sheets
- Walmart: Canson XL Series Watercolor Paper Pad 140 lb, fold over, 30 sheets, 9 x 12 in
- Monk Office: Canson XL Watercolour Pad 9 x 12 in, 30 sheets (fold-over cover, cold press)
- DeSerres: Canson XL collection (XL Watercolor 140 lb / 300 gsm, cold press, 30 sheets)
- DeSerres: Canson XL Watercolor pad, 140 lb, 18 x 24 in, 30 sheets
- Desertcart: mirror of the Amazon 7 x 10 in wirebound listing (B01G2IIZN2; rank and ratings snapshot)
- Desertcart: mirror of the Amazon 11 x 15 in listing (B0049UXGD0; made in France, ratings snapshot)
- AS INSIGHT: Amazon US sales estimates including the Canson XL Watercolor Pad 9 x 12 in (July 2026)
- Wikipedia: Canson (company background)