Strathmore 500 Series Bristol Pad: 100% Cotton, 2-Ply

Drawing of the Strathmore 500 Series Bristol pad, vellum, 11 × 14 in, 279 mm wide, closed with its binding tape across the head and opened to a sheet with a graphite still life; inset: a sheet's cut edge, 2-ply, 100% cotton — The 11 × 14 in vellum pad, closed and open, drawn to scale; the cover artwork is simplified.

Product facts

Product: Strathmore 500 Series Bristol Pad, Vellum, 2-ply, 11 x 14 in, 15 sheets (580-62)
Brand: Strathmore
Brand origin: United States
Made in: United States^*
Material: 2-ply (152 lb, 250 g/m²), 100% cotton, acid-free Bristol board, vellum surface, tape binding
Price range: $$$$20–75 per ream or pad

Notes on these facts

Made by Strathmore Artist Papers, a division of Dixon Ticonderoga (F.I.L.A. Group); owned by Pacon Corporation from 2006. Made in United States: Staples labels the 11 × 14 in and 14 × 17 in 500 Series Bristol pads made in America, and Drafting Supplies Dew listed an 11 × 17 in Sequential Art pad as made in the USA (that page is now gone). Strathmore's product page and Dixon's 2025 price list don't state the country. Source. Price: example listing.
Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026.

Key takeaways

Each pad holds 15 sheets of 2-ply, 100% cotton Bristol, which Strathmore rates at 152 lb (250 g/m²); Strathmore calls the 500 Series pads acid free.
The 11 × 14 in vellum pad is item 580-62 (UPC 012017667114); pads also come in 14 × 17 in, plus an 11 × 17 in plate Sequential Art pad with 24 sheets.
Strathmore says this 100% cotton Bristol was created in 1893; it grades its papers from the 100 to the 500 Series.
An Amazon listing snapshot shows about 843 ratings averaging 4.7 stars for the 500 Series Bristol pad.
Staples labels the 11 × 14 and 14 × 17 in pads made in America; Strathmore is now a division of Dixon Ticonderoga of Appleton, Wisconsin.

What is the Strathmore 500 Series Bristol pad?

It is Strathmore’s top-grade Bristol board in pad form: 15 sheets of 2-ply, 100% cotton, acid-free board, bound with tape at the head. Strathmore’s product page gives the 2-ply construction, sheet count, 100% cotton fiber and tape binding, and its 500 Series page says the pad papers are archival and acid free.

Strathmore says this Bristol was created in 1893, and its history page dates the 500 Series name to 1974. An Amazon listing snapshot shows the pad with about 843 ratings averaging 4.7 stars, a large following for a pad in the $$$ band.

Strathmore 500 Series Bristol specs

Spec	11 × 14 in vellum pad
Item	580-62 (UPC 012017667114)
Size	11 × 14 in (279 × 356 mm)
Sheets	15
Board	2-ply Bristol, 152 lb (250 g/m²)
Fiber	100% cotton
Archival	Acid-free
Surface	Vellum (plate also sold)
Binding	Tape bound
Made in	United States (Staples “Made in America” label)

Strathmore rates 2-ply 500 Series Bristol at 152 lb (250 g/m²), which matches Eckersleys’ 250 gsm for a 2-ply sheet; 3-ply and 4-ply come only as loose sheets. The UPC is from Dixon’s 2025 price list.

Which sizes and surfaces are there?

The standard pads come in 11 × 14 and 14 × 17 in with 15 sheets, each in vellum or plate. A Sequential Art pad for comics adds 11 × 17 in with 24 sheets of plate, per Dixon’s 2025 price list.

Pad	Size (cm)	Sheets	Surface
11 × 14 in	27.9 × 35.6	15	Vellum (580-62) or plate (580-72)
14 × 17 in	35.6 × 43.2	15	Vellum (580-82) or plate (580-92)
11 × 17 in Sequential Art	27.9 × 43.2	24	Plate (580-52)

Pad sizes come from Strathmore’s product page; the Sequential Art pad from Dixon’s 2025 price list. Drafting Supplies Dew has also sold a vellum Sequential Art pad (580-42). Strathmore lists loose sheets at 23 × 29 in and 30 × 40 in in 2-, 3- and 4-ply, and no 9 × 12 in 500 Series Bristol pad.

To-scale drawing of Strathmore 500 Series Bristol pad sizes from a shared corner: 11×14 and 14×17 in pads with 15 sheets, and the 11×17 in Sequential Art pad with 24 sheets — The three pad sizes drawn to scale from one corner.

Vellum or plate?

Choose vellum for pencil and dry media, plate for pen, marker and airbrush. Strathmore calls plate an ultra-smooth finish for detailed technical pen, airbrush and marker work, and vellum toothy, for pencil, charcoal and pastel as well as pen and light washes. It doesn’t recommend either for traditional watercolor.

For inking on plate, a pigment fineliner such as the Sakura Pigma Micron is a common pairing. Retailers say the cotton fiber stands up to repeated erasing and reworking without feathering.

How does it compare to the Strathmore 300 Bristol?

The 500 Series is 100% cotton, in pads of 15 sheets in the $$$ band; the 300 Series is a student Bristol in pads of 20 in the $$ band.

	500 Series Bristol	300 Series Bristol
Fiber	100% cotton	Not stated as cotton
Board	2-ply, 152 lb (250 g/m²)	100 lb (270 gsm)
Sheets per pad	15	20 (10 in the 22 × 30 in pad)
Sizes	11 × 14, 14 × 17 in	4 × 6 to 22 × 30 in
Surfaces	Vellum, plate	Vellum, smooth
Price band	$$$	$$

300 Series figures come from our guide to it. Strathmore grades its papers from the 100 to the 500 Series, with higher numbers meaning higher quality; Strathmore calls the 500 Series premium, professional grade. For everyday sketching rather than finished work, Strathmore’s 400 Series Sketch pad is 60 lb (89 gsm).

How much does it cost?

The 11 × 14 in pad sits in our $$$ band ($20–75 per pad) at the US shops we checked in October 2026. The 14 × 17 in pad costs more.

Who makes Strathmore, and where is the pad made?

Strathmore is now a division of Dixon Ticonderoga of Appleton, Wisconsin, and Staples labels the 500 Series Bristol pads made in America. Pacon Corporation bought Strathmore in 2006. Strathmore’s product page doesn’t state the country, so check the back of your pad.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Strathmore 300 and 500 Bristol?

The 500 Series is 100% cotton and comes 2-ply in pads of 15 sheets; the 300 Series is a 100 lb (270 gsm) student-grade Bristol in pads of 20. Strathmore ranks its series from 100 to 500, so 500 is its top grade.

What does 2-ply Bristol mean?

Bristol board is made by laminating sheets, or plies, together, so 2-ply is two layers bonded into one board. Strathmore's 500 Series pads are 2-ply.

Vellum or plate: which surface should you choose?

Vellum has tooth for graphite, colored pencil, charcoal and pastel. Plate is ultra-smooth, and Strathmore recommends it for technical pen, pen and ink, marker, airbrush and mechanical pencil.

How heavy is Strathmore 500 Series Bristol?

Strathmore rates 2-ply at 152 lb (250 g/m²), 3-ply at 228 lb (375 g/m²) and 4-ply at 304 lb (500 g/m²). The pads are 2-ply; 3- and 4-ply come as loose sheets.

Is Strathmore 500 Bristol acid-free?

Yes. Strathmore says all 500 Series pad papers are archival quality, acid free and made with cotton fiber, and Dick Blick lists the Bristol as 100% cotton and acid-free.

Is the Strathmore 500 Series Bristol worth it?

Retailers say the cotton stands up to repeated erasing and reworking without feathering, which matters for finished pencil and ink work. For practice and thumbnails, the cheaper 300 Series is the usual choice.

Where is Strathmore 500 Bristol made?

Staples labels the 11 × 14 and 14 × 17 in pads made in America; Strathmore doesn't state the country on its product page. Strathmore is now a division of Dixon Ticonderoga of Appleton, Wisconsin.

Sources (16)

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