As we've said many times, not all paper is created equal.
You become especially aware of this when you use fountain pens or when you take lots of notes. That’s exactly where Midori’s MD Paper line stands apart: it’s a stationery series built around one idea above all else – giving you the best possible writing experience.
The Philosophy Behind MD Paper Line
Midori started as a Japanese stationery maker in the 1950s, originally producing writing paper and envelopes. Over time, they developed what is now known as MD Paper, a type of writing paper refined since the 1960s specifically for writing comfort, ink clarity, and durability.
Unlike many notebooks that prioritise cover design or branding, Midori’s MD Paper products turn the paper itself into the core feature. Every notebook or notepad in the line is built around this paper philosophy: minimal design so the writing surface remains the focus.
So, what does “writing-first” actually mean in practice?
At its heart, Midori’s MD Paper approach is about removing distraction:
- The notebooks are skilfully thread bound and open completely flat, so you’re not wrestling with the binding or awkward angles.
- Pages are clean and neutral, free from loud design or heavy decoration.
- Every detail – from visible stitching to the exposed spine – Is there to support the feel of writing, not to impress visually.
That minimalism might look simple at first glance, but it’s intentional. Midori believes that a notebook shouldn’t interrupt your thought process, it should just work. And for many writers, that philosophy makes the MD Paper range a trusted tool.
This approach also leaves room for creativity! Over the years, we’ve seen many cool personalised Midori MD covers. The blank cover page is quite inviting, and it behaves well with both ink and watercolours.
Types of MD Paper
If you’ve never used MD Paper before, the first thing most long-time users mention is how comfortable it feels to write on.
The paper isn’t super smooth like coated papers you might find in some premium notebooks, nor is it rough like recycled stock. Instead, it strikes a good balance: it’s textured enough that your pen feels connected to the surface, but not so much that it fights your hand. This special feel is enhanced when used with Japanese fountain pens, known to give pleasant feedback.
What's the GSM of Midori MD paper?
Midori MD paper is 80gsm — a mid-weight that's substantial enough to prevent show-through with fountain pens but light enough to keep notebooks comfortable to carry. For comparison, Tomoe River sits at 52gsm, Cosmo Air Light at 75gsm, and Leuchtturm1917 also at 80gsm.
The weight is part of why MD performs the way it does. It lands in the practical middle where the paper feels solid under a nib without bulking up a notebook.
What's the difference between Midori MD and Midori MD Cotton?
Standard Midori MD is 80gsm cream-toned paper made from wood pulp, while Midori MD Cotton contains 20% cotton pulp and has a crisp white finish with a slightly softer, textured feel.
Beyond the colour and feel, the two papers behave differently with ink. Standard MD is smoother and less absorbent, which holds sheen and shading better and produces finer lines from the same nib. Cotton absorbs ink slightly faster, which softens lines and mutes sheen, but the trade-off is a gentler writing surface that also handles pencil, marker, and light wash media well.
In short, standard MD is for writers who want maximum ink performance on a cream page. Cotton is for people who want a whiter, multi-purpose page that takes more than just a fountain pen.
MD Paper Thick
This is a heavier and more robust paper than standard MD Paper. MD Paper Thick is 141gsm. It’s the same paper used for the flyleaf pages in MD notebooks and is particularly well suited to drawing, ink work, and heavier watercolour use. It resists bleed-through more effectively, making it a good choice for artists. The thick paper notebooks are also available in the practical square format.
Is Midori MD Paper Fountain-Pen Friendly?
Yes — Midori MD is one of the most reliably fountain-pen-friendly papers on the market, engineered specifically to handle ink without feathering or bleed-through.
The uncoated surface absorbs ink at a moderate rate, which keeps lines crisp without the slow dry times you get from heavily coated papers. Sheen and shading still show through clearly, just not as dramatically as on a specialty ink-display paper like Tomoe River or Cosmo Air Light. That trade-off is the point, because MD is built for everyday writing, not for showcasing a single ink's most extreme behaviour.
People’s experiences vary a bit. Some users find certain pen/ink combinations slow to dry, and others say that darker inks look a bit softer on the warm-toned paper, but overall, it’s widely praised for reliable performance, even with wetter nibs and inks.
And if you’re a pencil user, you’ll also get that satisfying grip on the surface.
Types of Midori MD Products
The Standard Midori MD Notebook is where the MD story begins. It’s available in a wide range of sizes, from compact A7 through to generous A4, as well as F0, F2, and F3 formats, and even a square A5. You can choose between standard MD Paper or MD Cotton, depending on your preference. The notebooks come in blank, grid, dotted, and lined versions, with ruling printed in very subtle grey for lines and light blue for grid, so the page stays unobtrusive while you write.
The Frame Journal notebook is an option with three boxes at the top of the page, that can be used for headers and dates. The rest of the page is another large box.
Midori MD Light Notebooks are designed for flexibility and organisation. Each set includes three slim notebooks with 48 pages each, along with index tabs that can be attached to the covers so you can tell them apart at a glance. They’re ideal for studying, academic work, research, or juggling multiple projects or journals at once.
The Midori MD Codex 1 Day 1 Page Notebook Journal is made for those who want everything in one place. With 368 pages, it offers enough space to use one full page every day for an entire year. Instead of a bookmark ribbon, the bottom corners of the covers and pages are perforated and can be torn off as you progress, making it easy to find the next blank page. It’s available in blank and dot grid formats.
The Midori MD Notebook Thick is a favourite among artists and visual thinkers. It uses heavier-weight MD Paper with the same lightly textured surface as the standard version. It’s only available with blank pages and uses the same thread binding, allowing it to open completely flat for drawing or sketching across spreads.
The Midori MD Block Memo Pad is a substantial desk companion, containing an impressive 500 sheets of MD Paper. It’s ideal for quick notes, drafts, or everyday writing, and the sheets can even be glued into an MD Notebook to cover mistakes or add extra space. It’s available in blank, grid, and lined versions.
The Midori MD Notepad is a versatile option for notes, sketches, and planning. The pads are glued along the top and right edges, so the paper stays secure whether you use it vertically or horizontally. A small notch cut into the corner helps you easily identify the unglued edge. These pads are available in blank, grid, or lined paper.
The Sticky Notepads come in A7 size and feature 80 sheets of MD Paper. They are available in grid, ruled, dot, blank paper, and even in the frame layout. The notepad is carefully designed so that you can also write on the adhesive side, with no stickiness or smearing. It has the same cover as the MD Notebook, which can be used as a backing board so that you can write while standing.
For correspondence, the Midori MD Writing Pad (letter pad) offers a refined, understated option. It includes 50 sheets of cream-coloured MD Paper with subtle lines spaced 9.5 mm apart, giving writing room to breathe. The matching MD Envelopes are made from the same paper, making them fountain-pen friendly, though waterproof ink is recommended for addressing.
The Midori MD Diary closely resembles the standard MD Notebook but is structured for daily use. It contains 176 lined pages alongside 32 blank pages for sketches or notes. Each lined spread is divided into eight sections, making it easy to organise entries by time, topic, or theme.
The Midori MD Thin Diary is a lighter, more streamlined alternative. It includes 112 grid pages and one blank page, offering enough structure for scheduling and light note-taking without the bulk of a full diary.
Beyond notebooks, Midori also offers MD wall and desk calendars, along with diary and planner stickers designed to match the MD aesthetic and integrate seamlessly into notebooks and planners. They even produce an MD dip pen with a barrel made from recycled paper pulp, giving it a colour and tactile feel that closely echoes the MD notebooks themselves.
Who MD Paper Is For – And Who It Isn’t
MD Paper isn’t about flash or decoration. There’s very little external design, and the paper tone leans warm rather than stark white. That means it’s perfect for people who write often, don’t want distraction, and want a reliable, tactile paper feel. It really shines with fountain pens, rollerballs, pencils, and mixed media light use.
However, if you want super white paper or ultra-slick ink show-off performance, other brands might give you that. In short, Midori is for the writer who values consistency, comfort, and function.
To wrap up – when you choose Midori MD Paper products, you’re choosing something built on decades of refinement and a single bold principle: let the paper serve the writer, not the other way around. The MD line makes the writing experience addictive - in the best way.
Questions? We’d love to hear from you, so don’t be shy! Contact us on Facebook, Instagram or via email at info@bookbindersdesign.com.au
