Waterproof Paper

Waterproof paper stands up well to rain and moisture. They are great for printing maps, taking notes in wet weather, and for use where your notes might be subject to contact with water. They can can be laminated, cut, and hole-punched. Read the Ultimate Map Tools article to learn how to print your own topographic maps for free.

Both sides of these papers have equal printing characteristics. For best results, one-sided printing is recommended. When large amounts of ink are applied, such as when printing maps or bold text, two-sided printing might result in ink bleeding through the paper. Also, when ink becomes wet from exposure it can be mobilized. This can allow it to absorb more deeply into the paper (resulting in bleed-through) or transfer to the back of a sheet above it in a booklet or stack of paper. If you do decided to print on two sides allow a few minutes drying time between sides. We recommend testing to see if your printing process will produce documents that will stand up to your anticipated conditions.

We recommend printing using the "normal" or "standard" settings of your printer. Printing in "high quality" or "dark" mode usually applies more ink than the paper can absorb. That will cause ink smearing or ink that does not dry. If the ink smears or does not dry in "normal or "standard" mode see if you can print with a "light" or "economy" mode. For best results use the lightest printer setting that produces readable print.

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Most people who use the ink or toner cartridges supplied by the manufacturer of their printer have great success. Refilled cartridges and generic cartridges sometimes provide poor results. The ink or toner that you use can break down with exposure to direct sunlight, water or humidity. Ink usually fails before the paper during sun exposure. For best results use the ink and toner cartridges recommended by your printer manufacturer and be aware that exposure conditions will limit the life of your document.

Waterproof paper might last outside for a few weeks (more or less), depending upon climate and sun exposure. They will not last through repeated or prolonged exposures to hot, cold, sun, wind or other harsh conditions.

All of these papers have been used for underwater writing while scuba diving. If you are diving more than a few feet deep you will need a paper that accepts pencil. The air pressure in ink pen refills is lower than the water pressure at more than a few feet deep. That will cause water to flow into your pen's refill and dilute the ink. Be sure to test your pen, printer and paper combination before going into the field or starting a project.

Waterproof Paper Brands	iGage Weatherproof Paper Our best seller. Print with inkjet, laser and copiers. Best pen performance but does not accept pencil.	Rite in the Rain Copier Paper Most economical for wet conditions. Works great in copiers. Best for pencils.	Rite in the Rain Duracopy Top recommendation for extreme use. Resists tearing, puncture and abrasion. Waterproof.	National Geographic Adventure Paper Recommended for inkjet printers. Accepts pen and pencil. Highly resistant to damage.
Sheets	50	25	25	25
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Inkjet Printer	Very Good	NR*	NR*	Excellent
Laser Printer	Good	Good	Very Good	NR*
Copier	Good	Good	Very Good	NR*
Pen	Excellent	Good	Fair	Good
Pencil	NR*	Good	Fair	Good
Tear Resistance	Very Good	Poor	Excellent	Excellent
Puncture Resistance	Very Good	Poor	Excellent	Excellent
Abrasion Resistance	Very Good	Poor	Excellent	Excellent

*NR = not recommended. **NA = not applicable. The information provided on this page is our opinion. Your experience using these papers could be very different from ours because you might use them with different types of printers, different types of ink, different writing tools or under different conditions. Also, your opinion of "good", "excellent" or "poor" performance might be different from ours. We provide the opinions above for general guidance. They are not meant to be a critique or promotion of any product.