Arches Watercolor Block: 140 lb Cotton Cold Press
The Arches Aquarelle watercolor block is a stack of 20 sheets of 140 lb (300 gsm), 100% cotton watercolor paper glued on all four sides, so the top sheet stays flat while you paint. The cold-press block comes in US sizes from 9 × 12 in to 18 × 24 in, and the paper is made in France.
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Product facts
- Product
- Arches Aquarelle Watercolor Block, 140 lb Cold Press, 9 x 12 in, 20 sheets
- Brand
- Arches
- Brand origin
- France
- Made in
- France*
- Material
- 100% cotton, gelatin-sized 140 lb (300 g/m²) cold-pressed watercolor paper, natural white, glued on four sides
- Price range
- $$$$20–75 per ream or pad
Notes on these facts
- Made by Arches (F.I.L.A. group). Made in France: Arches' French site says Arches Aquarelle blocks were already made in the company's Vosges workshops in the 1950s and still are, and that the paper is made on a cylinder mould at the Arches mill. Jackson's Art and other retailers date papermaking at the mill to 1492. Source. Price: example listing.
- Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026.
Key takeaways
- Each 140 lb (300 g/m²) block holds 20 sheets; the 300 lb (640 g/m²) blocks hold 10.
- Arches says the paper is 100% cotton, made on a cylinder mould (which it has used since 1895) and gelatin-sized to the core.
- Jerry's Artarama sells the cold-press block in 9 × 12, 10 × 14, 12 × 16, 14 × 20 and 18 × 24 in, plus smaller metric sizes.
- Arches' French site lists the 9 × 12 in block as 23 × 31 cm, 300 g/m² cold press (grain fin), 20 sheets, reference A1795060.
- Arches paper has been made at the same mill in the Vosges, France, since 1492; the brand now belongs to Italy's F.I.L.A. group.
What is the Arches watercolor block?
It is a stack of 20 sheets of Arches Aquarelle watercolor paper, 140 lb (300 g/m²), glued together on all four edges. The glue keeps the top sheet flat while it is wet, so you can paint straight away without taping or stretching the paper.
Arches is the cotton watercolor paper many painters move to after student pads. Retailers from Jerry’s Artarama to Blick stock the block in a full run of sizes and three surfaces, and buyers rate it highly: Walmart’s 16 × 20 in block shows 4.9 stars from 67 reviews.
Arches watercolor block specs
| Spec | 9 × 12 in cold-press block |
|---|---|
| Paper | Arches Aquarelle, 100% cotton |
| Weight | 140 lb (300 g/m²) |
| Surface | Cold pressed (NOT in the UK) |
| Sheets | 20 |
| Size | 23 × 31 cm per Arches (9 × 12 in, 229 × 305 mm, in the US) |
| Color | Natural white (blanc naturel) |
| Binding | Glued on all four sides, clean-cut edges |
| Reference | A1795060 (Arches); Jerry’s item 15844 |
| Archival | Acid-free with alkaline reserve, no optical brighteners; ISO 9706 (per Arches) |
| Made in | France (Vosges) |
Size, sheet count, reference, cotton and gluing come from Arches’ French catalog page, checked October 20, 2026; Jerry’s Artarama gives the same block as 9 × 12 in. Barcodes differ between listings (Jerry’s gives 3011480511228, eBay 3700417114617), so match the size and surface on the label rather than a code.
What sizes do Arches blocks come in?
In the US the 140 lb cold-press block runs from 9 × 12 in to 18 × 24 in, all with 20 sheets; Arches’ French catalog lists 13 cold-press sizes from 10 × 25 cm to 46 × 61 cm.
Jerry’s Artarama lists those five sizes, and Walmart also sells a 16 × 20 in block. Arches’ own range is metric: the 9 × 12 in block is 23 × 31 cm, and other four-side blocks include 20 × 20, 26 × 36, 31 × 41, 36 × 51 and 46 × 61 cm. Jerry’s also sells 8 × 10 in (20 × 26 cm) and 12 × 12 in (31 × 31 cm) blocks.
What makes Arches paper different from student watercolor paper?
It is 100% cotton and heavily sized, so it takes repeated washes, lifting and scrubbing without the surface breaking down. Arches’ French site says the slow-turning cylinder mould spreads fibers evenly in every direction, so the paper relaxes evenly when wet, and that Arches is the only mill to gelatin-size its watercolor paper to the core. School Specialty calls it tub sized instead.
A wood-pulp student pad such as the Canson XL Watercolor is the same 140 lb weight, but it isn’t sold as cotton paper. The difference shows when you rework an area: cotton paper lets pigment flow and lift more evenly.
How do you use and remove a sheet?
Paint on the top sheet while it is still on the block, let it dry completely, then free it with a dull knife run around all four edges. Starting the knife at a corner and working it under the sheet avoids tearing the paper.
Taking a sheet off wet risks tearing it and lets it cockle as it dries. Because the next sheet is already glued down underneath, the block is ready for the next painting as soon as the top one is off.
Cold press, hot press or rough: which should you choose?
Cold press is the all-rounder, and it is the surface most people mean by an Arches block. It has a medium texture that holds washes and still takes detail.
| Surface | Texture | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Cold press (NOT) | Medium | Most watercolor, washes and detail |
| Hot press | Smooth | Fine detail, botanical work, ink and wash |
| Rough | Strong | Loose landscapes, granulating pigments |
Arches calls them grain fin, grain satiné and grain torchon in French, and lists four-side blocks in all three. The 300 lb (640 g/m²) blocks, with 10 sheets, are stiffer still.
Who makes Arches, and where is it made?
Arches paper is made in France, at a mill in the Vosges that retailers say has made paper since 1492. Arches’ French site says the blocks were already made in its Vosges workshops in the 1950s “and still are today”, and that the mill has used a cylinder mould since 1895. The company is FILA-ARCHES, part of F.I.L.A. (Fabbrica Italiana Lapis ed Affini), the Italian group that also owns Canson.
City Stationery Group notes that the mill supplied paper for the Nuremberg Chronicle, and that in 1826 Arches kept traditional gelatin sizing when other mills switched to cheaper methods. For lighter-weight paper to pair with it, see the Canson Mi-Teintes pastel pad or the Strathmore 400 Series Sketch pad.
Frequently asked questions
What is a watercolor block?
A block is a stack of watercolor sheets glued together on all four edges. The glue holds the top sheet flat while it is wet, so you can paint without taping or stretching it first, then remove the sheet once it is dry.
How many sheets are in an Arches watercolor block?
Arches' French catalog lists its 300 g/m² (140 lb) blocks glued on four sides with 20 sheets, and its 640 g/m² (300 lb) blocks with 10. Blocks glued on one short side have 12 sheets.
Is Arches watercolor paper 100% cotton?
Yes. Arches says Aquarelle is 100% long-fiber cotton, made on a cylinder mould and gelatin-sized to the core, which is why it handles heavy washes, lifting and scrubbing better than wood-pulp student pads.
How do you remove a sheet from an Arches block?
Let the painting dry completely, then slide a dull knife or palette knife into the edge of the block and run it around all four sides to free the top sheet. Cutting while the paper is wet can tear it.
What sizes do Arches watercolor blocks come in?
Jerry's Artarama lists 140 lb cold-press blocks in 9 × 12, 10 × 14, 12 × 16, 14 × 20 and 18 × 24 in, and Walmart sells a 16 × 20 in block. Smaller metric sizes, such as 8 × 10 in and square blocks, are also sold.
Is Arches cold press, hot press or rough?
All three. Cold press (called NOT in the UK) has a medium texture and is the most common; hot press is smooth and rough has the strongest texture. Check the label, because blocks of the same size come in each.
Where is Arches paper made?
In France. Arches says its blocks are made in its own workshops in the Vosges, as they have been since the 1950s; retailers date the mill to 1492. The company is now FILA-ARCHES, part of Italy's F.I.L.A. group.
Is the Arches block worth the price?
It costs several times more per sheet than a student pad such as Canson XL Watercolor. What you pay for is cotton paper that takes repeated washes and lifting without the surface breaking down, and a glued block that saves taping.
Sources
- Arches (French): Papier ARCHES Aquarelle (100% coton, forme ronde, gélatiné à cœur; block sizes and references, e.g. A1795060)
- Arches (French): ARCHES, des papiers d'excellence (cylinder mould since 1895; blocks made in the Vosges workshops since the 1950s)
- Jerry's Artarama: Arches Watercolor Block 9 x 12 in, 140 lb Cold Press, 20 sheets (item 15844; 100% cotton, glued on all four sides)
- Jerry's Artarama: Arches Watercolor Block 10 x 14 in, 140 lb Cold Press, 20 sheets
- Jerry's Artarama: Arches Watercolor Block 12 x 16 in, 140 lb Cold Press, 20 sheets
- Jerry's Artarama: Arches Watercolor Block 14 x 20 in, 140 lb Cold Press, 20 sheets
- Jerry's Artarama: Arches Watercolor Block 18 x 24 in, 140 lb Cold Press, 20 sheets
- Jerry's Artarama: Arches Watercolor Block 8 x 10 in, 140 lb Cold Press, 20 sheets
- eBay catalog: Arches A1795060 9 in x 12 in Watercolor Block, White, 20 sheets
- Walmart: Arches 140 lb Watercolor Block, Cold-Pressed, 16 x 20 in
- Blick: Arches Watercolor Block, 9 x 12 in, 300 lb, Cold Press, 10 sheets
- School Specialty: Arches Cold Press Watercolor Paper block, 12 x 16 in, 140 lb, 20 sheets (100% cotton, tub sized)
- Gordon Harris: Arches watercolour blocks (100% cotton, cylinder mould, gelatin-sized to the core)
- Heaton Cooper Studio: Arches Aquarelle blocks (rough, NOT and hot pressed)
- Jackson's Art: Arches brand page (mill history since 1492; owned by F.I.L.A.)
- City Stationery Group: Arches paper history (Nuremberg Chronicle; gelatin sizing kept in 1826)