Canson Mi-Teintes Pastel Pad: 160 gsm Toned Paper

Drawing of the Canson Mi-Teintes 9 × 12 in pastel pad, 229 mm wide, closed with its tape-bound head and with six sheets in white, champagne, buff, moonstone, steel gray and light blue fanned out; inset: honeycomb side, 160 g/m² — The 9 × 12 in assorted pad and its six sheet colors, drawn to scale; sheet colors are representative tints.

Product facts

Product: Canson Mi-Teintes Pastel Pad, 9 x 12 in, 98 lb (160 gsm), 24 sheets, assorted colors (100510864)
Brand: Canson
Brand origin: France
Made in: France^*
Material: 160 g/m² (98 lb) acid-free, mass-dyed toned drawing paper with high cotton content, tape bound
Price range: $$$5–20 per ream or pad

Notes on these facts

Made by Canson (Annonay, France). Made in France: Canson's French site says its papers are made in France at the historic Saint-Marcel-lès-Annonay site (ISO 14001). School Specialty describes the Mi-Teintes paper in this pad as French made, and an Australian Canson retailer says Mi-Teintes is made in France. Canson doesn't say where the US 9 × 12 in pad is assembled; check the back of the pad. Source. Price: example listing.
Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026.

Key takeaways

Paper: 160 g/m² (98 lb), acid-free with an alkaline reserve, mass-dyed for lightfastness and high in cotton, per Canson's French site.
The 9 × 12 in assorted pad (Canson 100510864) holds 24 sheets: four each of six colors.
Each sheet has two usable sides: a honeycomb texture on one and a finer grain on the other.
On marketplace pages that mirror Amazon data, the 9 × 12 in black and multicolor pads each show about 4,000 ratings at 4.7 stars, ranking No. 3 and No. 4 in Pastel Paper.
Canson, founded in 1557, says its papers are made in France at its historic Saint-Marcel-lès-Annonay mill; School Specialty also describes the paper as French made.

What is the Canson Mi-Teintes pastel pad?

It is a tape-bound pad of 98 lb (160 g/m²) colored drawing paper made for pastel and other dry media. Mi-Teintes means “half tones” in French: the paper is toned, so light and dark marks both show against it.

It is the best-known toned pastel paper in the US. On marketplace pages that mirror Amazon data, the 9 × 12 in black and multicolor pads each show about 4,000 ratings at 4.7 stars and rank No. 3 and No. 4 in Pastel Paper.

Canson Mi-Teintes pad specs

Spec	9 × 12 in assorted pad
Weight	98 lb (160 g/m²)
Sheets	24 (four each of six colors)
Size	229 × 305 mm (9 × 12 in)
Surfaces	Honeycomb texture on one side, fine grain on the other
Archival	Acid-free, neutral pH with alkaline reserve, mass-dyed for lightfastness (Canson)
Cotton	“High cotton content”, no figure (Canson)
Binding	Tape bound
Item number	100510864
Made in	France (Canson papers; School Specialty)

Weight, surfaces and archival details come from Canson’s French Mi-Teintes page; count and binding from School Specialty; the item number from Quill and My Work Supply. My Work Supply also lists gelatin sizing. Canson’s French range lists 30 fine-art and 6 bright colors, sold there as sheets, rolls and pads glued on one side, so the tape-bound 24-sheet pad is a US format.

Which side of the paper should you use?

Both sides work: the honeycomb side for bold pastel texture, the fine-grain side for detail. Drafting Supplies Dew describes the honeycomb pattern as the paper’s signature side and the reverse as fine grain.

The honeycomb catches pastel on its ridges and leaves the valleys showing the paper color, which gives a broken, sparkly finish. Pastel pencils and colored pencils often look cleaner on the finer side, where the texture doesn’t show through.

What colors are in the assorted pad?

Six colors, four sheets each, but listings disagree on which six. Jerry’s Artarama and School Specialty list white, champagne, buff, moonstone, steel gray and light blue; Quill lists white, sand, red earth, dawn pink, flannel gray and light blue for the same item number.

Canson also sells single-color and themed pads, such as black, earth tones and gray tones, and loose sheets about 50 × 65 cm and 56 × 76 cm. Mid-tone colors are the usual choice for portraits and still lifes, because you can work both highlights and shadows.

What media work on Mi-Teintes?

Dry media: soft pastel, pastel pencil, charcoal, conté and colored pencil. At 160 g/m² it is heavier than a sketch pad, which helps it take layers without wrinkling.

Bar chart of paper weights to scale: Canson XL Marker 70 g/m², Strathmore 400 Sketch 89, Canson Mi-Teintes 160, Neenah cardstock 176 and Arches Aquarelle 300 g/m² — Mi-Teintes sits between sketch paper and cardstock in weight.

It isn’t made for water. For light washes the Canson XL Mix Media is the same 160 g/m² but white, and for heavy washes use a cotton block such as the Arches watercolor block. For graphite studies before you commit to color, the Strathmore 400 Series Sketch pad is lighter and cheaper per sheet.

How much cotton is in Mi-Teintes paper?

It contains cotton, but sources disagree on how much, so we don’t give a single figure. Canson’s French site says “forte teneur en coton” (a high cotton content) without a number, Wikipedia gives 60%, and one review of the 160 g pad gives 33%.

What retailers agree on is that it is acid-free and lightfast; one says it meets the ISO 9706 standard for permanent paper. That matters for pastel work you intend to frame.

Where is Canson Mi-Teintes made?

Canson’s French site says its papers are made in France, at its historic Saint-Marcel-lès-Annonay site, and School Specialty describes this pad’s paper as French made. Canson says it was founded in 1557 by the Montgolfier family and joined Italy’s F.I.L.A. group in 2016.

The Canson name dates from 1801, when Barthélemy Barou de la Lombardière de Canson married into the Montgolfier family. For a smooth paper for ink drawing instead, see the Strathmore 300 Series Bristol pad.

Frequently asked questions

Which side of Canson Mi-Teintes paper should I use?

Either. One side has Canson's honeycomb texture, which grabs pastel and shows a visible pattern; the other has a finer grain that suits detailed pastel pencil and colored pencil work.

What weight is Canson Mi-Teintes paper?

98 lb, which is 160 g/m². That is heavier than a 60 lb (89 gsm) sketch pad but far lighter than 140 lb (300 gsm) watercolor paper.

What colors are in the Mi-Teintes assorted pad?

Listings disagree. Jerry's Artarama and School Specialty list white, champagne, buff, moonstone, steel gray and light blue, four sheets each; Quill lists white, sand, red earth, dawn pink, flannel gray and light blue for the same item number. Check the cover.

Can you use watercolor on Mi-Teintes?

Only lightly. At 160 g/m² it is made for dry media; a wash will cockle it. For pastel over a wet underpainting, use a heavier pastel card or watercolor paper.

Is Canson Mi-Teintes paper acid-free?

Yes. Canson says Mi-Teintes is made acid-free, at neutral pH with an alkaline reserve, and dyed in the mass for good lightfastness; one retailer says it meets the ISO 9706 permanence standard.

How much cotton is in Mi-Teintes?

Canson's French site says only that Mi-Teintes has a high cotton content ('forte teneur en coton'), with no figure. Wikipedia gives 60% and one review of the 160 g pad gives 33%, so we don't state a single number.

What other Mi-Teintes pads are there?

Single-color and themed 9 × 12 in pads (black, earth tones, gray tones), larger 12 × 16 in pads, and loose sheets about 50 × 65 cm and 56 × 76 cm for framing-size work.

Sources (15)

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