Strathmore

What Strathmore does

Strathmore Artist Papers, founded in 1892 in West Springfield, Massachusetts by Horace Moses, manufactures fine art papers for artists at every skill level. The company operates as a division of Dixon Ticonderoga, ultimately owned by Italian art materials conglomerate F.I.L.A. Group since its 2018 acquisition of Pacon Corporation. Products are organized in a tiered "Series" system—100 (Youth), 200, Vision, 300, 400, 500, and Sequential Art—covering drawing, watercolor, pastel, charcoal, printmaking, mixed media, inkjet, calligraphy, specialty crafts, and archival presentation. Notable proprietary technologies include Artagain fiber-enhanced paper (with 30% post-consumer fiber), Mixed Media papers combining wet and dry media performance, Toned Tan/Gray sketch papers, oil painting paper that does not require gesso, and museum-grade mounting boards meeting Library of Congress archival standards.

The business sells paper products—pads, sheets, rolls, books, boards, cards, and tiles—on a unit-pricing basis through art supply retailers, craft chains, online sellers, and a B2B retailer/distributor portal. Pricing is set by channel partners; Strathmore itself drives demand through content-led marketing: an Ambassador and Featured Artist program, a YouTube channel, blog and tutorial content, a quarterly newsletter, and the Strathmore Artist Studio online workshop platform. The Learning Series integrates video instruction with paper pads to reach beginners and art educators.

Manufacturing is US-based with environmental commitments including windpower-produced paper and recycled fiber options. The company targets a horizontal segmentation spanning individual artists, art educators, and crafters/hobbyists. No revenue is publicly disclosed, and the company has no mobile application, public API, or AI/ML capability documented in available materials; growth is signaled primarily through incremental product line expansion rather than headcount or geographic acceleration.

Name

Strathmore

Legal name

Strathmore Artist Papers (a division of Dixon Ticonderoga)

Website

https://strathmoreartist.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1892

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Strathmore is a 130+ year US manufacturer of fine art papers organized in a tiered Series system (100-500 plus Vision and Sequential Art), serving artists, educators, and crafters through retail, online, and educational channels as a division of F.I.L.A. Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fine Art Paper and Art Materials

NAICS

Stationery Product Manufacturing (32223), Converted Paper Product Manufacturing (3222), Paper Mills (32212)

SIC

Pens, Pencils & Other Artists' Materials (3950), Papers & Allied Products (2600)

akta.pro primary industry

Colored, Art & Premium Paper Manufacturing (IMAMAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Stationery & Office Paper Products (notebooks, pads, forms) (IMAMAHAG), General Arts & Crafts Supplies Retail (CRALACAA)

Keywords

• Fine art paper
• Drawing paper
• Watercolor paper
• Printmaking paper
• Art journals

Headquarters

HQ city

Appleton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Fine Art Paper Products: Strathmore generates revenue through the sale of fine art papers in various formats including pads, sheets, rolls, books, boards, cards, and tiles. Products are sold through retail and online channels targeting art supply stores, craft retailers, and direct-to-consumer through their website.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Strathmore manufactures and supplies a comprehensive line of artist-grade papers and related products for drawing, painting (watercolor, acrylic, oil, gouache), printmaking, calligraphy, mixed media, inkjet printing, and arts-and-crafts applications. The company sells primarily through a network of art supply retailers and online channels, with a dedicated B2B portal serving wholesale distributors. Products are organized into tiered series (100 through 500) to match different skill levels and price points.

Product overview

Strathmore Artist Papers is a manufacturer of fine art papers offering a comprehensive portfolio of paper products organized into a tiered series system (100 through 500 Series, plus Vision and Sequential Art). The core product lines include Drawing & Illustration Papers (Tracing, Newsprint, Sketch, Drawing, Artagain, Colored Pencil, Bristol, Sequential Art Bristol, Marker & Layout, Pastel, Charcoal, Boards, Mixed Media, Toned Paper), Painting Papers (Watercolor, Palette, Canvas, Acrylic, Oil), Books & Art Journals (Art Books, Softcover, Hardbound, Wirebound, Visual Journals), Fine Art Rolls, Printmaking Papers, Matting & Presentation Papers (Museum Mounting Board, Museum Barrier, Presentation Board), Inkjet Papers, Youth Artist Papers, Specialty Arts & Crafts Papers (Colored Art, Calligraphy, Parchment, Decorative, Translucent), Blank Cards (Artist Trading Cards, Greeting Cards, Artist Tiles), Learning Series (instructional pads with video), and Writing Papers. Products are organized by quality tier: 100 Series for youth ages 5+, 200 Series for beginners, Vision Series for customizable cover pads, 300 Series for intermediate artists, 400 Series for advanced artists, and 500 Series for professional artists. The company also provides free Digital Printing Templates as an add-on resource. The company is a division of Dixon Ticonderoga and has been operating since 1892.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Vision: Customizable cover art pads with tear-away fly sheets featuring extra high sheet counts and durable construction, made in the USA
• Learning Series
• Windpower
• Sequential Art Series

Products and services

• Strathmore 100 Series Drawing Paper Student-grade drawing paper for sketching, classroom use, and beginning artists; sold in pads and individual sheets.
• Strathmore 300 Series Drawing Paper Mid-grade drawing paper for more advanced students and hobbyists; wider variety of surfaces and sizes than the 100 Series.
• Strathmore 400 Series Drawing Paper Premium drawing paper for serious students and professional artists, including Sketch, Drawing, and Toned Tan/Gray variants.
• Strathmore 500 Series Plate Bristol and Drawing Paper Professional-grade drawing paper and Plate Bristol for fine artists; includes plate and vellum surfaces.
• Strathmore 400 Series Watercolor Paper
• Strathmore 500 Series Watercolor Paper Professional-grade watercolor paper (Imperial 100% Cotton) for fine artists.
• Strathmore 400 Series Acrylic Paper Surface-treated paper designed specifically for acrylic painting, with options for canvas texture and other finishes.
• Strathmore Oil Painting Paper Specialty paper designed to accept oil paints without prior gesso priming; for studio and plein air practice.
• Strathmore Mixed Media Paper Paper designed to accept both wet and dry media (e.g., watercolor and pencil) without warping or bleeding through.
• Strathmore Toned Tan and Toned Gray Sketch Paper Pre-toned sketch paper in tan and gray that provides a mid-value ground, allowing artists to add both highlights and shadows directly.
• Strathmore Artagain Paper Sketch paper made with 30% recycled fiber for environmentally conscious artists and students.
• Strathmore Printmaking Papers Specialty papers (Bristol, Patent Office Board, Illustrating Board) used in printmaking, technical illustration, and graphic arts.
• Strathmore Calligraphy Papers Quality papers for calligraphy, lettering, and pen-and-ink work.
• Strathmore Inkjet Papers Specialty photo and fine-art inkjet papers for digital printing of photographs, fine art reproductions, and digital artwork.
• Strathmore Vision Series Paper Specialty paper line for visual journaling, mixed media, and related applications.
• Strathmore Blank Greeting Cards Pre-cut, pre-scored blank greeting cards with coordinating envelopes for personal and craft use.
• Strathmore Artist Trading Cards Pre-cut artist trading cards (ATCs) for collectible art exchange and small-format works.
• Strathmore Fine Art Rolls Roll-format fine art papers for large-scale drawing, painting, and murals.
• Strathmore Learning Series Paper products for students bundled with free online lesson plans, aimed at K-12 and post-secondary art educators.
• Strathmore Matting and Presentation Papers Matting, mounting, and presentation papers for finishing, displaying, and presenting artwork.
• Strathmore Writing Papers Writing and correspondence papers, including stationery products.
• Strathmore Youth Artist Papers Drawing and painting papers designed for younger artists, including the 100 Series youth line and other child-appropriate products.
• Strathmore Specialty Arts & Crafts Papers Specialty papers for arts and crafts, including die-cut, pre-decorated, and craft-format papers.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Canson: French fine art paper manufacturer and sister company to Strathmore under F.I.L.A. Group. Competes directly in watercolor, drawing, sketching and mixed media pads, with strong European and global distribution.
• Fabriano: Italian premium fine art paper mill (est. 1264) and F.I.L.A. Group sister brand. Direct peer in professional-grade watercolor, printmaking and drawing papers with strong European art tradition positioning.
• Hahnemühle: German fine art paper manufacturer specializing in watercolor, printmaking, and digital fine art papers. Competes with Strathmore in the premium and archival categories globally.
• Arches: French premium watercolor and printmaking paper brand owned by Canson/F.I.L.A. Direct peer in the professional fine art watercolor category, particularly the iconic Arches Aquarelle line.
• Legion Paper: US-based distributor and producer of fine art papers (Stonehenge, Color-aid). Competes with Strathmore in printmaking, drawing and watercolor sheets and rolls in the North American market.

Broad incumbents

• Winsor & Newton: Heritage British artist materials brand (now under ColArt) offering a broad portfolio of fine art papers alongside paints and brushes. Overlaps with Strathmore in professional watercolor and drawing pads as part of a much wider artist supplies catalog.
• Daler-Rowney: British fine art brand offering papers, paints and brushes. Competes with Strathmore in student and professional sketchbooks and watercolor pads as part of a broader art materials portfolio.
• Pacon Corporation: US-based arts, crafts and educational products manufacturer that owned Strathmore from 2006 to 2018. Overlaps in art papers, construction paper, and classroom art supplies for the education channel.
• Dixon Ticonderoga: US manufacturer of pencils and art supplies and current corporate parent of Strathmore. Competes in pencils, markers and adjacent art supplies, with Strathmore as its fine art paper division.

Emerging players

• Borden & Riley: US-based art and craft paper manufacturer offering sketch pads, tracing paper and specialized art papers. Comparable to Strathmore's lower-tier and specialty craft products in the North American hobbyist market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/strathmoreart
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/StrathmoreArtist
• Facebookfacebook.com/strathmoreartist
• Instagraminstagram.com/strathmoreart
• TikToktiktok.com/@strathmoreart
• Pinterestpinterest.com/strathmoreart

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Strathmore