Bristol Board is a high quality paper product that is heavy weighted and has a high quality smooth surface. It is also sometimes called Bristol Paper. Bristol Board is used commonly for pen & ink drawings, as well as for constructing theatre sets and architectural models.

Almost all paper is produced using a binding medium called size, the difference with Bristol Board is that it has a very thin coat of size applied to the surface, giving it an ultra smooth finish. Today, many papers and boards may be called 'bristol' however they can vary widely in quality. Real "bristol" should be .006" thick and have a smooth, nearly shiny surface.

Bristol paper is similar somewhat to a high quality cardboard or mat board, to cut it you need to use a knife such as a stanley knife and a cutting mat.

Bristol Paper and Bristol Board can be purchased from any art supply store, many scrapbooking stores and some sculpture supply stores.