This is the BEST for all your calligraphy practice. Trust me.

No, you cannot use your home printer paper instead, and here are some reasons why:

The paper is bright white and thin enough that you can put a grid sheet underneath the top page and see through it perfectly. 

It is SO SMOOTH, which means no snagging on upstrokes.

It does not make calligraphy inks bleed, thus giving you perfect crisp lines.

AND as it isn't a mess of loose sheets, you can take it to your favourite cafe and do your drills whilst enjoying a soy latte. I still use these pads everyday for my drills. They are excellent.