Here is some general information I've collected on
decorative and fine art papers. For descriptions of different paper families, see
the Paper Descriptions page. For serious technical information regarding specific
papers, their pH levels, sizing information, and contents, please refer to the
Specific Paper Information page. To check suggested uses of specific papers, see my
Recommended Uses page.
What's on This Page?
(Click on the topic to go there directly, or just scroll down)
What Do You Do With This Stuff?
Paper, by definition, is a complex matted web of cellulose fibers. Genuine parchment, authentic vellum, or papyrus are not true papers by this definition.
Paper is made from different plants in different parts of the world, depending on what is native to that area. Generally, the plant with the longest and strongest fibers which flourishes in any particular region is the paper making plant of choice there. In many parts of Asia, this is the mulberry tree. In Nepal, with an 8,000' elevation, it is the daphne shrub. In the Philippines they use the salago shrub. In India, cotton is the fiber of choice. Linen from the flax plant thrives in northern Europe. In the U.S. both cotton and various wood pulps are used for papermaking.
Paper is made by gathering the plant of choice, and beating it into a pulp. Water is then added, until the pulp becomes a slurry. The slurry is then sifted against a screen until it forms an even layer. Once it dries, a sheet of paper is formed. Refer to my photo page for step-by-step pictures of the papermaking process.
There are three basic ways paper is made. Originally all paper was made by hand, a slow and tedious process yielding unique and beautiful sheets. Handmade paper is still made today using similar processes. Modern commercial paper is made using high speed machines which, while very efficient produce inexpensive paper with little of the character of hand made sheets. Much of the artist paper today is manufactured using a process known as "mould made", where a modern machine manufactures paper using mechanical processes that emulate the hand made papermaking process.
Most papers contain something called "sizing". Sizing is a starchy, glue like substance mixed into the paper pulp. As the paper dries the sizing acts to create a bond between the fibers making a stronger sheet of paper. Some papers have no sizing at all, but most have at least this mixed in sizing known as "internal sizing". Papers with only internal sizing tend to have soft, absorbent surfaces and are great for printmaking and drawing. Papers with harder surfaces such as Bristol or watercolor papers have additional sizing added to the surface of the sheet. This creates a less absorbent, harder sheet, better for techniques like pen and ink or watercolor. Sizing applied to the surface of paper sheets is also called "external sizing".
Some of the plants used to make paper naturally contain acidic compounds. Some, like cotton, do not contain acid. Acid in paper will cause yellowing and paper deterioration over time. The best example of acidic paper I can give is that of a newspaper left outside in the sun too long on a Sunday morning. The section left facing the sun turns yellow in only a few hours, compared to the rest of the paper. This is a direct effect of the acidic content of newspaper. Materials which naturally contain acid may be processed such that the acids are actually removed, or acidic papers may have buffering agents added to them so that they temporarily become pH neutral. Even pure, acid free papers may be contaminated by the polluted environment around them, causing them to eventually no longer be acid free. To be classified as an "archival" paper, a paper must be acid free to begin with and have buffers added as well.
Good papers are rated as pH neutral (generally buffered to achieve this goal). Better papers are called "acid free", based on the materials they were manufactured from. The best papers are "archival".
There are two different systems used to describe the weight of different papers. If the weight of the paper is stated in pounds, the weight was determined by weighing one ream of the basic size of that paper. If a 22 x 30" watercolor paper is said to be 140#, that was the weight of 500 sheets of that paper. If a 29 x 41" watercolor paper is said to be 260#, that was the weight of 500 sheets of that paper. Both of those papers are actually the same thickness. The alternate method of describing paper weight is to weigh one square meter of the paper, and list its weight in grams. When this method is used the paper weight is listed in gms/m2 form, or 90 gm/m2 for example. If the gm/m2 method were used to describe the two watercolor papers used in the earlier example, both woul be rated at 300 gm/m2 as they are both the same thickness. Often the gram weight is shortened and expressed simply as a give paper being a "160 gram paper".
Watercolor paper is available in as many as four different surfaces. The best example I can use to describe the differences between these surfaces is to compare them to the process of ironing clothes (my friend Beth couldn't relate to this, but I hope you can). Hot Press is the term used to describe the smoothest surface of watercolor paper, as if it had been ironed using a hot iron to make it perfectly smooth. Soft Press paper has slightly more texture, but is still smooth, as if the hot ironing had been done, but using less pressure. Cold Press paper has even more texture than the previous two, as if it had been ironed using a colder iron, leaving more bumps. Rough paper is the most textured of the watercolor paper surfaces, as if it had not been ironed at all (notice the word "press" is not in its name). At the paper mill, these textures are actually achieved by putting the paper through big rollers, which basically do iron the paper.
- "Acid Free" is a vastly overused and misunderstood term.
- Uses for decorative papers are limited only by your imagination.
- Sizing has nothing to do with inseam lengths.
- Hemp paper can't give you a contact high.
- A 140 pound piece of watercolor paper is really big.
- Rice paper is not really made from rice.
- "Vellum" means different things to different papers.
- Garlic paper doesn't smell like Italian food.
- Onion Skin paper contains no onion content.
- Authentic parchment and vellum are not popular with vegetarians.
- Coffee and Tea Leaf papers are caffeine free.
- A paper doesn't need to be smooth and white for rubber stamping.
- Couching has nothing to do with watching television.
Here's a list of just a few of the many uses for decorative papers, courtesy of Black Ink inc.
What Do You Do With This Stuff?
- Room Divider Screens
- Rubber Stamp Art
- Box Making
- Paper Lanterns
- Laser Printing
- Framing and Matting
- Photo Backdrops
- Framed As Art
- Jewelry
- Embossing
- Book Covers and End Papers
- Drawing
- Wedding Invitations
- Product Designs
- Origami
- Collage
- Copying Onto, Copying From
- Resume Paper
- Lampshades
- Cards
- Clothing
- Video Background
- Scanned for Computer Graphics
- Mock Ups for Product
- Mono Print
- Place Cards
- Display Cases
- Painting - Oil, Acrylic, Watercolor
- Teaching Paper Making
- Shades / Blinds for Windows
- Business Cards
- Portfolio Pages
- Cover Sheets
- Silk Screen
- Block Print
- Etching
- Intaglio
- Kite Making
- Wrapping Paper
- Decorative Table Settings, Coverings
- Covering Hat Boxes
- Bookmarks
- Lining Closets
- Wallpaper
- and the list goes on...
Acid Free: Paper that is free from any acid content or other substances likely to have a deleterious effect on the paper or its ability to last over time. (see pH neutral)
Archival: Paper that is not only acid free but also lignin and sulfur free. Most commonly used to repair historic documents, the paper must be long lasting without causing deterioration to itself or other materials it may come in contact with. Additionally, archival papers are often buffered to neutralize environmental factors which may contaminate their acid free nature. (see living in Los Angeles)
Basic Size: The customary sheet size used to establish the basis weight of a ream of a given grade of paper. Standard basic sizes vary by paper grade. For example, the basic size of watercolor paper is 22x30", while the basic size of cover stock is 20x26".
Basis Weight: The weight, in pounds, of a ream of paper cut to a standard basic size. Each major paper grade, like cover, bond, or watercolor, has its own basic sheet size which determines its basis weight. For example, the basic size of watercolor paper is 22x30" for 500 sheets; therefore 500 sheets of 140 lb. watercolor paper 22x30" will actually weigh 140 pounds. Although the sheets in a given ream of paper may be larger or smaller than this example, basis weight refers to how much that ream would weigh if all sheets were the related basic size.
Batik: A method of treating fabric or paper with wax before dyeing, so the treated area does not pick up color.
Bleach: A chlorine solution used to whiten pulp in paper making.
Bond Paper: A type of office reprographic paper widely used for letterheads and business forms. Bond papers are characterized by strength, durability, and performance during electronic printing. They are manufactured with a basic size of 17x22".
Bristol Paper: Solid or laminated heavyweight paper made to a caliber thickness of .006" or higher. Bristols have a basic size of 24.5x30.5". The first pasted (laminated) papers were made in Bristol, England, by plying single sheets of paper together. Today the better bristols are true pasted sheets of two or more ply; cheaper (inferior) imitations are solid sheets labeled as "two-ply thickness".
Calcium Carbonate: CaCO3 is a naturally occurring substance found in a variety of sources, including chalk, limestone, marble, oyster shells, and Tums. Used as a filler in the alkaline paper manufacturing process, calcium carbonate improves several important paper characteristics, like smoothness, brightness, opacity, and affinity for ink; it also reduces paper acidity.
Cellulose Fiber: The main component of the walls of all plant cells, cellulose gives plants their structural support and makes plant material fibrous. Both cotton and wood fibers contain mostly cellulose.
Chain Lines: In a sheet of paper, the lines that run perpendicular to the laid lines. In a paper making mould there are laid wires that are woven together by very thin wire or silk threads; these threads form watermark lines, called chain lines, in the newly formed sheet.
Chin Colle: A paper collage process in which sheets of paper are laminated together by the pressure of the etching press and glue. This process allows for layers of colored areas to be achieved without having to use separate plates.
Chiri: A Japanese term for mulberry bark; commonly used to refer to paper with inclusion pieces of mulberry bark.
Cotton: One of the most commonly used plant fibers in the making of western papers. Cotton sources include "rag" (recycled from 100% cotton fabric), raw cotton, and linters (shorter cotton fibers resembling clothes dryer lint). Cotton is the purest form of cellulose produced in nature and it requires the least amount of processing before it can be used to make high quality paper.
Cotton Paper: Paper with a minimum cotton fiber content of 25%, and a maximum fiber content of 100%. When fiber other than cotton is used, the balance comes from wood pulp.
Cover Paper: Heavier, generally stiffer paper commonly used for book covers, folders, greeting cards, business cards, and brochures. Uncoated cover papers generally match the color and finish of corresponding text papers. The basic size of cover stock is 20x26".
Deckle: The wooden frame that rests on top of a mould and defines the edge of a sheet during hand paper making. Deckle edges are the feathered edges of a sheet caused where the pulp thins towards the edge of the deckle frame.
Esparto: A tough wiry grass that grows without cultivation in the semi-arid parts of Spain and North Africa. This fiber produces paper that is smooth and soft.
Gm/m2: The gram weight of one square meter of paper.
Hemp: An older name for abaca, manila hemp is related to the banana plant; its leaf fiber is often used in paper making. Not to be confused with true hemp, related to cannabis sativa, the marijuana plant. The fibrous stalk of the hemp plant has an illustrious history beginning with the invention of paper in A.D. 105. Until the 1930s hemp was a major cash crop in the U.S. Today, hemp fiber and textiles are imported from the Far East and Europe. This historical plant holds great promise as a renewable tree-free source of fiber which can help stop the radical destruction of the earth's remaining rain forests.
Kozo: A long, rough fiber from the mulberry tree that produces strong absorbent sheets of paper; the most common fiber used in Japanese paper making.
Laid Paper: Paper with a prominent pattern of ribbed lines in the finished sheet. It is customary for the laid lines to run across the width and the chain lines to run from head to foot. The mould used to make laid paper has numerous narrowly spaced laid wires that are woven together by very thin wires or threads called chain lines.
Lignin: The fiber bonding material found in wood. Lignin that is left in pulp causes paper to age and yellow over time.
Linters: The short fibers that cling to cotton seeds after the first ginning. These cotton fibers are too short for thread spinning or cloth making, but are useful in making paper pulp.
Machine-made: Paper that is produced on a rapidly moving machine which forms, dries, sizes, and presses the sheet. This process forms an extremely uniform sheet.
Mould: A flat screen with wire mesh onto which the deckle is placed during hand paper making.
Mould Made: A sheet of paper that simulates the look of handmade paper but is actually made by a machine called a cylinder-mould.
Papyrus: A plant native to northern Africa, from which "paper" sheets are made by peeling its layers and layering those strips on top of one another. Often referred to as the first paper, technically papyrus is not a paper at all as the individual plant fibers do not mesh.
Parchment: A writing surface made from animal skins. Modern "vegetable" parchment is made from plants and has a very hard surface excellent for calligraphy.
[pH(potential) of H(hydrogen)]: In lay terms, the measure of availability of free hydrogen ions representing the balance between the acid and alkaline components of a material. 7pH (pH neutral) represents a balance between acid and alkaline components; 0 pH is very acid; 14 pH is very alkaline (see acid free).
Rag Paper: Paper with a cotton fiber content between 25% and 100%. Originally used to describe paper made from recycling cotton rags. Since most modern fabrics are blended with polyester or other synthetic fibers which are not desireable additions to paper, most commercially produced rag paper is actually made using cotton linters.
Ream: 500 sheets of paper.
Rice Paper: A common misnomer applied to oriental papers. Rice rarely plays a part in the manufacture of Japanese papers. Some people say this was the paper historically used to package rice. The traditional sizing of mulberry papers is rice starch. Another source indicates there is a tree whose Latin name translates to "rice paper tree" and the term refers to small sheets of "paper" made by peeling layers from this tree.
Salago: A wild shrub native to the Philippines which is harvested in a manner very similar to mulberry. Limbs are trimmed, the bark is stripped off and the inner fiber of the branch is boiled and beaten to make paper. Because of its superlative strength and natural sheen, salago is the fiber of choice to make currency in the Philippines.
Shi: A Japanese word for paper.
Sizing: A solution added to paper to both hold it together and to make it less absorbent. Sizing can be added at two stages; internal sizing, a moisture resistant mixture in the form of rosin, glue, gelatin, starch or modified cellulose is added to wet pulp while it is in the beater; external or surface sizing treats the external layer of a sheet of paper after it has dried completely.
Su: A flexible bamboo or reed screen used in Japanese paper making.
Text Paper: Paper of a weight suitable for the pages of a book or brochure. Available in a variety of textures, text papers are strong, fold well, and are printable.
Tooth: Refers to a paper's surface roughness. Rougher paper has more "tooth".
Unryu: In Japanese meaning "cloud dragon paper", unryu is characteristic of paper containing strands of fiber that are added to the sheet to create contrast and texture.
Washi: From the Japanese "wa", meaning "Japan", and "shi", meaning "paper", washi refers to any Japanese paper, traditionally made or not.
Watermark: A mark in fine papers, imparted during manufacture, that identifies a paper. It doesn't leave an impression in the paper; rather it leaves behind a translucent mark, as the paper is slightly thinner in the area of the watermark. Watermarks are formed by fine wire figures placed on the papermaking screen.
Wove Paper: A type of paper with a smooth, even surface made using a mould with a fine wire mesh.
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