Types of Paper for Art: Definitive Guide

Types of Paper for Art: Definitive Guide

 James M. Rai  Resource

The best thing about crafting with paper is that getting the main raw material, paper, is very easy. That’s dues to the ready availability of paper and its inexpensive nature. Again, beyond the basic copy paper, there are many more varieties of paper, and that introduces our topic today.

If you’re looking to go into paper crafting, it’s very essential that you learn the available types of paper because to have great results with paper crafting, you need to use the right paper. Now, to help you with that, we’ve composed a list of the main art paper types, and we’ve done our best to give you a good description of where each type is used.

13 DIFFERENT TYPE OF PAPER FOR ART



SCRAPBOOK PAPER

Also known as Patterned Paper, this is the kind of paper that is printed with patterns on one side, and sometimes, it has embossing or glitter. It’s commonly found in craft stores and comes in a variety of patterns and colors.

Scrapbook paper is best used for:

Scrapbooking





Flat decorative paper crafts





Decorated cards



COPY PAPER

This is what comes to mind when most people think about paper. It’s the white, relatively light paper that is normally used for printing, and some people refer to it as xerographic or laser bond paper.

Copy paper is only basic, and many people only use it for printing, but you’ll be surprised at how many other things you can do with it.

The upside to this kind of paper is that it is easy to print on, and thus it’s a great option for placing your own patterns or designs, but then, it’s only matte and doesn’t have luster. Again, you cannot use it for a craft that needs to be very stiff or very light and fluttering because its rigidity is somewhere in the middle.

Copy paper is best used for:

Folded paper art





Origami





Quilling





Decoupage



CARD STOCK

When you want to give your paper art some rigidity, the best type of paper to use is card stock, which is simply referred to as card. This stiff craft paper comes in an assortment of colors, and it’s perfect for crafts like rolled flowers, but then, you need to realize that it’s prone to tearing and crushing especially when you try to manipulate it incorrectly.

We recommend card stock for:

Minecraft paper crafting





Cut-outs





3-D crafts like rolled flowers, bags, and boxes
Mini photo books





Multi-purpose box





Graduation, holiday, and baby cards



KRAFT PAPER

If you’ve ever wondered what those brown grocery bags are made of, now you know; it’s Kraft paper. During the process of making paper, the pulp that is left over doesn’t go to waste; it is used to produce Kraft paper.

As it’s made from leftover pulp, Kraft paper is not a high-grade sort of paper, but it has a unique appearance that is kind of appealing.

If you are (or your kids are) participating in a school pattern-making project where the quality of he paper being used is not a big deal, then Kraft paper would be a perfect choice. And by the way, it’s pretty inexpensive too, so if you’re on a budget, you will find it very fitting.

Kraft paper is best used for:

Clothing patterns





Simple decorative paper crafts



CARDBOARD, POSTER BOARD, AND PAPERBOARD

When you need to make rigid 3-D crafts, cardboard, poster board, and paperboard are the materials to use. The thickness of these art materials differs widely, and you can get anything from what looks like a really thick card stock to what looks like a piece of wood board.

These items can be used in place of wood for making 3-d crafts like little fairy houses and gift boxes.

We recommend cardboard, poster board, and paperboard for:

Gift tags





Signs





Little play houses for kids





Pet beds





Postcards





Halloween costumes



TEXTURED PAPER

Textured paper refers to any paper that is decorated with dots, lines/stripes, or glitter than is raised. Mostly, textured paper is card stock, but even light papers can be decorated with texture. A crosshatch looking like linen is the most common sort of texture used, and it’s possibly meant to mimic the traditional linen papers.

Textured paper can be used for a wide range of paper crafts, especially where a 3-D effect is needed. It’s best used for making:

Greeting cards





Little gift boxes



GLOSS PAPER

Gloss paper either comes with gloss all over it or with high-gloss UV coatings on various spots. Gloss papers are pretty much like other papers of the same weight, only that inks might fail to stick on some of these gloss papers. Whether an ink sticks or not all depends on the kind of gloss and ink used.

The best thing about gloss paper is that it can be very attractive, and thus it’s ideal for decorative crafts like:

Wedding cards





Photos





Brochures and publications



VELLUM

Want to create a nice effect like Ombre with your paper crafts? Try vellum paper.

Vellum is a spectacular kind of paper that is usually made from cotton, and it’s typically translucent, meaning that when it’s held against the light, you can see through it a little.

As you can see through the paper, you can use it for tracing designs.

The only issue with vellum is that it doesn’t give you very many color choices. Ordinarily, the only options include sliver, white, and gold.

Try vellum for:

Tracing





Scrapbooking





Invitations





Transferring designs



MARBLED PAPER

Marbled paper can be printed, or it can be made naturally, whereby color is floated in fluid before being transferred to paper.

If you want a good marbled paper, try going for card stock marbled paper or something better because, with such a material, the transferred color is absorbed efficiently without the development of wrinkles or other deformities on the paper.

Apart from buying marbled paper, you can make some at home using shaving cream and food colors.

Some uses of this paper include:

Invitation cards





Bookmarking





Jewelry boxes





Frames





Wrapping paper





Clipboards



ADHESIVE PAPER

Also known as sticker paper, this is paper that comes with a sticky backing. You can cut adhesive paper into various shapes with various cutting implements, and then stick the cut outs on various objects or use them for any other decorative purposes. Apart from that, you could use adhesive paper as a seal for papers.

The common kinds of adhesive paper include white and clear paper.

Adhesive paper is typically used for:

Stickers





Labels for jars





Memo board for your refrigerator





Stencil for screen printing





Birthday party decorations



METALLIC PAPER

As the name suggests, metallic paper is a paper with a metallic finish. It normally features a fine luster and sometimes even extra features like embossing. Still, some metallic papers feature a pearlescent shine instead of the conventional metallic appearance you’d expect.

Here are a few uses of metallic paper:

Invitation cards





Pockets and wraps





Envelops





Envelop liners





Insert sheets





Holiday cards



CREPE PAPER

Crepe paper is something you can even make at home because it’s just composed of several tissue paper layers that are joined together with glue before being wrinkled. While you can see through tissue paper, you can see through crepe paper because the layers block the light. Another difference is that crepe paper is creased, but tissue paper is typically not creased.

Crepe paper has a cool texture, and it stretches well as it is flexible. Though you can’t print on it, you can design it with ink or hand coloring.

Another good thing about this paper is that it’s available in almost all colors and some even have a metallic finish.

Crepe paper is perfect for:

Pom-poms





Paper sculptures





Bouquets





Wreaths





Wedding decorations





Decorative butterflies



TISSUE PAPER

Tissue paper is probably the thinnest kind of paper you can use for paper crafts. You can get it in various colors, and what is most striking about this paper is that although it’s very light, some varieties can be printed on.

Tissue paper is perfect for:

Lightweight 3-D crafts





Pom-poms





Tassels





Lanterns





Pinatas



 https://www.hamblyscreenprints.com/types-of-paper-for-art/