What kind of paper to use for papercraft
I was asked this question a lot, “What type of paper should I use for my papercraft project?” or ” what kind of paper should I use for this model”.
Today, I’m going to share with you the kind of paper you should be using.
The kind of paper you’re using depends on the type of paper craft you’ll be making.
For example if you’re making a figurine type of paper craft like anime papercraft , then use a paper that is weighted around 180 gsm to 240 gsm.
For anime paper model such as Kuriyama Mirai , I would prefer a normal paper of 180 gsm to 200 gsm.
If you’re making a building paper craft for example hogwarts castle , you’ll need a sturdier paper such as a cardstock which is around 220 to 350 gsm.
Of course the higher the numbers the thicker the paper and so it’s harder and paper model such as Hogwarts castle will be sturdy enough to stand any damage or touches.
Which also makes it hard to fold so you need to use some skills in assembling it.
What if I’m making a train or a tank you say? Then I’d choose 200 gsm as it will make your vehicles sturdy and more durable.
It is said that 220 gsm up to 280 gsm is the most common for paper crafting but all in all it’s still depends on your choices of what type of paper you’d like to choose.
Different people is going to give you different answers. It’s best for you to go out in a shop and have a test of how durable and sturdy the paper are and is it to your liking.
And then you need to choose between normal paper, glossy photo paper or matte paper.
What is Glossy , Matte and Photo paper?
Glossy paper is an ultra shiny paper mainly used for flyer, brochures , advertising and much more. A bit pricey for paper crafting but it looks great on paper craft with lots of colors. It will make the colors of your templates flashier.
Photo paper is somewhat like glossy paper and sturdy just like a card stock but thin . Just like its name we use it to print photos. They are usually in a smaller size than A4 but there is an A4 size for sale. Photo paper are usually reflective when in light which is the reason why I don’t prefer photo paper.
As an example of a photo paper would be CanonInk Glossy Photo Paper 8.5″ x 11″ 100 Sheets .
Matte paper has a dull coating and not shiny which makes it clearer on text clarity and colors. Matte is my choice for anime and game paper craft .
Cardstock is a thicker paper that comes in plain and colors . You use them for all kinds of crafts for kids, for adults , making post card and etc. The weight range from 135gsm to 300 gsm and I prefer card stock in making buildings paper craft.
Normal paper is the normal paper you use for printing your homework and game walkthrough. While they’re not specifically made for papercrafting they do comes in many GSM weight just like the other above but most commons ones are 70 and 80 gsm.
Recommended Papers
What is GSM ?
GSM stands for Grams per Square Metre. Like I said previously, the higher the number the thicker the paper. More thicker – more durable.
Does it matter what GSM paper I use and can’t I just use normal printing paper of 70 gsm?
You are free to use what kind of paper you want and this article is just for those who wanted more choice and their paper model to be more durable, to be able to stand tall and strong for a long time in display as normal printing paper does not stay strong for long.
In fact, in my beginner days of making paper craft I just use normal A4 inkjet paper . While it did not last long and it crumbles while I tried to assemble it as it’s too weak and not durable enough for the glues and the paper became gooey and sticky , I did manage to finish the model.
What paper size should I use?
For any kind of paper craft models out there, the normal paper size would be A4. In USA that would be a US letter size (8.27 in x 11.7 in).
There are many other sizes of paper you can use but most templates available on Mypapercraft.Net is made for A4 papers.
Where can I find papercraft templates or PDF templates
You came to the right place as in mypapercraft.net we have all kinds of paper craft templates for download. Just click on the category menu and browse away.
I hope this article answers your question.
For a related article, Check out what type of glue best for papercraft , How to make papercraft hard like plastic article .
