Paper! Paper! Paper!

I have been using Staples 67-lb cover paper for several years for my own albums. You shouldn't have to worry about ink itself being acid-free as long as you are using stamp mounts. If you are using hinges it's best not to have any printing inside any stamp frames on your page. And, of course, keep your album pages away from any moisture.

This paper also works well for home-made greeting cards.

Hi:

I would like to print my own pages.

If I do not use mounts, what kind of paper can I use as interleaves? I think the ink can print the stamps in the opposite page. Would you please recommend me some type?

By the way, what is the size of the paper that Jkjblue uses (Wausau 70 lb Exact "Cream paper)?

Thank you and best regards,

José

Here's the paper I use. Southworth 32# Ivory 100% Cotton Business paper. Acid & Lignin free. Available on Amazon

Having worked in the illustration / design business I have some experience of the various materials from an artist's point of view.

The best papers are hand made from cotton rag, no wood pulp added, rough ( Not ) and smooth ( HP ). Machine made cotton rag papers are good too, and a bit cheaper. 170 gsm / 80 lbs minimum weight for durability and resistance to cockling ( waviness in the sheet after applying moisture / water ). Acid free is no safeguard, there are all sorts of ways this can be defined and adhered to ( or not.) Archival quality is the best for permanence, or as near that as is possible.

Inks used in writing up. Nearly all fountain pen inks are dye based and will fade over time given exposure to light. None of them are truly waterproof. Shellac based or water based acrylic pigment inks are more durable ( some writings in pigment inks have survived 1000 plus years ) but will clog most fountain pens. Dip pens are the thing to use. Early pigment based inks made with oak gall were acidic and many old masters' drawings have holes in them because of this. Permanent does not mean long lasting, it just means the ink is waterproof, totally or partially, and it will still fade. Again the only sure thing is archival quality ink. And black ink is the best of them all.

Printer inks. Two types here. Budget priced printers tend to use dye based inks ( see above.) More expensive semi pro or pro type printers use pigment based inks ( better - see above.) An important factor for both types is drying time. Until the ink printing is fully dry and hardened off there is real danger that it will transfer to sheets in contact with it; back of previous page, glassine ( oh boy ) interleaving. Stamps if you stick them on both sides of your pages without interleaving ( I'm sure none of you do this.)

As mentioned in another post the paper the stamp is printed on may well be acidic, which creates another factor to be considered. Then there is the stamp gum, which if the environmental or storage conditions are wrong, may well provide just the food source mould spores need to invade your collection.

Nothing lasts for ever, we can only try.

Terry

I have been told my repeated sources that 100% cotton rag is archival quality paper and far better than any wood pulp based product.

On other forums, people have argued with me that the paper still needs to be buffered. I find that somewhat amusing,since there is nothing in cotton paper that can go acidic.

Hi apastuszac,

You are right. Pure cotton rag paper does not need buffering. All good art and archival quality papers do have a surface sizing applied, but this is to provide a good surface for ink and watercolour wash. It prevents the ink or watercolour soaking excessively and uncontrollably into the paper. It has nothing to do with buffering. If wood pulp has been added to any paper, then that paper will need additives to limit yellowing and buffering and to prevent acid contamination. All wood pulp papers go yellowish and eventually brown. They are all acidic to some degree.

Terry